Saquon Barkley

How Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. And Saquon Barkley Will Work Together

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In recent seasons, the New York Giants struggled to implement unique sets on offense and create mismatches in coverage – primarily due to a lack of weapons and a horrific offensive line. This offseason, we have seen a fortified line begin to take the necessary steps toward serviceability, and while there is still a long way to go, other pieces to the offensive puzzle are beginning to fall into place.

With star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., preparing to make his regular season return, the team seems to be trending in the right direction. Players have stated Beckham looks even better than before, maintaining his speed, agility, and catching ability at the very least. He seems to have a new-found maturity and success oriented mindset going into this season.

Ultimately, Beckham seeks a massive contract extension in return for good behavior and proof his ankle has fully healed. His role as a captain and leader on the team was made clear by the new regime, especially after drafting OBJ’s good friend, Saquon Barkley.

How will Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley work together on the Giants’ offense?

Picture Antonio Brown and LeVeon Bell…that tandem works smoothly because the defense’s attention must be allocated to either or. When Brown is drawing the safeties into coverage and away from their cover 2 assignments, it opens up an opposite side screen play for Bell. His influence in the pass game is what makes the Steelers’ offense tick.

Additionally, having a solid running game takes the weight off of Brown’s shoulders. For Beckham, that was not the case in 2017, nor his previous seasons. Having a back like Barkley that will keep the defense honest and wary, will open up the field for Beckham to utilize his unique skill-sett.

Throw in Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram and things seems to be looking quite good for the Giants. Expect to see a lot of play-action from Eli Manning and head coach Pat Shurmur – finally. He got away from using it while Ben McAdoo was calling the shots, mainly because the playbook favored a heavy crossing route tree.

Additionally, we have seen a glimpse of movement on the line of scrimmage from Beckham. I’ve seen him move into the slot and jump around the line in an attempt to throw of the defense. Barkley has even split out wide on occasion. Movement before the snap is Shurmur’s bread and butter. We will see a lot of interesting players in motion this season, so look out for that in the next preseason game on Friday.

New York Giants: What Is Saquon Barkley’s Injury Status?

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A major injury to Saquon Barkley is the worst nightmare of any New York Giants fan, after an offseason that was filled with anticipation to see the team’s new running back in action. Barkley did go down in practice on Monday and caused a brief scare because of it, but fortunately, the injury is not major.

Barkley still may have to sit out against Detroit, though, in the second game of the preseason. His status is still “day-to-day” according to head coach Pat Shurmur, who spoke after the Giants’ joint practice with their next opponent.

“Player safety is right on the frontburner for all of us all the time. If he’s able to go, he’ll play. If he’s not, then he won’t be out there,” Shurmur said. The injury was also described as a tweaked hamstring, which gives more details than just the speculations from when the injury first happened.

When asked about the importance of rookie running backs being able to play in the preseason, Shurmur gave a similar response. “I think it’s important that guys can play, and certainly if they’re healthy, they will play. If they can’t get out there, we’ll get them out there as soon as we can.”

Barkley was only given light playing time in the preseason opener, against the Browns. He had four rushes in that game, but on his first rush as a Giant, he picked up a 39-yard gain and reminded everyone of why he was drafted number two overall. He ended the game with 43 yards, leaving fans wanting to see him in action again in-game number two.

However, it looks like that will have to wait, to avoid picking up further injury because of a preseason game that ultimately doesn’t mean anything.

What The New York Giants Should Do To Stop A Potential Saquon Barkley Injury

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During Monday’s practice, New York Giants  running back Saquon Barkley extended to make an impressive catch on a wheel route thrown by fellow rookie Kyle Lauletta. The deep toss caused Barkley to come up gimpy on his left leg, forcing him to to get it wrapped and iced after the play.

How can the New York Giants limit potential injuries with Saquon Barkley?

Injuries are unpredictable, but there are ways to limit them in the preseason, as Barkley will be an instrumental tool on the offense going forward. His loss would be devastating.

It’s essential to provide him with as much time on the field as possible, since he’s a rookie after all. He will undoubtedly experience some hiccups along the way, but putting him in preseason games will allow him to adapt to the speed of the NFL quickly. Of course, this raises the probability of an injury. This can attest to the limited action he saw in week one of the preseason against the Cleveland Browns.

