The National Football League has become a quarterback’s league. Running backs have become expendable, and that’s why Saquon Barkley hasn’t gotten the kind of contract he wants from the New York Giants just yet.
Barkley has been one of the best players in the league when healthy, but that hasn’t happened too often. He did excel last season, but the Giants weren’t willing to give him the kind of big-money deal he was looking for.
So, now that he’s refused to sign and play under the franchise tag, the clock is running out on the G-Men. With that in mind, ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes they have several options to replace him, including former Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott.
NFL Rumors: Giants Could Sign Ezekiel Elliott
“It would be a power move by the teams at this stage of the offseason, when money and cap space have dried up and being free agents probably wouldn’t be as lucrative for Jacobs and Barkley as it might have been in March,” Wrote Graziano.
“And with guys such as [Dalvin] Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, Kareem Hunt and Leonard Fournette still kicking around in free agency, the Raiders or Giants could probably solve their running back problems with still-productive big-name guys whose contract demands aren’t as high as those of [Josh]Jacobs and Barkley,” he added.
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Of course, Elliott may not have a lot of miles left on him, and he’d be a major downgrade over Barkley. But the Giants need to bolster their running game, as putting all that weight on Daniel Jones’ shoulders might not exactly be a recipe for success.