It doesn’t seem right that one of the twin faces of the franchise, their best player, Captain Saquon Barkley, was not in attendance at Giants mandatory minicamp and instead was posting a workout somewhere on Instagram instead.
The immediate overriding reason why it doesn’t seem right is because he is beloved everywhere you turn in the facility, from the owners on down.
The big-picture reason it doesn’t seem right is because it is difficult to imagine the Giants threatening the Eagles and Cowboys without their best player.
It is difficult to imagine $40 million man Daniel Jones fully justifying his new contract without Barkley by his side.
There is no need to panic, of course, the drop-dead date for GM Joe Schoen and the Giants and Barkley to reach a compromise deal that would allow Barkley to tear up his $10.1M franchise tag is July 17.
But the reality of the salary cap versus the undervaluation of the NFL running back nevertheless made its first unsettling intrusion Tuesday inside 1925 Giants Drive.
No. 26 was out of sight. But not out of mind.
Jones: “I’ve said what I think of him as a player, as a teammate. That’s certainly still the case and I’m supporting him and I’m here for him as a teammate and as a friend.”
Sterling Shepard: “Obviously he’s missed, but this is the unfortunate part of the game where the business side gets into it a little bit. … Saquon, we know what he can do. Want him back as soon as possible. … Just gotta let it play its course. I can’t visualize him in another jersey. That’s my best friend, so obviously I want him here, but you gotta figure out stuff that’s right for you, right for your family, and I understand that part too.”
Dexter Lawrence: “He’s one of the leaders in the locker room, and I love him and I respect him. It’s all gonna play out for the best, I believe.”
These impasses usually are breached at the 11th hour (see Darrelle Revis, see Lawrence Taylor), and I continue to believe and will guarantee that cooler heads will prevail, and this one will not turn into a case of the immovable object meeting the unstoppable force.
The last thing the Giants can afford is a disgruntled Saquon Barkley — the epitome of smart, tough and dependable and a weapon more than just a running back — forced to play on a $10.1M franchise-tag figure he — and yes, his teammates — would view as a lowballed insult.
Much less him not report to training camp.
Or much less than that, him in another uniform.
“We love Saquon,” assistant GM Brandon Brown said. “He knows how I feel about him, he knows how we feel about him collectively.”
Feelings often get hurt during MLB arbitrations and during contract squabbles. Media speculation or leaks have resulted in the prideful Barkley lamenting that he is being portrayed as greedy, when nothing could be farther from the truth. Those same feelings can be soothed by a treaty.
“I think when you’re dealing with someone who is extremely mature like Saquon,” Brown said, “you can separate the personal from the professional. And think that’s when you have honest and open conversation, you take the feelings out of it, you’re able to establish common ground. Doesn’t mean you’re gonna agree, but that’s what I appreciate about him. He can listen, and he can digest information we’re giving him, and he tells us his feelings as well.”
If our warring political parties can reach a deal on the debt ceiling, club and star player ought to be able to reach one for the good of one and all.
It will end when Barkley accepts less per season than whatever he is seeking and Schoen increases the guaranteed money.
It would be folly for Schoen to stand on ceremony and refuse to budge on last year’s bye week offer he pulled off the table that was rejected by Team Saquon.
It would be out of character for Barkley to let any hard feelings, residual or otherwise, get in the way of playing for the teammates and fans that he loves and ultimately injuring his grand Hall of Fame ambition.
It was strange seeing Gary Brightwell, No. 23, and Matt Breida, No. 21, among others, lining up behind Jones on a day when Bill Parcells talked to the team post-practice about accountability, and Michael Strahan and Brandon Jacobs paid a visit, and Brian Daboll made like His Tunaship by going ballistic over some substitution snafu.
The last thing Daboll wants or needs is a full-blown distraction this summer. Three consecutive Barkley questions brought these responses from Daboll:
“I’m just planning for today.”
“I’m just worried about today right now.”
“I’m just focused on today.”
When Taylor, 31 at the time, ended his holdout four days before the 1990 NFL opener, he said, “Nobody gets exactly what they wanted. It’s not like that. I’d look kind of stupid bitching at the money I will be making because it is good money.”
Even after L.T. sought $5.5M over three years, it was good enough money (three years, $4.5M) to make him the league’s highest-paid defensive player. Different player, different set of circumstances. Same result. Bet on sooner rather than later. As Aaron Rodgers might say: R-E-L-A-X, everyone.