New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen's negotiations with quarterback Daniel Jones has grabbed most of the attention over the last week or so, but Schoen gave some insight into negotiations with running back Saquon Barkley during an interview with Peter Schrager on Good Morning Football.

“We'll try to get something done, we have until March 15 you know when free agency stars so we'll keep hammering away,” Joe Schoen said on Good Morning Football. “He's a good player, he's a leader in the locker room and he had a really good season for us.”

Joe Schoen mentioning March 15 when free agency starts in a conversation about Saquon Barkley is particularly interesting. It indicates what has been reported, that the Giants are saving the franchise tag for the possibility that they do not reach a long-term deal with Daniel Jones. That means that it is likely a long-term deal for Barkley, or he will hit the open market.

Schoen did say he has had productive negotiations with Barkley's camp this week, starting to close the gap that was there since the bye week, when the two tried to work out a long-term deal.

A long-term deal with Jones would make it more likely that Barkley returns to the Giants in 2023, as they could then use the franchise tag on him, rather than relying purely on a long-term deal. The deadline for the franchise tag is on Tuesday, March 7, so we should find out what will happen with Jones by that point.

Depending on what happens on Tuesday, the Giants can then move forward with a more clear plan for Barkley, whether that be the franchise tag, a long-term deal or letting him hit the open market when free agency opens on March 15.