Saquon Barkley

New York Giants: Tiki Barber thinks Daniel Jones will succeed

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

After New York Giants rookie passer Daniel Jones was booed at Yankee Stadium in what was either a riot of Jets fans being themselves or Giants fans disapproving of Dave Gettleman more-so than Jones, former running back for Big Blue, Tiki Barber, responded.

What did the former New York Giants RB say to TMZ?

Barber, who had his fair share of criticism in New York, stated after being asked about Jones’ booing:

“That’s New York, though…” After being asked if it was deserved, he replied: “Of course it’s not, he hasn’t played a game, but it’s his indoctrination into New York fandom, he’ll be okay.”

When asked if he thinks Jones will be a star, he stated:

“I think he will be, he’s got the smarts, he’s got the physical ability, he’s an athlete, and I think he’s surrounded by some good talent.”

Barber nailed it right on the head — Jones is essentially a more athletic Eli Manning replica. The ability to use his legs to pick up yards and extend plays will prove to be essential for the Giants in the future. In addition, he handles the media well and can fend off criticism that is undeserving.

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Another good point by Tiki — the talent around Jones is good. With Saquon Barkley, a rebuilt offensive line, and a solid group of receivers, Jones is in a great position to succeed Manning and take over with a foundation on offense. He will have the tools to succeed and move forward without any hindrance in his development.

The next season of growth will be beneficial towards his readiness and understanding of the offense. It’s assumed he will replace Manning in 2020 after the veteran’s contract expires.

 

 

 

New York Giants: Touchdown Wire Places Barkley As Top NYG Pick This Decade

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New York Giants running back, Saquon Barkley.

The New York Giants have definitely been one of the more hit or miss teams in the NFL Draft’s first round in recent years. Sometimes, they end up drafting players that could be stars for a long time, such as Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr., even if the latter player didn’t pan out in the long run.

Other times in recent memory, the team has taken players such as Eli Apple or Justin Pugh, who end up playing elsewhere a relatively short time later, with varying degrees of good performance. And in 2015, the team notably spent a top 10 pick on tackle Ereck Flowers, which panned out far worse than most would have imagined at the time and could be called one of the worst picks of the last front office regime.

But out of the players they’ve drafted this decade, which one is the best? According to Touchdown Wire, that title belongs to Saquon Barkley, who burst onto the scene as the second pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and hasn’t looked back since, quickly becoming the best back on the team and one of the finest in the league. Here’s what they had to say about the pick:

Saquon Barkley was one of the few bright spots for the Giants after being chosen second overall out of Penn State in 2018. Yes, there could be an argument for Odell Beckham Jr. here. However, the overall distractions that eventually led to his trade to the Browns open the door for Barkley.

There’s not much more elaboration but not much is needed when it comes to a player that finished second in the league in rushing and turned the Giants running game around entirely just with his presence on the field. Of course, Beckham has more experience with the Giants despite the trade, but it’s hard to argue that Beckham was the better pick because of the way things ended. It looks very unlikely that Saquon Barkley’s career, however, will feature a trade to the Cleveland Browns or any other team in the middle of his prime.

There’s still a lot of football left to be played in Barkley’s career, but is it crazy to call him the best Giants pick of the 2010s? Based on the way some of the team’s other first round selections have panned out in recent years, not at all.

New York Giants News, 6/23 – Kevin Zeitler leads the way in rebuild

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

When Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman elected to trade oft-injured pass-rusher Olivier Vernon, the initial shock was confusing. After seeing the return on the trade, I began to understand the premise behind the deal.

Gettleman traded away a player that was impacted when on the field, but the issue was just that. He spent enough time on the sidelines to justify a trade, allowing the Giants to upgrade the offensive line, specifically the right guard spot with Zeitler.

Vernon has missed 10 games in the last two seasons. Last year, he managed seven sacks, but Gettleman traded his defensive production for the No. 1 pass-blocking guard in the NFL.

The bottom line, the Giants now have an offensive line capable of protecting Eli Manning and opening up running lanes for Saquon Barkley. In addition to Zeitler, Mike Remmers was also brought in to replace Chad Wheeler at right tackle. It will be interesting to see how Manning operates with more time — if his efficiency increases and overall production sees a spike.

