Five destinations for Saquon Barkley as he enters NFL free agency
The NFL is a twelve-month soap opera that capitalizes on every event, even during the offseason. Kudos to them because we all eat it up.
The Super Bowl is over, but just like that, it is about to be the NFL combine next week, and then before we know it, free agency will be here. For Penn State fans, free agency this year will include one of its best players in recent memory in Saquon Barkley. Barkley hits the open market for the first time after signing the one-year franchise tag with the New York Giants during the last offseason.
Barkley won’t play under the tag a second year in a row, so a reunion with the Giants without a long-term contract is extremely unlikely. Barkley only just turned 27 but is coming off a season where he only averaged 3.9 yards per carry and missed three games due to injuries. His best season in terms of yardage came in 2022 when he rushed for 1,312 yards and ten touchdowns.
Can Barkley repeat and gain his 2022 form back? That will be the big question for teams looking to sign the former second-overall pick.
Running backs have been devalued around the league, but as we have seen before, a true top-tier back can make a good offense that must be more dynamic.
Add the wrinkle that this year’s running back class could be loaded with talent depending on who becomes a free agent; there might be fewer running back openings for the top-tier guys. Austin Ekeler, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, and Tony Pollard could join Barkley as some of the biggest names on the market.
There have been rumblings that Barkley could be headed to an AFC South team, so the rumor mill is already swirling.
That said, let us dive into some possible teams that seem like natural fits for the former Penn State running back.
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Los Angeles Chargers
One thing I know about Jim Harbaugh and new Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman is that they love to run the football. Whether it was Stanford, the San Francisco 49ers, the Baltimore Ravens, or Michigan, each stop for both of these coaches featured a dominant running game. Think Frank Gore, Haasan Haskins, Blake Corum, Lamar Jackson, Colin Kaepernick. Harbaugh and/or Roman elevated the skill level of all those players because of the running game they implemented.
With Austin Ekeler also an impending free agent and a good year and a half older than Barkley, perhaps Harbaugh brings in Barkley, who he is familiar with from coaching against Penn State while at Michigan. I think Barkley wants to get paid but also wants to make the playoffs and win games, and the Chargers offer all of that with Justin Herbert and Harbaugh.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans might be Barkley’s most intriguing landing spot on this list. They just made the playoffs with a first-year head coach and rookie quarterback and could use an upgrade to their running game. Devin Singletary is a solid player, but he is nowhere near the level of Barkley when it comes to threatening a defense.
We have all seen what Christian McCaffrey did for Kyle Shanahan’s offense, so imagine what Saquon Barkley does for Bobby Slowik’s offense.
Seems like a match made in heaven to me.
Baltimore Ravens
The fit with Barkley and the Ravens is natural, considering Raven’s propensity to run the ball and lack of an elite running back. However, the Ravens would have to do some cap maneuvering to execute a Barkley signing.
Barkley would offer Jackson a safety valve out of the backfield and keep Jackson fresh by taking away some of his carries. An elite running back in Baltimore might be what it takes to get them over the crest.
Cincinnati Bengals
As an NFL fan, I love this pairing. The thought of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins (if they franchise tag him), teaming up with Barkley is crazy to think about. The Bengals would immediately become one of the most feared offensives in the NFL.
Cinncinati would have to clear starting running back Joe Mixon’s salary, but with around $60 million in cap space, they could even improve their offensive line’s run blocking.
Barkley would be more of a surplus to the Bengals than other teams on this list, considering they already have a Pro Bowl running back. Still, depending on how much Barkley values playoff possibilities, the Bengals would have to be high on the list.
Philadelphia Eagles
Would the Eagles really change their starting running back three offseasons in a row? I don’t doubt it could happen, but I also don’t see it as the most likely, which is why they are lower on this list.
The Eagles’ offense became so predictable throughout the latter half of last season, and it seems a change in personnel could do Philadelphia a world of justice. D’Andre Swift had a career year last season, so would Barkley improve them all that much? He also would be signing with a NFC East rival, but the fit is still intriguing.
