The New York Giants and Saquon Barkley failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension by Monday's deadline. NFL fans, players, and media alike were despondent at the disrespect currently being hurled at NFL running backs by owners, as Barkley joins fellow position mates Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard who are now being forced to play on the franchise tag. Barkley himself took to Twitter to react to not being able to land a new contract, and he was supported by many across the league. In the meantime, Giants fans and players will be wondering whether or not Barkley will show up for training camp amid a potential holdout on signing the franchise tag. If a training camp absence does happen, then there are a few players who will need to block out the noise with a chance to benefit the most from Barkley's absence. Darren Waller, Matt Breida, and Jalin Hyatt will have to take Barkley holding out on training camp as an opportunity to grow their usage for the season.
All three of Waller, Breida and Hyatt figure to be a part of the Giants offense this year. Even with Barkley in the lineup, Waller was traded for to be a primary facet of the Giants passing attack, and Jalin Hyatt could eventually become the same after getting drafted in the third round this year. While Breida is the intended back-up, that could all change if Barkley holds out of training camp. Overall, the entire Giants offense will have to respond to the best of their abilities if Barkley decides to skip training camp, as a lot of expectations are in New York this season. If Darren Waller, Matt Breida and Jalin Hyatt make the most of Barkley being gone in training camp, then Giants fans can at least find one silver lining amid the current organizational debacle with their star running back.
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Darren Waller
The Giants didn't trade for Darren Waller this summer to make him second-fiddle to really anyone on this offense. Even with Saquon Barkley on the field, Waller might be the most talented athlete on the Giants offense. For Daniel Jones, he will be a security blanket that will pay dividends given the sometimes poor decision-making that Jones has displayed. When training camp begins, the Giants will immediately be looking to make Waller a staple of their offense and will be installing packages to maximize his opportunities. However, if Saquon Barkley is a no-show, then training camp should immediately become about how to make Waller the star of the Giants offense.
Without Saquon Barkley, the Giants offense could be in for a rough season. Daniel Jones was solid last year but did not inspire many into believing he is an elite quarterback; in general, the Giants offense rode the coattails of elite production from Barkley and timely throws from Jones. Barkley being out will mean Jones will have to make better decision but also be more willing to make game-winning plays throwing the ball. This is exactly why the Giants brought in someone like Darren Waller, and not having Barkley in training camp would just expedite the process of getting Waller involved in the offense. It is clear that a Barkley absence from training camp would make acclimating Darren Waller the most important task for the Giants.
Matt Breida
This answer is fairly obvious, but Matt Breida would undoubtedly benefit the most from a Saquon Barkley absence from training camp. Breida is currently the primary backup running back on the roster, so he would suddenly become the starter without Barkley. Breida has been a starting running back at times over his career and has shown flashes of strong play, so the Giants wouldn't be hurt too badly without Barkley. They of course would prefer Barkley, but Breida would be serviceable and be much more prepared to be a starter if Barkley misses training camp.
Over the course of his career, Matt Breida is averaging 4.8 yards per carry. This is a very strong mark and definitely something the Giants would gladly accept if they aren't going to have Barkley's services. Breida has already settled into a backup running back role for his career, so a Barkley absence would also give him the opportunity to establish himself as a starting caliber running back once again. Out of all the players standing to benefit, Matt Breida would benefit the most by a Saquon Barkley absence by regaining his status as a starting NFL running back.
Jalin Hyatt
Jalin Hyatt is the last player on this list to benefit from a Saquon Barkley absence. As of now, the rookie wide receiver is pretty far down on the depth chart, and it doesn't look like he will be a mainstay in the offense this year, especially with Barkley playing. However, a Barkley absence would essentially give the Giants an opportunity to rethink their entire offense, as losing their primary playmaker will make them consider all possible ways of replacing his production. This means that more players will be given a look, which will be a perfect opportunity for Hyatt to prove he can be more than an average rookie.
Training camp and preseason is always more important for rookies who are trying to make a name for themselves on their respective rosters. With Saquon Barkley, the Giants will have a more predetermined offense with opportunities delegated for the more obvious skill players. However, without him, the Giants will find no harm in trying to spread the ball around more during training camp, as they will need to learn how to make up for potentially not having Barkley in the regular season. Jalin Hyatt will be able to use this as on opportunity to earn more minutes than what is expected for the rookie. If Jalin Hyatt works hard enough, he could end up standing to benefit the most from a Saquon Barkley absence from Giants training camp.
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