He’s been prone to consistent pressure over the past few years forcing him to check down to his running back, but giving him more time to work through his progressions should present the offense with more opportunity.

Your Giants top news of the day!

Jordan Raanan (ESPN) – Selfless neighbor provides liver, hope from mom of New York Giants’ Grant Haley

Serena Burks (Giants Wire) – C.J. Conrad’s comeback story is one worth cheering

Dan Schneier (247sports) – Giants depth chart: Position by position breakdown (offense)

Ed Valentine (Big Blue View) – Giants’ 90-man roster: Kareem Martin could see diminished role in 2019

Alexander Wilson (Empire Sports Media) – New York Giants most underrated offseason acquisition

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Check out the best news from yesterday!

New York Giants News, 6/22 – Odell Beckham Jr. just can’t let go

 

New York Giants: MMQB Names Barkley and Engram With Top Under 25s

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Two players on the New York Giants offense – one potential star and one player that’s already recognized as one of the biggest stars on not just the team but in the NFL in general – have been recognized with some of the other top young players in the league by MMQB. Andy Benoit placed running back Saquon Barkley and tight end Evan Engram on his list of the league’s best under 25 players, with three players being picked for each position.

Barkley came in next to Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot and Saints running back Alvin Kamara. Interestingly enough, all of those players are 23, despite Barkley being the most inexperienced of the group in terms of NFL game time. Kamara and Elliot came out of college earlier but that didn’t stop Barkley from being rated next to them after bursting onto the scene in 2018 and competing for the NFL rushing title despite being a new player.

Evan Engram has had considerably more struggles than Barkley at this point after two full seasons in the league, but still has enough potential to be ranked as one of the best under 25 tight ends in the league. But Engram’s potential is just that, potential. Despite being very promising for his age, the player has had trouble through his career with dropping open passes, and suffered from injuries as well as low usage during last season, which was a large step back from his first year.

Both players will have a larger role in 2019 from the looks of things so far, with the Giants potentially looking for more production from both their running game and their main receiving targets because of the departure of Odell Beckham Jr., which puts the team in unprecedented territory that they haven’t had to deal with long term for years. With training camp and soon the season approaching, we’ll get to see more soon of how much these players have managed to improve over the offseason going into the 2019 season.

New York Giants: How Saquon Barkley will elevate his game in 2019

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Starting off a career with 2,000 all-purpose yards and offensive rookie of the year accolades is impressive, a statistical production that most veterans are seeking, yet New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley earned it in one season.

Elevating his level of play spells trouble for any defense in his path, and that’s exactly what we should be expecting in the year ahead, but why?

The sophomore slump is certainly a thing, but Barkley has the ability to skip right over the dreaded season and enjoy another successful year. The reason he will — the improvement of the offensive line.

The New York Giants invested heavily in rebuilding the O-line:

A line consisting of Nate Solder in a new system and injured, rookie Will Hernandez, backup Spencer Pulley, a joke in Patrick Omameh, and a turnstile in Ereck Flowers isn’t something to write home about. In fact, it’s more of an embarrassment, or rather the start of a transition to a line worth talking about.

Now, it is built on a solid duo on the left side including Solder and Hernandez, a capable Jon Halapio returning from injury, a top-5 guard in Kevin Zeitler, and a much improved right tackle in Mike Remmers over Flowers and Chad Wheeler.

This line will open up holes big enough for Barkley to swim through, something he surely didn’t experience in 2018. However, Barkley led all 47 running backs with 100-carries in breakaway percentage at 54%, according to PFF. His production was reliant on his ability to break into the secondary and pick up big chunks of yardage, and that’s not a bad thing. Making up for two short runs with a long touchdown carry is acceptable at the professional level.

He gained 54% of his total 1,307 rushing yards on 20 carries he took for 15-plus yards in his rookie year. Adding better offensive lineman will only increase that statistic and allow him to work with more space on the line of scrimmage. I imagine two-yard runs will become four and his breakout potential will remain the same.

