Saquon Barkley to Free Agency: Cowboys’ Pollard Replacement?

It appears like one of the Dallas Cowboys’ most notable NFC East opponents is out of his element in New York. Running back Saquon Barkley will almost certainly become a free agent after the New York Giants decided not to use the franchise tag on him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Barkley, 27, entered the 2018 NFL draft as the second overall pick and has had a turbulent journey. When healthy, he has been one of the league’s most dangerous dual-threat players, but the Giants’ recently uncovered offensive line issues condemned him to an average run of only 3.9 yards last season, and he fell shy of four figures in yardage with 962 in 14 games.

Price tag and durability might be called into question thanks to the ongoing debate around running backs’ value and purpose in the modern NFL but Barkley should have no shortage of suitors now that he’s on his way to negotiations. Some have pegged the Cowboys as an ideal destination after Barkley’s fellow free-agent-to-be Tony Pollard struggled in his first season as the Pokes’ undisputed top rusher.

“When you’re looking at free agency, the first thing you do is say, ‘If we’re going to go outside our building, who can we get in the division to help us and hurt our opponent?’” former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum said on ESPN’s Get Up last month. “Trust me, the last thing the New York Giants want to see, if Saquon Barkley graduates this year, is him with a star on the side of his helmet.”Barkley has a history of struggling against the Cowboys, scoring just three touchdowns in ten meetings—all of which resulted in a Dallas victory—despite averaging over 4.8 yards per run versus America’s Team.
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