Eagles RB mentioned as possible Saquon Barkley replacement for Giants

The New York Giants potentially could look to the Philadelphia Eagles for a replacement for running back Saquon Barkley in March. 

On Wednesday, Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com suggested that the Giants could potentially pursue Miles Sanders of the Eagles if Big Blue doesn't come to terms on a deal with Barkley ahead of free agency. 

"Both are unrestricted free agents, but the Super Bowl made it clear that the Eagles will move on rather than give Sanders an extension," Brookover noted about the situation. "They used Kenneth Gainwell more than Sanders in their 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs."

The ESPN box score shows that both Sanders and Gainwell recorded seven rushes in Super Bowl LVII this past Sunday. Gainwell added four receptions for 20 yards, while Sanders had no catches on a single target. 

Spotrac estimates that Barkley’s market value is an average annual salary of over $12.3 million per season and that the 26-year-old could sign a four-year deal potentially worth a total of $49.26 million. To compare, Spotrac lists Sanders' market value at slightly over $7.2 million per year on a two-year contract. 

Per ESPN, Barkley finished the 2022 regular season fourth in the NFL with 1,312 rushing yards and 295 carries. He had 10 rushing touchdowns and also caught 57 passes for 338 yards. 

Sanders was fifth, right behind Barkley, with 1,269 rushing yards on 259 attempts (eighth overall). He tallied 11 rushing scores to go along with 20 catches for 78 yards. 

Multiple reports have linked Barkley with an inevitable return to the Giants. For pieces published this week, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus said that "the face of the Giants should be back in 2023," while ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that New York seems "dedicated to re-signing" the first-round pick from the 2018 draft. 

If, however, the Giants have to use the franchise tag to retain the rights to quarterback Daniel Jones, they could look to fill Barkley's spot on the depth chart with a less-expensive option who is quite familiar with the fellow former Penn State star.