The offensive line is the catalyst for a dynamite 2019 for Barkley, and we will be able to witness his greatness.

 

New York Giants: Young, Talented Offense Will Provide A Bright Future

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The New York Giants offense is young and talented. The Giants have used 1st-round picks on their offense in each of the last three NFL Drafts. This tactic has rebuilt their offense and set them up for a bright future.

Big Blue has secured their next franchise quarterback. Daniel Jones was selected with the 6th overall pick in 2019, setting Jones up to be the heir apparent to Eli Manning.

In addition to finding Manning’s successor, New York has acquired multiple big-time playmakers in recent drafts. The young core of Jones, Barkley, Engram, and Shepard will provide the New York Giants with a bright future.

The Playmakers Have An Extremely Low Average Age

The New York Giants’ future core of playmakers, Evan Engram, Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, and Daniel Jones, are all extremely young. Only one of them is on their second contract (Sterling Shepard signed a big extension this offseason).

The young playmakers’ ages are as follows: Saquon Barkley (22 years old), Daniel Jones (22 years old), Evan Engram (24 years old), and Sterling Shepard (26 years old). These four players combine for an average age of only 23.5 years old. This incredibly young core will lead the Giants’ offense for the next decade at least.

An Old Offensive Line Lead By A Young And Talented Hog Molly

The Giants do have plenty of veterans on the offense too, however. The offensive line as a whole is pretty aged. Will Hernandez is the youngest hog molly of the group at 23 years old. The 2nd-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft showed a ton of promise as a rookie.

The rest of the offensive line, on the other hand, is not so young. The rest of the starting offensive line consists of ‘ole reliable Nate Solder, pass-protecting ace Kevin Zeitler, the unproven Jon Halapio, and veteran right tackle Mike Remmers.

All of these players are much older than sophomore Will Hernandez. The other four starters on the offensive line (excluding Will Hernandez) combine for an average age of 29.5 years old. The Giants’ offensive line has been seriously upgraded in real years, however, they will need to look for young replacements soon.

A Young Group With Proven Stars In The Midst

The New York Giants’ offense might be young, but that does not mean they are unproven. Of course, rookie Daniel Jones is as unproven as can be, however, his teammates are not all the same.

Saquon Barkley has already proven himself to be one of, if not the best running backs in the NFL. He set records as a rookie and won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Barkley was extraordinary, racking up 2,028 total scrimmage yards and 15 total touchdowns. He is a proven superstar that will lead the Giants’ offense for years to come.

Sterling Shepard might not be the superstar that Saquon Barkley is, but he has proven himself enough to earn a second contract already. Shepard has been a reliable slot receiver for the Giants over the last three seasons. He has totaled 2,286 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in those three seasons.

Evan Engram and Daniel Jones are not proven NFL players like Barkley and Shepard, but they still have a lot of potential for future stardom. Evan Engram has flashed star-power whenever Odell Beckham Jr. has been injured, and Daniel Jones was impressive enough to the Giants for them to take him with the 6th overall pick in the NFL Draft.

New York Giants: Saquon Barkley Talks About Motivations, Daughter

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley will be one of the players to lead the New York Giants forward this season, and after a historic rookie year, it’s easy to wonder just what makes the star running back tick. Barkley has, after all, not slowed down since coming out of college, and has even talked this very offseason about improving his game even further and meeting the big expectations placed on him this season as one of the team’s top performers.

Of course, competitiveness is one part of it, but that’s not the only thing driving Barkley forward to better and better performances throughout his career. While at his youth football camp, Barkley talked about his main motivation: family.

“It’s not just football. Every business decision I make, every investment, every marketing deal, all have to come with the mindset of my daughter being first. She is my world. I’m going to give her the world,” Barkley said of his daughter, Jada. “I’m going to make sure she never has any worries in life, but I’m also going to show her that you have to work for everything in your life. I want to be the best role model and father I can be in her life.”

Those business endorsements helped propel Barkley to the #93 spot on the Forbes list of highest paid athletes recently, making him the only player on the Giants right now to make the list at all.