All it took was one carry of 40 yards to convince head coach Pat Shurmur that Barkley didn’t need too much action in his first professional game. The question now, is: Do the Giants play him at all against the Detroit Lions?

Personally, I would give him one drive maximum, if anything at all. Ultimately, I would be satisfied with Barkley playing in the final preseason game to get his feet wet and then hit the ground running against the Jaguars on September 9.

 

 

New York Giants: The Different Ways Saquon Barkley Will Be Used

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants haven’t had a running back like Saquon Barkley since the days of Tiki Barber, and even then it’s not even comparable. Barkley brings strengths in every aspect of the game – blocking, running, and catching. His ball security is also impeccable, which was something Barber struggled with early on in his career.

For the Giants, Barkley will be a godsend for quarterback Eli Manning, and will keep the hounds off of Odell Beckham Jr. in the pass game. Defenses will be forced to play close to the line of scrimmage in anticipation of the wheel route. Additionally, the Penn State star has the ability to swing out into a wide receiver spot, which will confuse the defense to no end.

How will the New York Giants use Saquon Barkley?

With the starlet running back holding a bountiful number of skills in his waistband, the Giants will be able to utilize him all over the field. Just check out this clip from Thursday’s training camp practice.

Having a back that can swing out wide from the shotgun formation will open up the field considerably – especially when facing off against a linebacker. Even Olivier Vernon, who has dominated at the outside linebacker position after making the transition from defense end, has been smoked by Barkley time and time again.

So, we can establish several points now that we’ve seen the different looks head coach Pat Shurmur has thrown Barkley’s way:

1.) He can catch seamlessly

2.) He can lay a tough block on a linebacker or blitzing safety

3.) He can avoid tacklers close to the line of scrimmage

One of the most daunting attributes that Barkley possesses is his ability to move laterally. While he may not rely on patience to find holes in the defense, his speed and agility make up for it ten-fold. In college, he often bounced the ball to the outside in an attempt to beat the edge and pick up extra yardage. Don’t expect that to stop in the NFL. Of course, the coaches will advise him to shoot through holes rather than run towards the boundaries, his speed and power will allow him to win those battles consistently.

The bottom line, he’s a revolution back that will take the Giants’ offense to the next level.

Giants’ Saquon Barkley Becomes 4th Highest Paid RB – Is He Worth The Money?

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley might be a rookie, but he sure is being paid like a five-year veteran. The Giants’ first-round pick signed his rookie deal on Sunday, securing him $31 million over four-years, allocating an average of $7.75 million per-season to the back.

The Giants chose Barkley over a slew of potential franchise quarterbacks, who would have been the 26th highest paid QB in the league if GM Dave Gettleman would have went that route.

Barkley is now one of the highest paid running backs in the league, being only LeVeon Bell, Devonta Freeman, and LeSean McCoy. My argument is that Barkley is worth every penny; why? Because his skill-set is more dynamic and well-rounded than any backs below him. Barkley has the ability to run, catch, and block at an extremely high level.

The only backs relatively in the same realm are Ezekiel Elliot and Mark Ingram.

The second overall pick signed his rookie deal just in time for training camp. Head coach Pat Shurmur has called on the rookies, quarterbacks, and a several veterans to attend the first few days of camp in East Rutherford. The first full practice for the entire roster will be on Wednesday.

What Barkley brings to the Giants’ offense:

The first-round pick brings an explosiveness to the running back position the Giants haven’t had in years. His ability to expose linebacker and sneak out of the backfield provides Eli Manning with an outlet when all else fails.

In addition to his pass catching prowess, his ability to shake defenders and bounce the ball outside to pick up extra yardage is a skill most backs can’t harness. His lateral movement and quickness at 234 pounds is impressive and will be exactly what Shurmur needs to keep the opposing defense on their heels and guessing.

New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley: “I really don’t feel pressure from no one at all.”

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley is already one of the biggest stars on the New York Giants’ roster, despite not playing a snap in the NFL at this point. It’s something that comes with a lot of pressure and media attention, and Barkley talked about that and other things recently in an interview with the New York Post’s Steve Serby.

Barkley talked about the explosiveness of the Giants’ offense this season. But before that, he talked about the expectations on him and the potential for him to become the next face of the franchise.

“Face of the franchise? I disagree with that. I don’t view myself as the face of a franchise, because one, I haven’t done anything yet, and two, there’s so much talent on this team. You look at the years that the Giants have been successful, it really wasn’t just one star that got it done,” he said, also mentioning that stardom comes with success in New York City and that it is something that will come with winning.

