Reporter reveals Giants' mindset on Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants seemingly aren't buying that running back Saquon Barkley will remain away from the club through the start of regular-season play. 

"Nobody in the Giants organization is worried that Barkley hasn't signed his (franchise) tag, is skipping minicamp this week or that he vented his frustrations in public," Fox Sports NFC East reporter Ralph Vacchiano said for a piece published Wednesday. "They're OK with him telling the world about his hurt feelings because they know he'll put it all behind him when it's time." 

Vacchiano shared his update after Barkley indicated over the weekend he could sit out meaningful games if he and the Giants don't come to terms on a long-term deal before the July 17 deadline for teams to sign franchise-tagged players. NFL reporter and analyst Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com essentially scoffed at Barkley's supposed threat, and Vacchiano wrote that the 26-year-old team captain won't forfeit up to $10.091M attached to his franchise tender for 2023 because neither he nor his agents are "dumb." 

Conflicting reports emerged Tuesday about whether or not a multi-year deal worth around $13M per year with incentives that could bump it to $14M per campaign is currently available to Barkley as it was earlier this offseason. Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News mentioned that "any of these reported $13M per year offers were much lower in real value due to some combination of mechanisms such as low guaranteed money and per-game roster bonuses." That information may explain Barkley's comments from this past Sunday. 

Nevertheless, the second overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft appears to have little leverage ahead of July 17. 

"Multiple team sources have said the Giants are content to let Barkley play out the season on the tag, and that while they're open to negotiating a long-term contract the two sides have always been far apart," Vacchiano added. 

Fair or not, teams devaluing the running-back position is a trend that isn't disappearing. That's why Vacchiano believes Barkley eventually signing the franchise tag and returning to work at some point this summer is "inevitable" regardless of his feelings about being tagged in March.