The Giants’ running back mess has them searching for answers, but one name that keeps floating around should be treated like a bad joke: Saquon Barkley.
New York’s backfield is in rough shape. Cam Skattebo is in the doghouse, Najee Harris has already been sent packing, and the team that wanted its ground game to be the heart of its identity still doesn’t have a true feature back. The run game has been inefficient, and John Harbaugh made that frustration plain on Wednesday while discussing Harris’ unhappiness with the 4-RB rotation.
"I would love to be in the Derrick Henry circumstance or the Saquon Barkley circumstance," Harbaugh said.
That line was enough to light up the rumor mill, but it shouldn’t have. Harbaugh spent the last two seasons coaching Henry in Baltimore, so that reference was expected. Barkley’s name was the one that got people talking, though a reunion with the Giants is not happening.
Harbaugh could have just as easily used other elite backs to make the same point. Jonathan Taylor.
Bijan Robinson. Jahmyr Gibbs.
The message was about workload and proven production, not a hidden clue about a comeback in New York. Barkley isn’t suddenly on a path back to where his career started.
Even if the Eagles are headed toward a fire sale, that does not make Barkley a clean fit for the Giants. This is the kind of idea that sounds fun for about five seconds and then falls apart under real scrutiny. Howie Roseman may love a trade, but sending Barkley to a division rival would be a different level of impossible.
And the Giants are going to look around before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. That much is obvious. But there are far better ways to attack the market than chasing Barkley.
Jonathan Taylor would make more sense, especially with the Colts moving on from longtime GM Chris Ballard. A Harbaugh-to-Harbaugh deal for Chargers back Omarion Hampton would also be more logical.
Those are the kinds of options that at least fit the moment. A Barkley reunion does not.
The price would be another problem. New York is not about to pay a huge premium for a 29-year-old back who has had trouble staying healthy.
Barkley has already missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, and when he has been on the field, the production has not matched the name. He does not have a 100-yard game this season, and he has not scored a touchdown.
So if the Giants are serious about fixing a ground game that hasn’t lived up to expectations, Barkley should not be the answer. If anything, the smarter move would be to look younger.
We already had our trip down memory lane with Odell Beckham Jr.
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