What's next for Saquon Barkley and the Giants in free agency? - ESPN

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants will not use the franchise tag on Saquon Barkley for a second straight year, sources told ESPN Tuesday, leaving the running back free to test his value as a free agent.

The franchise tag would have been worth $12.1 million.

The move sets in motion a likely departure from New York, where Barkley has said he would prefer to remain his entire career to create a legacy and have a post-playing career on par with the likes of Eli Manning and Michael Strahan. The Giants now seem likely to lose their best offensive skill player, a massive risk considering their lack of All Pro-type players on the roster.

Regardless, Barkley wanted to avoid a second straight franchise tag. It would have meant playing out the four years of his rookie deal, a fifth-year option and two years on the franchise tag without ever becoming a true free agent.

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The Giants were adamant that Barkley was not available at this past season's trade deadline. General manager Joe Schoen then described the tag as «a tool we have at our disposal» at his end-of-year news conference.

It left open the possibility of another go-around.

«They did it last year. I'm numb to it,» Barkley said of the franchise tag after the season. «I really have no feelings towards that at all.»

Now, free agency is finally on the horizon after six seasons with the team that drafted him No. 2 overall out of Penn State in 2018. The Giants had a losing record in five of those six years.

When the idea that Barkley was on the verge of hitting free agency was presented to a source close to the