On Monday, it was widely reported that the New York Giants were not expecting to use a franchise tag to keep star running back Saquon Barkley on the roster next season. But it sounds like that is still very much an option for the team.
During a recent interview with Pro Football Talk, New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen sent a pretty clear message to Saquon Barkley that the team is still considering every option regarding his status with the team.
“All options are on the table. I’m not saying we’re going to franchise him or not franchise him, but everything’s on the table,” Schoen told Pro Football Talk on PFT Live.
It sounds like a big reason for this change of tune is the surprise increase in the league’s salary cap. Schoen explained that the team was expecting the salary cap to be set at around $243 million. They were shocked when the league announced a new salary cap at $255.4 million.
“We got a little curveball on Friday afternoon,” Schoen said. “We were around the 243 range, is kind of where we were estimating, so when I opened the email I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ Now we have a little more flexibility. We were in good shape as it was, but now we have more options on the table, not only for our players, but for players outside our organization who may come into the mix as well.”
So given the sudden increase in the salary cap, it sounds like there’s a chance Barkley could be hit with a franchise tag, after all.
About Kevin Harrish