Giants Should Sign Cowboys Ex Ezekiel Elliott, Dump Saquon Barkley - ESPN

So ... if it's "farfetched'' that the Giants would dump Saquon Barkley in favor of signing Cowboys ex Ezekiel Elliott, why does ESPN keep reporting it?

FRISCO - We are picking through the huge-haystack ESPN suggestion that the New York Giants execute a "power move'' by dumping Saquon Barkley in favor of Ezekiel Elliott, trying to find that elusive needle of fact or logic.

Nope. It's not in here, despite the fact that not once but twice in recent weeks, ESPN’s Dan Graziano has offered this up as a viable plan for the Giants, this time calling it "a power move.''

“It would be a power move,'' Graziano writes of the concept of the Giants rescinding their $10 million franchise tag offer to Barkley. "And with guys like ... Ezekiel Elliott ... still kicking around in free agency, (the Giants) could probably solve their running back problems ...''

Graziano refers to Elliott as a "still-productive big-name guy.'' ... and based on what the NFL is doing with Zeke right now - he's got zero offers after having been cut by Dallas in the spring - ESPN's characterization is only half-right. Indeed, citing Elliott as a "big name'' might be the only thing Bristol gets right here. To wit ...

1 - There is virtually no chance that the Giants "rescind'' the offer to Barkley, who is their best player. He wants more than $10 million; they have no reason to wish to pay him $0.

2 - There is almost always a meeting of the minds on these things. Barkley (who cited Dallas' Tony Pollard in recent remarks about the devaluation of the running back) is sitting out as camp approaches, and he recently said that not reporting to camp (he's not a "holdout,'' by the way, because he doesn't have a signed contract) is a “card I could play.” He could play it during camp, yes. It would not be financially wise to play it for the long-term during the 2023 season, however.

3 - There are still things Elliott does well, and we have great respect for the two-time NFL rushing champ. Elliott last year rushed for 12 touchdowns. If the Giants need a short-yardage guy and a team leader? Zeke would be a fine backup to Barkley.

But Zeke cannot be Barkley. 

Here's what's so funny (and irritating) about this sort of "news'': Graziano "reported'' this on both July 7 and before that, on June 14. In the earlier TV discussion, he said, "If you really want to play hardball ... you could rescind a franchise tag ... and get Dalvin Cook or Ezekiel Elliott ..." 

But in his latest suggestion on this topic, he conceded that the whole concept is “farfetched.'' Which is true; there is no needle in this haystack. So ... if it's "farfetched'' that the Giants would dump Saquon in favor of Zeke, why does ESPN keep reporting it?

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