“Obviously people shape a career for me, or shape what I should be. But I already have a high standard for myself. I really don’t feel pressure from no one at all,” Barkley also said about the pressure around himself and the team. It’s not hard to see, even from the outside, that Barkley really does have a high standard for himself. You don’t have the kind of college career that Barkley did, without going above and beyond the minimum standard.

Additionally, Barkley talked about the current talent on the roster. “I think when you look on paper, it’s all there. You can ask anybody that knows football. But it’s a lot easier said than done. You gotta hold each other to a standard, push each other every single day. And I think if we’re able to do that, have that chemistry, I think the sky’s the limit for our offense.”

Reassuringly for Giants fans, Barkley would mention that the image of Odell Beckham Jr. in the media is very different than his personality in real life. While he said that it’s Beckham’s decision, he also said that he expects the receiver to be there. Finally, Barkley reaffirmed an earlier prediction, that the Giants have enough talent to make the playoffs.

“Everybody in the NFL has the talent to be a playoff team. We just gotta find a way to have one more point than our opponent every week.”

Who’s New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley’s NFL Comparison?

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Let’s get this out of the way first and foremost, not a single NFL running back can be compared to New York Giants‘ Saquon Barkley in regard to his measureables, but maybe his skills. Scratch that, his skills are so diverse and impeccable that we must compare each one individually to a specific running back.

Now, I understand that Barkley hasn’t even stepped on an NFL field yet nor taken a snap, but based on what we have seen so far, he’s preparing to blow up the entire league.

Skill #1 – Agility:

One of Barkley’s most explosive weapons is his agility. His low center of gravity and powerful lower body allows him to stop on a dime and jump cup to dismiss opposing tacklers. Providing the offense and Eli Manning with a running back that can open up the game in the blink of an eye will change the way defenses approach the Giants’ offense.

Who does Barkley compare to in regard to this skill, though? Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson fits the bill. His immense ability to shake defenders in in close-quarters and change directions instantaneously offers tremendous value to his quarterback and fellow teammates. Here’s a clip to show you what both Johnson and Barkley are capable of:

Skill #2 – Strength:

While Barkley has been coined a “scat-back” by some, his power is one of his most underrated traits. As stated before, his strong lower-body allows him to make quick decisions and stop on a dime – it also helps him power through tackles and keep his legs churning when tacklers are draped over him.

This reminds me of Ezekiel Elliot, who can barrel into the opposing defense and push forward for extra yards. Barkley has the ability to do this and will often be asked to in the I-formation the Giants tend to run.

It will be interesting to see if they play out of the shotgun more frequently, rather than reverting back to the I-formation that Manning is used to. This will be a big part of head coach Pat Shurmur’s game-plan.

Skill #3 – Vision:

One of the most important traits for any running back is their vision, as finding holes no matter how small is what is needed to turn a short gain into a big one. Barkley has the power and vision to exploit even the smallest of gaps, but patience is also essential. For this specific skill, we will compare him to LeVeon Bell.

Bell is one of the most patient a backs in the league, as he makes his living on waiting for the right moment to explode through the line and pick up extra yards. He uses his blockers to his advantage, and with an upgraded line for Barkley, we should expect to see much of the same.

Eli Manning Breaks Down Saquon Barkley’s Influence For Giants

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Having a running back like Saquon Barkley that can carry the load when the offense goes cold is something that’s underrated in the NFL, and something the New York Giants have ignored for years. The Giants’ offense has been a hit or miss depending on the ever rotating wheel of fortune with the offensive line and ever-lasting injury bug, but this season they will have balance.

Drafting Saquon Barkley in the first-round was arguably the best decision the Giants could have made, in my opinion, of course. Acquiring a back that has the ability to block, catch, and run at an extremely high level is difficult to come by; putting him alongside Eli Manning will intimidate even the strongest defenses.

What did defenses do to stop the Giants’ offense?

It was simple…Opposing defenses would drop their safeties back and keep the ball infront of them at all times. Ensuring that Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t run free behind the secondary was the key to stopping the offense, since their only other weapons were forced to run short crossing routes…Thanks Ben McAdoo.

