Should the Giants Trade Saquon Barkley?

As NFL teams look to improve their roster this offseason, one franchise that desperately needs to turn their fortune around is the New York Giants. The team has not won more than six games since their wildcard playoff loss back in the 2016 season, and have not even had a winning record at any point for a five-year span. They drafted Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018 to improve the offense, but the organization has sputtered around him. 

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New York has hired Brian Daboll to be their new coach, as the former offensive coordinator has had great success in developing Josh Allen and creating a powerhouse of an offense in Buffalo. Giants fans are hoping he can have a similar impact on Daniel Jones, who is in jeopardy of losing his job with another poor season.

The quarterback position is far from the only spot on the offense the Giants need to address, as it has been one of the worst units in all of football for multiple years. The most difficult aspect comes at the running back position, and more specifically, Saquon Barkley. He is one of the league’s great athletic talents, however injuries and a lack of production has analysts calling for New York to trade the 2018 rookie of the year. This article will weigh the positives and negatives to trading the star, and my opinion on what the team should do. 

Pros of Trading Saquon Barkley

While losing a player of Barkley’s caliber will always come with its drawbacks, splitting up with the player does have its benefits. Saquon has not played a full season since his rookie year, and his yards per carry has been under four yards for consecutive seasons.

When observing the dip in production, dealing away the back for a high draft pick may be worth it. The halfback position has become one of the most expendable positions in all of sports, and the best rookie backs have been able to put up veteran-like numbers on a consistent basis.

With Barkley due for an extension soon, keeping him will become very expensive. Trading him away will allow the Giants to spend elsewhere and draft a replacement that can develop during the rebuild they are currently going through.

Cons of a Deal

Despite the monetary advantages to getting rid of Barkley, there are a plethora of negatives that go along with moving on from him. 

For starters, Barkley is the current face of the Giant’s franchise, and one of the few players that are able to sell tickets on the roster. Despite the large market that is New York, the team struggled to sell out MetLife Stadium during the second half of the season, especially when Barkey began missing games. 

Also, assigning all blame onto Barkley for his struggles in production is unfair. The Giants’ offensive line has been a mess, and the front office has been unable to put premier talent in the trenches despite multiple draft picks being used on them. It also does not help that New York threw for the second least passing yards in the entire NFL last year, making the team extremely one dimensional.

While it may be expensive to keep Barkley, he can be a key leader in the team’s rebuild and can produce at a high level once again when the roster around him improves.

My Pick: Trade Barkley

While I understand the ramifications to trading the Giants’ franchise player, however I do not think the team has a choice. It is clear that the entire roster needs an overhaul, and with the team already low on cap space, it does not make sense to extend the star. 

Instead, trading Saquon Barkley for a high draft pick can help add more youth to a team that is likely heading towards a total reset.