All three of the Philadelphia Eagles' NFC East rivals had newsworthy days on Monday. So, let's cover what's up with the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Commanders.
Saquon Barkley and the Giants did not come to an agreement on a long-term contract: A rift has been growing all offseason between the Giants and Barkley,
who was scheduled to become a free agent this offseason but was instead slapped with the franchise tag.
We detailed the situation in timeline form in our Giants dumpster fire post a few weeks ago, which we'll repost here to save you the click.
April 26, 2018: Former GM Dave Gettleman and the Giants made the insane decision to select Barkley with the second overall pick in 2018 NFL Draft.
He then mocked computer nerds far and wide for their egghead theories on why drafting a running back so highly is a poor use of resources:Gettleman valued running backs,
maybe more than any GM of the last 20 years. It appears the new regime does not, but a lot more on that in a moment.
• The 2018 season: Barkley accumulates over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 15 TDs as a rookie, and defenders of the Barkley pick briefly have their moment in the sun.
• The 2019 and 2020 seasons: Barkley's production falls off substantially in his second season, and he tears his ACL in his third season, causing him to miss 14 games.
• The 2021 offseason: The Giants exercise Barkley's fifth-year option for the 2022 season, which will pay him about $7.2 million.
• 2021 season: Barkley returns to the football field, but is mostly ineffective, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, albeit on an awful team.
• 2022 season: The Giants get out to an unexpected 7-2 start, and Barkley is a big reason why. During the first half of the season, the Giants are putting a lot of mileage on him,
as he has carried 198 times for 931 yards (4.7 YPC) and 6 TDs though the first nine games. He is on pace for over 2,000 yards from scrimmage.
In Week 9, Barkley carries 35 times for 152 yards. But, he looks like the player he once was. The over-usage may have caught up with Barkley and the Giants, as he is less effective thereafter.
From that point on, the Giants finish out the rest of the season with a 2-5-1 record, and eke their way into the postseason.
Barkley ends up finishing with 1,650 yards from scrimmage and 10 TDs. He still makes the Pro Bowl and finishes third in NFL Comeback Player of the Year voting.
Future date of importance: • November 14: Deadline for teams to sign their unsigned franchise-tagged players.
If Barkley is still unsigned after this date, he is prohibited from playing in the NFL in 2023.