Subscribe
Follow Us
Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants failed to come to terms on a contract extension by Monday's deadline. A franchise tag now looms for Barkley, and it is anyone's guess whether or not he will sign or hold out. Regardless, the Giants are undoubtedly looking at trade options for their star running back now that they couldn't agree on a contract extension. It will be very interesting to hear about a potential trade market for Barkley given the uncertainty surrounding the market in general. Teams might be hesitant to trade for a star running back in the prime of his career given the likelihood the owner will not want to pay them in the future. Still, there will undoubtedly be some sort of market for Barkley since he is one of the best running backs in the NFL. As of right now, there are a few destinations that would be perfect for Saquon Barkley if he opts to sign his franchise tag with the Giants; the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs are the three top trade destinations for the star running back.
The Giants are currently a very young and exciting roster that is building something that they believe could turn into a contender. By all means this would suggest that the Giants would want to keep Saquon Barkley by any means necessary, although this does not seem to be the case after failing to agree on a contract extension. Therefore, teams like the Bears, Chiefs and Bills should be calling about him because they would jump at the opportunity for his services. While the Chiefs and Bills will be Super Bowl contenders this season, the Bears believe that they are on the cusp of becoming one, and adding a piece like Barkley would do wonders for their chances at success. Overall, all three squads should be looking at Barkley, and if the Giants do trade their star running back, these three organizations would be wise to be on the other end.
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears make a lot of sense because of what they are currently building. General manager Ryan Poles went out this offseason and built a very young, exciting offense with talent at virtually every skill position in order to maximize the potential of Justin Fields. Overall, the Bears will still be a run-first offense with Fields at the helm, but they now have the talent at hand to be very creative for years to come. Adding Saquon Barkley into the Bears backfield would make them by far the most feared rushing attack in the NFL, and they would be no slouch in the passing game either.
A duo of Justin Fields and Saquon Barkley would be extremely tantalizing for Bears fans. Not only is the Barkley-Field RPO an extremely exciting potentiality, but Barkley would be the perfect pass-catching back for a mobile quarterback like Fields. The Bears already traded for a number one wide receiver this offseason by adding DJ Moore. Going out and trading for a superstar running back like Saquon Barkley would immediately give the Bears the potential of having the most talented offense in the NFL. If the Bears want to solidify a rebuild and Barkley signs the franchise tag and is put on the trade market by the Giants, then Chicago needs to be calling New York.
Buffalo Bills
Article Continues Below
Josh Allen has made the Bills perennial Super Bowl contenders ever since his arrival. However, he has never led the Bills over the hump in the postseason, as they have yet to make it past the AFC Championship game under Allen. With that being said, Allen has never had a star running back at his side throughout his tenure. The Bills make so much sense as a possible trade destination for Saquon Barkley, as it would give Allen by far the most talented backfield mate of his career. A whole new dynamic would be added to an already feared Bills offense, and it could propel them into the Super Bowl that they have been waiting for.
The Bills have high expectations for second-year running back James Cook this season, and for good reason. However, adding Saquon Barkley into the backfield would do no harm in the development of Cook, as he would be the perfect handcuff to keep Barkley fresh. The two could even come close to splitting carries with how many mouths there are to feed on the Bills offense already; in general, Barkley is the home-run swing that the Bills need to make, and they should be looking out for if and when the Giants running back signs the franchise tag.
Kansas City Chiefs
It only makes sense that the rich would get richer in today's NFL, and this is exactly why the Kansas City Chiefs are the perfect trade destination for Saquon Barkley. Like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes has never had a true star running back alongside him, although he has had very strong running back play. Nevertheless, Mahomes has not needed much given how incredible he already is, and the Chiefs will be favorites to win another Super Bowl this year. With all of that being said, adding Saquon Barkley to this Chiefs offense would be torturous for other defenses. An offense led by Mahomes and a rushing attack anchored by Barkley strikes fear even thinking about.
Also like the Bills, the Chiefs have a lot of faith in second-year running back Isiah Pacheco. In a similar case though, adding Barkley would only be good for the young running back's development. Playing with one of the greats at the position will never be a bad thing, and given the injury concern to Barkley, having confidence in multiple running backs is a great problem to have. It is clear that if Saquon Barkley signs the franchise tag and the Giants start looking at trade offers, the Chiefs need to be one of the teams to submit one.