“Obviously I do it for myself because I love the game, I love competing and I want to go down as one of the best [in NFL history], but I go out there and sacrifice my body every single day for my daughter,” Barkley also stated.

It looks like family is a good motive for Barkley, as the running back was able to set historic numbers for a rookie last year and completely revitalized the much lamented running game for the Giants.

This year, Barkley will have an even larger chance to build his name and a future for his daughter, and will enter the season with perhaps the most expectations of any player on the Giants. But if there’s one thing that can be taken away from the 2018 season, it’s that Saquon Barkley isn’t the type of player to be fazed by pressure.

New York Giants: How The Upgraded Offensive Line Will Help Daniel Jones

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The New York Giants‘ offense has been rebuilt over the past two seasons. Dave Gettleman came in last year and vowed to rebuild the offensive line. That is exactly what he has done.

The Giants offensive line was one of the league’s worst for years. But now, in 2019, things are starting to take shape. New York signed left tackle Nate Solder to a record-breaking contract last offseason, then drafted guard Will Hernandez. In 2019, the Giants traded for Kevin Zeilter, one of the best pass-protectors in the NFL, and upgraded the right tackle position.

What is a great offensive line without some offensive playmakers? The Giants went ahead and made big splashes on offense in the 1st-round of the 2018 and the 2019 NFL Drafts. They drafted Saquon Barkley with the 2nd overall pick in 2018. Barkley went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Saquon will benefit greatly from the Giants’ upgraded offensive line in 2019, but he is not the only one.

The Giants’ 1st-round splash in the 2019 NFL Draft was quarterback Daniel Jones. Big Blue took the controversial quarterback prospect with the 6th overall pick. The Giants have exhibited how quarterbacks struggle behind weak offensive lines for years now, which is why Daniel Jones will benefit greatly from the upgraded offensive line.

How Rookie Quarterbacks Play Behind Poor Offensive Lines:

Daniel Jones dodged a bullet in the 2019 NFL Draft. He could have ended up in Washington with Ereck Flowers as his starting left tackle. He is also lucky to be joining Big Blue in 2019 and not 2018. Dodge the Flowers bullet twice.

The Giants cut Ereck Flowers in 2018 after years of poor play. Daniel Jones is lucky he does not have to play behind a poor offensive line as a rookie. Here is how other young quarterbacks have fared behind poor offensive lines:

In 2018, the Arizona Cardinals had the worst offensive line in the league. Unfortunately, they also had a new 1st-round quarterback starting with Josh Rosen.

The once-promising prospect never found a groove behind the league’s worst line. Josh Rosen threw only 11 touchdown passes with 14 interceptions in 14 games, and was then traded the following offseason.

Jared Goff is a perfect example of how an offensive line can affect a young quarterback’s confidence and performance. Goff played in 7 games in his 2016 rookie campaign and only threw 5 touchdowns with 7 interceptions.

The following season, the Rams signed All-Pro tackle Andrew Whitworth, rebuilt their offensive line and coaching staff, and saw Jared Goff blossom.

In 2017, Jared Goff became one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. His touchdown total soared up to 28 touchdown passes, and his interception number stayed stagnant at 7 despite playing in 15 games.

Jared Goff and Josh Rosen serve as perfect examples of how an offensive line affects a young quarterback’s play. Daniel Jones will step into an offense that features the NFL’s best pass-blocking guard in Kevin Zeitler, which will help him tremendously.

Daniel Jones will benefit from Nate Solder’s reliability on his blindside. The veteran leadership provided by Solder, Zeitler, and Remmers will also keep the line consistent for Jones. Up-and-coming left guard Will Hernandez will also play a big part in keeping Daniel’s confidence high.

The New York Giants have perfectly reconstructed their offensive line to better themselves for the future. The future franchise quarterback was drafted with perfect timing. Daniel Jones will step into an offense full of exciting playmakers (such as Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram) and a solid offensive line.

New York Giants: Saquon Barkley Breaks Into Top 100 On Forbes List

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley is undoubtedly the best offensive player on the New York Giants this year, and has been a good representative of the team in a number of ways since being drafted in 2018. Now, it looks like Barkley will be a representative of the Giants in yet another way: the sole member of the team to make the Forbes list of 100 highest paid athletes.

