No Need to Panic (Yet) About Saquon Barkley Contract Talks Says Former Giants Exec

The former Giants VP of Player Evaluation turned NFL Network analyst says there's no need to panic yet despite there being no deal between Saquon Barkley and the team.

Although NFL Network analyst Marc Ross wasn't directly involved in contract negotiations during his employment with the New York Giants, he was always part of the loop regarding the more high-profile contract negotiations that often ran down to the wire.

And with the July 17 deadline for the team and running back Saquon Barkley to get a new contract on the books rapidly approaching, the radio silence from both sides has some fans concerned that not only won't the deal get done, but that an unhappy Barkley will hold out of training camp and potentially be a distraction.

Ross, speaking to the Locked On Giants podcast, doesn't think that will be the case, pointing out that just because there hasn't been anything noteworthy about the negotiations to leak out, that doesn't mean there hasn't been communication between the two sides or progress made toward a new deal. 

"When you're in the building, you're a little bit more calm about it because you're always sort of in communication with the agents, and you kind of have the pulse and the lay of the land of what's going on," he said. 

"So those people within that building know a lot more than what's getting put out there in the public and may have a better certainty about what's going to happen than what's getting put out in the public." 

"That's just sort of common practice as you've seen happen, and before the deadline, boom! So I wouldn't panic just yet. There's still some time to get things done with Saquon."

Ross also noted that contracts often go down to the wire because neither side wants to show its best hand or leave any money on the table.

"As things get a little more tense and down to the wire, you start getting a little bit more realistic and a little bit more desperate of, 'All right, let's make things happen now,' as opposed to not wanting to give away position on what you're doing. It's like, 'Okay, now the clock is running down,' and then the two-minute warning comes, and it's like, 'Let's get this; let's try to win this game." 

So what might the final "score" look like for Barkley on a new multiyear deal?

"That's what the Giants are looking at," Ross said, declining to offer an APY or a contract length/total for the running back. "The two best running backs in the league last year, Ezekiel Elliot and Dalvin Cook, were paid these guys a ton of money, and now they're on the street. 

"Seeing what has happened and looking, you gotta learn from history and what do we feel comfortable with? And, of course, Saquon wants a certain number, and rightfully so. I want all players to get what they deserve. 

"There's a lot more that goes into it where each contract is so special and individualized that it makes it hard to just say, he should get that number because he's better than this guy, better than that guy. And that's what the Giants are trying to figure out." 

Check out the Locked On Giants podcast video for Ross's thoughts on Daniel Jones, Year 2 of the Brian Daboll era, and other Giants and NFL-related topics.

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