Broncos Given Odds to Sign Impending FA RB Saquon Barkley
NFL free agency is still seven weeks away, and they don't even have a head coach yet, but the Denver Broncos are among the betting favorites for Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley.
Online bookmaker BetOnline.ag recently installed the Broncos with the third-highest odds to sign Barkley, who may not return to the New York Giants after supposedly rejecting a massive contract extension.
The second overall pick of the 2018 draft, Barkley is coming off a career-best season in New York, totaling 1,650 yards from scrimmage and 10 rushing touchdowns across 16 starts, the engine behind the league's fourth-ranked ground attack.
His stock has never been higher, and neither has his price tag. The 26-year-old (in February) is said to be seeking a "realistic" deal in the neighborhood of San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey — that is, $16 million annually.
The Broncos enter the 2023 offseason with $9.406 million of available salary cap space and have incumbent starting RB Javonte Williams under cheap control. Although Williams is returning from a serious knee injury, the team is likelier to bring back Latavius Murray on a short-term pact rather than enter the Barkley sweepstakes.
But the connection is notable as the signing period inches closer.
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