Barkley managed to make the list at #93, and while that may sound low, it’s somewhat impressive considering the list takes into account players from all of the American sports leagues as well as international athletes, including those in higher paying sports which have no salary cap.

Here’s what Forbes included about Barkley in their writeup:

  • The New York Giants selected Barkley second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft and then signed him to a fully guaranteed four-year, $31.2 million contract.
  • Barkley led the league in all-purpose yards – he’s just the third rookie to ever eclipse 2,000 yards – and earned Rookie of the Year honors.
  • Stardom in the New York market has made Barkley a marketing darling, and he’s already nailed down deals with major brands like Pepsi, Toyota and Visa.
  • Heading into 2019, only five other running backs have higher average salaries than Barkley.

With the departure of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, Barkley managed to find himself as the only member of the New York Giants to make the list, which was headlined by European soccer stars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar, as well as boxer Canelo Alvarez.

So far, it looks like Barkley’s contract has been money well spent for the Giants… The Dave Gettleman era has had some questionable decisions so far, but taking Barkley in the draft wasn’t one of them – and Barkley’s performances are only expected to improve as his usage potentially rises this season, after his first year gave him much needed experience.

New York Giants: Why It Is No Debate That Saquon Barkley Is The Best Running Back In The League

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley is the best running back in the NFL. The New York Giants drafted the best running back in the league only one year ago with the 2nd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Barkley won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018. He was an electric, versatile runner and receiver as a rookie. Saquon proved in only one season that he is the best running back in the NFL. Some may disagree, but let’s take a look at what makes Saquon Barkley the best running back in the league:

Saquon’s Superior Receiving Ability

In his rookie season, Saquon broke records as a receiver out of the backfield. Saquon totaled 91 receptions out of the backfield in 2018. This beat Reggie Bush’s previously set rookie running back receptions record of 88 receptions.

Barkley also added an insane 721 receiving yards and a solid 4 receiving touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, Saquon Barkley posted 1.54 yards per route run which ranked 10th among all running backs in the NFL in 2018.

This aspect of Saquon’s game is so far ahead of his competition for the league’s top running back spot. Barkley’s value as a receiver is what separates him from the rest of the pack.

In 2018, Saquon had more receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns than Ezekiel Elliot and Todd Gurley had in 2018 and more than Le’Veon Bell had in 2017. This was all achieved by Saquon Barkley in his rookie season.

Saquon Barkley will only get better. Entering his second season, the New York Giants have rebuilt their offensive line. The improved offensive line will lead to even more production out of Saquon Barkley. In addition, the absence of Odell Beckham Jr. could propel Saquon Barkley to finish 2019 with over 1,000 yards on the ground and through the air.

No One Can Tackle Saquon

According to Pro Football Focus, Saquon Barkley created a total of 71 missed tackles forced. This lead the NFL in 2018. Barkley also recorded 31 missed tackles forced as a receiver. This set a record for the most by a rookie running back in the PFF era.

Another impressive stat: 872 of Saquon’s 1,307 rushing yards came after contact. The rookie was practically impossible to take down. Saquon Barkley also lead the NFL in scrimmage yards in 2018. His 2,028 yards from scrimmage also lead all running backs, rookie or not.

Saquon Is A Threat To Score On Every Play

After breaking off a 78-yard touchdown run against the Washington Redskins, Barkley joined NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss as the only two rookies in NFL history to rack up five touchdowns of 50 yards or more during their NFL debut season.

Barkley had nine plays of 40-plus yards last year, five more than any other running back in 2018. He had 15 total touchdowns (rushing and receiving combined). The rookie’s longest play of the season was his 78-yard touchdown run against the Washington Redskins.

Saquon Barkley is the most valuable running back in the NFL. His god-gifted abilities as a runner and as a receiver will propel him into continuous domination for the foreseeable future with the Giants. 2018’s Offensive Rookie of the Year is going to smash even more records in 2019. Giants fans, get ready to see this young man reign supreme over the NFL’s running backs for at least a decade.