The latest episode of Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants gave us an inside look at the interesting conversation between general manager Joe Schoen and the team’s former star running back, Saquon Barkley.
At the conclusion of the episode, there’s a clip of Schoen calling Barkley’s agent, Ed Berry, from his office to tell him that the Giants will let Barkley test the free agent market rather than franchise tagging him for the second straight season.
“Yeah, I’m torn, Ed (Barkley’s agent), because I still think he can play, and I think he can help us. But I didn’t want to come in on a number because I didn’t really have a great idea of where the market is. That’s why I’m going to let the league tell him what it is, and hey, if you want to come back and be a Giant, let’s try to find something that makes sense,” Schoen said.
Schoen then called Barkley to tell him that they would let him test the open market to see what his value is. The two sides spoke cordially and Barkley agreed to let the Giants match any offer he received, but it seemed like both sides they would be moving on.
Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Giants’ arch-rival, Philadelphia Eagles.
The Giants will have to play against him twice a year for the next three years as they try and finish ahead of them.
