The New York Giants are under new leadership, and general manager Joe Schoen is willing to hear trade offers for Saquon Barkley.
Joe Schoen isn’t putting up a for sale sign, but the house is on the market.
On Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the first-year general manager of the New York Giants spoke to reporters. During the conversation, the question came up about whether the Giants would be willing to trade running back Saquon Barkley, who was selected No. 2 overall in the 2018 Draft.
While Schoen didn’t affirm the notion, he also noted the team would be willing to hear any and all offers on Barkley, along with the rest of the roster. Per NFL.com:
“We’re still working through that, but I’m open to anything. Like whether it’s trading player for player. I’ll listen to anybody. I’m not going to say we’re open for business on our entire roster. But if anybody is going to call and they’re interested in any of our players, I’ll certainly listen.
“We’re in a situation where unfortunately we have to get under the salary cap and we’re not in very good salary cap health. I’m not going to say yes to every deal, but I’m definitely going to listen and be open to situations that are best for the New York Giants.”
Frankly, Schoen would be doing his club a disservice not to hear offers. Barkley’s talents are clear, but the Giants need assets and cap relief. Should New York move Barkley, it could get a nice haul in draft compensation while also unloading $7.2 million off the cap sheet.
While Barkley has been productive on the field, he’s dealt with a litany of injuries. The former Penn State star rushing for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, notching 23 overall touchdowns. However, he’s been limited to 15 games over the past two campaigns combined, going for 627 rushing yards and four offensive scores on less than 4.0 yards per carry.
There’s a world where Barkley goes to another team, stays healthy and makes the Giants look foolish for moving him. However, there’s also a scenario where Schoen gets a few picks for Barkley, the youngster unfortunately deal with another injury and New York feels good about the move.
Whether Schoen moves Barkley remains to be seen, but the Giants are open for business.
