Saquon Barkley

Report: New York Giants To Resign Orleans Darkwa, But Why?

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If the rumors are true and the New York Giants are looking at drafting Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, then why should they re-sign Orleans Darkwa?

Well, Darkwa had a solid year in 2017, racking up 751 yards and five rushing touchdowns, averaging 4.4 yards per-carry. Pretty shiny stats for a player that was running behind a makeshift offensive line.

ESPN’s Jordan Raanan:

“Orleans Darkwa’s breakout season should pay off. He may have the greatest chance of their notable free agents to return. The Giants want him back, according to a source. It just depends on the price. It’s even possible a Darkwa deal could get done before the start of free agency on March 14. If it doesn’t work out with the Giants, don’t be surprised to see him land with the Oakland Raiders.”

Why re-sign darkwa?

Bringing Darkwa back to the Giants is a glorified insurance policy, but at what price can they have him? The fourth-year back only counted $1 million against the cap in 2017, but he will be looking to up that price to around $2.5-3 million.

With All-Pro gaurd Andrew Norwell set to make a splash in free agency with a hefty $13 million per-season contract, there won’t be much money available to sign Darkwa, unless they can get him for under $2 million per-season.

The interesting thing about the potential re-signing of Darkwa is that he’s not needed anymore. The Giants have their choice of the crop of stud running backs entering the draft, and they additionally have Wayne Gallman and Paul Perkins on the roster.

So, if they decide to resign Darkwa, maybe the Giants are planning something quite extravagant after-all.

 

What’re The Chances The Cleveland Browns Take Saquon Barkley At No. 1?

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Lately, I’ve seen a lot of worried New York Giants fans expressing their belief that the Cleveland Browns may start off the 2018 NFL Draft with a Saquon Barkley selection.

Taking the star Penn State running back would immediately improve any offense willing to take a shot at the polarizing athlete. But the question here is: How likely are the Browns to take Barkley with the No. 1 overall pick?

The Browns need a quarterback, and they could potential take Barkley at No. 1 and move on to take a QB at No. 4, but how risky would that be? There’s no doubt that a running back holds less value than a top-flight quarterback, so why would the Browns pass up on ensuring they can acquire their first-choice at QB to go RB? It makes no logical sense…

Additionally, people might say, “well, why would the Giants pass on a quarterback if they hold more value than a running back?” Davis Webb, that’s why. I’m a believer that Webb has the necessary skills to succeed with an offense headlined by Odell Beckham Jr., Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley. If you want proof of Webb’s improvements, follow this link.

The fact of the matter here is that Cleveland would be foolish to risk losing out on their quarterback by waiting until the fourth overall pick. Reports have the Browns interested in Rosen and Darnold, who could both be off the board before the Browns reach their second selection.

This puts the Giants in a very good position, as it allows them to game-plan for Barkley, Rosen, Nelson, and/or a potential trade-back. Depending on what the Browns do, New York had a multitude of directions they could go with the pick.

 

 

If The Giants’ Offense Looked Like This In 2018, Would You Be Happy?

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For the New York Giants to make the most out of the 2018 NFL Draft, they will have to secure two players that can come in and start right away. Drafting a QB could be a solid plan for the future, but by the time he’s ready to take over the starting job from Eli Manning, it will be rebuilding time for the defense.

The Giants can solve their problems on offense this offseason, but it would mean that they are planning for the near-future and not three-four seasons down the line. Now, it’s not out of the question that the Giants can make a Rams-esque jump into relevancy, but it will take some masterful salary-cap tinkering from Dave Gettleman, and an amazing coach in Pat Shurmur.

Here’s what the best possible offensive would look like for the Giants in 2018:

QB: Eli Manning

RB: Saquon Barkley

TE: Evan Engram

TE: Rhett Ellison

WR: Odell Beckham Jr.

WR: Sterling Shepard

WR: Roger Lewis

RT: Ereck Flowers/Chad Wheeler

RG: Will Hernandez

C: Brett Jones

LG: Andrew Norwell

LT: Nate Solder

Now, one might look at the offensive line and say “how on earth can we get both Norwell and Solder?”

Well, Solder has struggled with injuries in recent years, but he’s the only left tackle worth exploring in free agency. His injuries will lower his stock and might land him in the $7-9 million per-season range, far less than a young and quality tackle would make. In addition to the injuries, Solder is 30-years old, putting his future playing career in question. Offering him a three-year, $30 million deal with $15 guaranteed and incentives might swing him the our way.

The trio:

I can’t get this image out of my head… Odell Beckham Jr., Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley taking the field at the same time. Does that not sounds like the most devastating offensive trio you’ve ever seen?

Barkley would force teams to stack the box on the nearly every play which would place man-coverage on Beckham Jr., or Sterling Shepard. This would open up the pass game significantly and it would enable an extremely dangerous screen game as well. Additionally, you’d have Engram running up the screen or facing off against linebackers… An easy task for the continuously improving tight end.

