Breaking: Giants Finalizes Saquon Barkley Trade To Ravens After…

The New York Giants want running back Saquon Barkley back, but should the two sides not reach a deal and the Giants not use the franchise tag on him, NFL.com analyst Nick Shook has the perfect landing spot for the running back. That would be Baltimore, of whom Shook wrote: The numbers don’t suggest he’s as good (or owns as much earning power) as he was a year ago, but I can confidently say he’s still a very good back who would thrive in a better offense. The problem, though, is running backs don’t get paid much these days, and Barkley will likely only fetch a two or three-year deal. This is all setting up for a perfect scenario for him to join a contender that doesn’t have a ton of cap space. GM Eric DeCosta and the Ravens will look to sign a veteran back this offseason, and although bringing back Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins is on the table, Barkley sure feels like a good fit. Mainly playing behind a makeshift offensive line and with three different quarterbacks (not to mention having missed three games with an ankle injury) Barley was still the Giants bet and most consistent offensive player last year. The question though is whether the Ravens might be able to afford Barkley over say, a team like the Texans, who have all kinds of crazy cap space. Baltimore has $12.536 million of total space as of this writing to where it’s unlikely it would sink a good chunk of that into a running back when they have Jackson capable of moving the chains with his legs. From a financial and personnel perspective, Houston still makes the most sense for Barkley; the question though is will he get a chance to talk to them when free agency starts on March 13 or will the Giants slap the franchise tag on him for a second year running.