Potential landing spots for Saquon Barkley if he leaves the Giants

Running back Saquon Barkley aims to cash in during free agency following his rebound season with the New York Giants. His hefty payday, however, may not come from the franchise he has been with his entire career.

A "gap" exists in negotiations between the 26-year-old and the Giants, per the New York Post's Paul Schwartz. The team is unlikely to shell out a contract worth more than $12.5 million per year.

While Barkley's eligible for the franchise tag, QB Daniel Jones' high demands for an extension could force New York to use it on him. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk believes that if Jones is tagged, it'll cause Barkley to hit the open market, and there is no telling if he'll re-sign.

Here are three potential landing spots if Barkley leaves the Giants this offseason: 

Denver Broncos

The Broncos are stuck with QB Russell Wilson due to his enormous contract. Given his disastrous season, they have no choice but to get him back on track. Improving the running game would be the most effective way to achieve this. 

There's a young RB on their roster, Javonte Williams, though his recovery from a torn ACL, LCL, and posterior lateral corner he suffered in October is taking longer than anticipated. It could cause him to miss multiple games next season.

Denver needs to get back to its winning ways as quickly as possible. It hasn't made the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 and may not be able to afford Williams being out for any length of time. Should Barkley sign with Denver and Williams find a way to get healthy, the league might not have a better RB duo. 

Chicago Bears

The Bears had the most rushing yards in 2022 and have the most cap space in the NFL. The team will likely remain run-centric as long as dual-threat QB Justin Fields is in town. 

Despite allowing the fourth-most sacks in the league, Chicago's offensive line was the fifth highest-rated blocking unit this past season, according to Pro Football Focus (73.1). Chicago has the cap space to upgrade its offensive line and continue to produce prolific rushing numbers.

Like Barkley, RB David Montgomery is an impending free agent, and while he's a quality back, his 50.1 rushing yards per game is a far cry from Barkley's 82. If the Bears intend on spending on the position, they should pursue the top option available instead of Montgomery. 

Miami Dolphins

Though the Dolphins would need to clear some cap space to sign Barkley, they haven't been hesitant to pursue the best players available lately. They brought in WR Tyreek Hill last offseason, and he posted a career-high in receiving yards in HC Mike McDaniel's offense. 

McDaniel was San Francisco's OC before taking the Miami job, and he has carried over the 49ers' run-blocking schemes, which seem to make any RB look like an All-Pro.

Veterans Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. combined for 1,283 rushing yards for Miami last season. Both RBs are free agents and have injury concerns. There are health risks associated with Barkley, but his capabilities exceed those of Mostert and Wilson.

After trading for RB Christian McCaffrey midseason, the 49ers reached a new level, and the Dolphins could do the same by adding Barkley.