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Ralph Vacchiano
NFC East Reporter
This one is going to hurt in New York, there’s no doubt about it. Saquon Barkley wasn’t just one of the Giants’ best players, he was by far their most popular. And he really did seem to want to be a Giant for life.
It’s never a great sign when a player like that wants to stay but his team refuses to pay him what he’s worth. But the truth about Barkley’s defection from the New York Giants to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday afternoon isn’t that simple. The move made perfect sense for everybody involved.
Barkley got the deal he was seeking. The Eagles got a player who might make them the favorites in the NFC once again. And the Giants now have the salary cap flexibility to build their roster with positions that, for them, are more important.
In other words, paying Barkley makes way more sense for the Eagles than it ever would have for the Giants.
That won’t ease the pain of his jilted fans in New York, but it is the reality of the situation after the 27-year-old Barkley agreed to terms on a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles that included $26 million in guaranteed money, according to an NFL source. It’s the biggest splash Eagles GM Howie Roseman has ever made at the NFL’s most devalued position, and it left the Giants with a huge hole that they will undoubtedly struggle to fill.
Barkley could transform an already-loaded Eagles offense. With the addition of him and former Jets pass-rush specialist Bryce Huff, they might already be the favorites to reach Super Bowl LIX. As long as Barkley stays healthy — always a big “if” with him — he could be as big a weapon in the passing game as he is in the running game.
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Playing behind the best offensive line he’s ever had — a polar opposite of the Swiss-cheese wall he ran behind in six seasons with the Giants — he could be a threat to run for 1,500 yards.
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/saquon-barkleys-departure-from-giants-to-eagles-is-the-right-move-for-all-parties
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Publish date : 2024-03-11 20:20:13
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