With the hiring of coach Pat Shurmur, we should expect to see a diversified play-calling portfolio. One that adheres to the usage of Barkley, Beckham, Sterling Shepard, and Evan Engram appropriately. Playing to their strengths and using one of the league’s most experienced quarterbacks to a carve a path for the youngsters on the team.

How Barkley will help:

“I think teams that have that running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield, it’s such an advantage,” Manning told NJ Advance Media. “When teams are playing zone, and they’re dropping back or double-teaming your wide receivers, that guy can not only just get four or five yards, he can turn that into a 10 or 12-yard gain and first downs.

“Also, when you get man-to-man, and get him matched up on linebackers or get him catching routes out of the backfield, those are throws where the ball gets out of your hand quickly. It kind of turns a short-pass into big plays. I’ve been really impressed with his route-running, his catching, and it’s just kind of that option and that check-down that won’t just get you four yards but he’ll get you first downs.”

New York Giants: Saquon Barkley Claims “Eli Looked Great In Camp”

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Leading up to the season, one of the big question marks for the Giants is Eli Manning. His performances this season can make or break the team’s chances at the playoffs, and the subject is one of the most debated matters in the Giants fanbase. One of the Giants’ new additions, however, had something to say about Eli’s performances so far.

That player is number two overall pick and likely starter Saquon Barkley. TMZ reporters were able to catch up with him in public, asking about various things including the Giants and whether or not Barkley would attend Baker Mayfield’s wedding.

When asked if the young talent on the team this year would rejuvenate Eli Manning, Barkley answered “hopefully”. He followed up by adding that Manning looked great in camp. It’s not a long sound bite, but it’s encouraging nonetheless to see one of the Giants’ newest stars showing confidence in the quarterback that will, for better or worse, be the starter entering the 2018 season.

Barkley was in LA when TMZ ran into him, and was spotted working out with fellow Giants Sterling Shepard and Odell Beckham Jr. The group of Giants produced some memorable moments for the fans following the team’s training on social media, with Beckham Jr. drawing attention for his moves at the UCLA Bruins’ training facility.

Another video, posted by the official Giants account on Instagram, shows Barkley lifting some heavy weights up a steep incline. If the videos are any indication, it’s not just Eli Manning that is having a good offseason. The Giants’ roster is loaded with explosive talents this year. And that’s what gives Eli the best chance to succeed.

LaDainian Tomlinson Raves About Giants’ Saquon Barkley

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If you had any doubt in your mind in regard to New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley’s talents, take it from LaDainian Tomlinson himself, they’re bountiful. The Hall of Fame running back knows a generational talent when he sees one. He hasn’t been able to contain his optimism in the Giants’ first-round draft pick.

Barkley has it all- running, catching, and blocking abilities. He’s an all-around back that can take over a game in the blink of an eye. His dynamic style of play only benefits an offense that already has Odell Beckham Jr. and starlet tight end, Evan Engram. Eli Manning finally has the secret weapon at running back he has craved since his inception in the NFL in 2004. He’s had several quality backs throughout his tenure but none like Barkley.

Tomlinson raves over the Giants’ Saquon Barkley:

“Saquon has home-running hitting ability,” Tomlinson said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “He really can change the dynamics of a game at any point, whether it’s through the pass game or rushing the football. And the thing that I always look at when I see these guys coming out of college, and it just tells me a lot about what type of back they may be, (is) will they be able to handle the work load? And just their body frame.”

Barkley’s talents were on full display in his final season with Penn State, as he recorded nearly 1,300 rushing yards, 54 catches for 632 receiving yards and two kicks returned for a touchdown. He weighs in at 234 pounds (linebacker weights, and runs a sub 4.40 40-yard-dash.

The Giants would be smart to give the ball to Barkley as much as humanly possible. Creating mismatches will be the essential point in head coach Pat Shurmur’s game plan, as man-coverage with Beckham, Sterling Shepard, Cody Lattimer, and Engram will be the only way to ensure Barkley doesn’t get free in the flat to annihilate any poor linebacker willing to go step for step with him.

In Barkley’s final two seasons at Penn State, he forced 133 missed tackles, 2nd most in the nation. His agility and lateral movement is top tier, which makes stopping him in the open field nearly impossible. He has the extra gear that star running backs require to bolt past the second-level. Expect to see a lot of draw plays and play-action check downs to Barkley swinging towards the right side of the field. Utilizing his speed and catching ability in the flat will be a huge part of the Giants’ offensive game-plan.