Our new right guard:

The Giants are reportedly very interest in offensive lineman Will Hernandez, who put up great numbers in the NFL Combine.

40-yard dash: 5.15 seconds

37 reps on bench press

24 inch vertical jump

104 inch broad jump

He weighs in at 348-pounds and is 6-foot-2. His draft stock has risen exponentially in recent days, making him a probable top-40 pick. Luckily, the Giants have the 34 overall pick in the draft (2nd pick in the second-round).

If the Giants can secure Hernandez in the second-round, they could be looking at one of the best drafts they’ve had in years.

How Does Saquon Barkley’s Measurements Stack Up Against Other RB’s?

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The New York Giants are very much in the race to grab Penn State running back Saquon Barkley in the first-round of the 2018 NFL Draft, but how does he stack up against other running backs?

Here’s a list of several other running backs entering the draft this year, according to CBS Sports:

PLAYER HEIGHT WEIGHT (LBS)
Kalen Ballage 6’1-4/8″ 228
Saquon Barkley 6’0″ 233
Nick Chubb 5’10-7/8″ 227
Derrius Guice 5’10-4/8″ 224
Nyheim Hines 5’8-3/4″ 198
Kerryon Johnson 5’11-4/8″ 213
Ronald Jones 5’11” 205
John Kelly 5’9-7/8″ 216
Sony Michel 5’10-5/8″ 214
Rashaad Penny 5’11” 220

How do these running backs compare to Barkley, and how can we apply these measurements to ability in the NFL?

Barkley stands at 6’0″ and weighs in at 233-pounds, far and away the heaviest back in this running back group. A five pound difference for a running back is a big one for all you sticklers out there.

The Penn State product has the size of a linebacker and the running ability of a premium half-back. For those that think Barkley can’t break a tackle, or can’t run through small holes, here’s a video to prove otherwise.

This is all 24 of Barkley’s rushing and receiving touchdowns in 2017, and as you can see in the video, he can break tackles if need be. But his greatest talent isn’t breaking tackles, it’s his sub 4.5 40-yard dash time, and his ability to change directions on a dime. A 233-pound running back with the quickness of LeVeon Bell and the strength of Brandon Jacobs sounds awfully enticing.

https://twitter.com/NFLDraftInsider/status/969322491431804929

Adding a piece like Barkley to the offense would be a huge step up for the Giants, but they must build a quality offensive line around him, otherwise he will be a waste of talent.

Barkley additionally put up 29 reps on the bench press, which is absurd for a running back. Strength like that is seen in most All-Pro defensive lineman.

What Saquon Barkley Would Bring To The Giants That Josh Rosen Wouldn’t

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The New York Giants have an interesting predicament at their hands, and as always, revolves around their No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

They could go several different directions with the pick, but the options of taking a quarterback or Penn States’ Saquon Barkley lead the pack.  The early consensus is that Rosen would fit the mold best for the Giants, as he brings precision, gusto, and a pocket passer presence in his game.

But the other side of the story has New York sticking with Eli Manning for at least one more season, and allowing Davis Webb to test the waters. So in this situation, taking Barkley might be the best move, or at the very least trading back a few spots and praying to the football gods that he falls into their hands.

The question is: What does Barkley bring to the table that makes him such an enticing pick for the Giants?

The Penn State running back compiled 1,271-yards in his junior year with the Nittany Lions, averaging 5.9 yards-per-carry in addition to 632 receiving yards. Let’s not forget to mention his 21 total touchdowns over the course of 13 games. It’s also important to note that he was the focal point of the Penn State offense, which caused defenses to heavily plan around stopping the dynamic back.

So, what would he bring to the Giants?

Barkley would be a god-send to an offense that lacks a true work-horse back and a genuine blocker to protect Manning from incoming edge rushers. Grabbing the stud runner would immediately provide an influx of talent in the backfield, and offer a dynamic talent to complement Odell Beckham Jr.

In comparison to what UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen would bring to New York, Barkley would offer an immediate difference on the offense, while Rosen would likely sit a year or two behind Manning. Utilizing the Giants’ 2018 first-round pick right away gives Barkley the edge in this scenario, as his strengths extend to pass-catching and even splitting out wide as a make-shift receiver.

New head coach Pat Shurmur would ultimately have a plethora of options at his disposal with Barkley as the starting running back.

Now the counter-argument would be:

The Giants aren’t making a Super Bowl anytime soon regardless of who is picked, so why not take a franchise quarterback and plan for the future?

If Rosen or any quarterback comes to New York and earns zero first-team reps with players such as OBJ, Shepard or the offensive line until 2019, it would already put him at a disadvantage. Logically, it would take him at least a full season to grow accustom to his teammates, which would inevitably waste  two full seasons of OBJ’s mega-deal in which he will be making top-dollar (not to mention Andrew Norwell if he’s signed).