Giants getting destroyed over Saquon Barkley debacle is comedy for Cowboys fans
By Jerry Trotta
It's always fun to laugh at a rival's expense. Given their polarizing status among football fans, the Dallas Cowboys always have a target on their backs by the media. The narrative has changed this week, however, with the NY Giants getting eviscerated by NFL analysts and pundits amid Saquon Barkley's holdout.
The Giants hit Saquon Barkley with the non-exclusive franchise tag this offseason after they extended Daniel Jones and traded for Darren Waller.
Reports indicated Barkley turned down a $13 million per year offer from New York during the bye week. The former second overall pick feels as though those reports were twisted to make him look "greedy" and he has since decided to skip Giants mandatory minicamp this week.
At the end of the day, Barkley wants a contract that reflects his value to the franchise. He was the Giants' most important offensive player in 2022 and it's pretty clear he thinks he's worth more than the $10.1 million franchise tag.
With Barkley a no-show for minicamp and threatening to miss games this upcoming season, the media is letting the Giants hear it.
"They should have franchised tagged Daniel Jones. Instead, they're trapped."
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 12, 2023
— @ColinCowherd explains why Saquon Barkley holds the leverage pic.twitter.com/TPnXEUlGPw
Cowboys fans will love the Giants getting blasted over Saquon Barkley contract dispute
For once, Colin Cowherd isn't totally off-base with his analysis.
The Giants may have jumped the gun giving Jones $40 million per year and $82 million guaranteed after one season of above-average quarterback play. Barkley, meanwhile, has three Pro Bowl-caliber seasons under his belt and his coming off the most productive campaign of his career, helping lead NY to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Speaking of Jones' "breakout" 2022, almost 25 precent of his 472 pass attempts were on run-pass option throws or play-action, per Pro Football Reference. While Jones has a dual-threat aspect to his game, we'd argue that's just as big of a testament to Barkley's rushing ability as it is Jones' athleticism.
Similar to Cowherd, FS1's Joy Taylor echoed the sentiment that the Giants are doing wrong by Barkley by low-balling him in negotiations.
"Saquon Barkley is the only reason the Giants have been relevant. Nobody takes Daniel Jones serious without Saquon."@JoyTaylorTalks on Saquon flexing his leverage pic.twitter.com/L1z7IfO3s7
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) June 12, 2023
It's hard to argue Taylor's analysis, and her co-hosts were in lockstep.
The Giants haven't boasted a respectable receiving corps in years and Barkley logged a whopping 295 carries last year as a result. Additionally, Barkley's 57 receptions tied for the team lead and 338 receiving yards tied for fourth.
The NFL is better when Barkley is on the field, but Cowboys fans everywhere are hoping the star running back's holdout extends into the regular season. Remember, Dallas opens up against the Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday Night Football in Week 1, so this storyline is definitely something to monitor over the next few months.
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