Analyst names Giants' Saquon Barkley Offensive Player of the Year through first four weeks

Things can change in the blink of an eye in the NFL. 

It was only a week ago when whispers about the New York Giants possibly trading star running back Saquon Barkley could be heard throughout the pro-football community. After the Giants improved to 3-1 on the season via this past Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears, one insider called such talk "ridiculous."

Pro Football Network writer and news editor Dallas Robinson has gone one step further and named the 25-year-old in the final year of his rookie contract his Offensive Player of the Year for the first four weeks of the campaign. 

"On a volume level, Barkley is outshining the rest of the NFL’s running backs. He’s first in both rushing yards and yards from scrimmage, and he’s on pace for an astounding 2,423 total yards," Robinson noted. "Barkley doesn’t have a good offensive line in front of him, but he’s gotten yardage on his own. He’s accumulated more yards after contact (209) than any other RB, and he’s fifth in rushing yards over expectation per attempt." 

Barkley certainly hasn't had his load lightened by New York's woeful wide receivers, and the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft took snaps as the team's emergency quarterback against Chicago when both Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor went down with injuries. 

Even if Jones' hurting ankle heals enough that he can play against the 3-1 Green Bay Packers this coming Sunday, logic suggests Barkley, who leads the league with 463 rushing yards and 84 carries, will continue to serve as New York's top (and maybe only) offensive playmaker for the foreseeable future. 

For what it's worth, the NFL trade deadline doesn't arrive until Nov. 1. The Giants theoretically could lose four consecutive games and become sellers before then.