A blockbuster trade proposal has the New York Giants sending superstar running back Saquon Barkley to an up-and-coming NFC club.
The 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year has refused to sign the franchise tag. The Giants have until July 17 to reach an agreement on a long-term deal with Barkley. If the two sides remain far apart on contract talks, GM Joe Schoen may have no choice but to deal the franchise star.
At NFL Analysis Network, Kenneth Teape proposed a blockbuster trade idea that would see the Giants send Barkley to the Chicago Bears in exchange for 2024 third and fourth-round picks (the latter via the Philadelphia Eagles), and a 2025 second-rounder that Chicago got from the Carolina Panthers:
“Adding Barkley to a backfield with (Justin) Fields would create major headaches for opposing defensive coordinators as the Bears were the No. 1 rushing team in the NFL last season without a running back as dynamic as him. Adding Barkley, (D.J.) Moore and (Robert) Tonyan to an offense already with Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool and Cole Kmet will take the Bears to heights they haven’t approached often in the last few decades.”
The Bears let their top running back of the past four years, David Montgomery, to sign with the Detroit Lions in free agency. The Bears signed ex-Panther D’Onta Foreman (a career-high 914 rushing yards last year) to replace Montgomery.
Khalil Herbert, who had a career-best 731 rushing yards for the Bears last season, will compete with Foreman for the RB1 role. Of course, all bets are off if the Bears were to make a trade for Barkley.
After appearing in just 15 total games over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Barkley stayed healthy and rushed for 1,312 yards (a career-high) and 10 touchdowns in 2022. His efforts helped the Giants end a six-year playoff drought, but they were ousted by the Eagles in the Divisional Round.
