Why Now:ESPN says Saquon Barkley signing isn’t a needle mover for Philly
It will be due to a change in tempo and/or the removal of work from the team’s three best receivers, all of whom are more productive than the former Giants star, if Saquon Barkley is to receive a lot of work in the passing game. It is difficult to picture the Eagles feeding everyone week by week, although injuries may unavoidably reduce that problem as the season progresses. Brown has already
Due to knee and ankle ailments, which apparently reduced his explosiveness, he missed seasons in 2020 and 2021. He recovered in 2022, but a second high ankle sprain in 2023 kept him out of commission for a month. Every free agent has the potential to get hurt, but when a team pays for a player who is considered to be among the best at any position, they are pricing in the hope that the player will stay healthy for the entire season.
I believe that those who are watching this move and anticipating that Barkley will become the game-changing player McCaffrey has been for the 49ers are most likely mistaken. Barkley has never been a receiver of that magnitude, but his skill set is as similar to McCaffrey’s as almost anyone else’s. Given their success in acquiring valuable backs at significantly lower prices, that is the best-case scenario for this deal and the only way the Eagles might realize surplus value.
He probably will not have the impact as a receiver that fans are looking for, and he might miss time for extended periods of time in each of the upcoming two years. Although it is probably not the Eagles’ best use of $12.5 million, it also will not likely cost them anything.
During his six years with the New York Giants, Barkley was the team’s top running back and unquestionably one of the greatest in the league. He has had two Pro Bowl seasons and three seasons with 1,000 yards or more. In 2023, he came within 50 yards of adding a fourth season to the record.
