Saquon Barkley Linked To Dallas Cowboys In Bid To Give Dak Prescott Help In 2024

The New York Giants applied the franchise tag to Barkley for the 2023 season. They haven’t agreed to a new deal, and Barkley is set to hit free agency in March. Maurice Jones-Drew wrote on the NFL’s website that the Cowboys should sign Barkley to take the pressure off  Prescott next season:

No Saquon, no chance. That’s my honest opinion on the New York Giants’ outlook in 2024. He was one of the few bright spots this season, racking up 1,242 scrimmage yards and 10 total TDs in 14 games. If the G-Men want to win, Saquon is the guy to help them do that, as we saw in his Pro Bowl season of 2022, when the Giants made the playoffs for just the second time since 2011.

The running back says he wants to be “a Giant for life,” but I’m not sure where the franchise stands. Will the two sides dance around a potential long-term contract again, like last offseason? I don’t have time to wait around and see for this exercise. So, why not spice things up and send him to a division rival?!

The Cowboys’ cap situation isn’t ideal, but NFL teams are always doing cap gymnastics these days, so bringing Barkley to The Star isn’t out of the question. Replacing Ezekiel Elliott’s hard-nosed, downhill rushing style with Tony Pollard wasn’t the answer this season.

Dallas learned the hard way that it can’t solely rely on Dak Prescott and the passing attack. This offense needs a run game to wear defenses down and keep opponents honest. Barkley is an explosive, multi-faceted threat out of the backfield.

Would Saquon Barkley sign with the Dallas Cowboys?

Barkley wants to stay in New York, but the Giants’ decision to stick with quarterback Daniel Jones could jeopardize an extension for their two-time Pro Bowl running back. The Giants roster has a lot of issues that need to be addressed.

While their cap space situation isn’t in the red like the Cowboys, the Giants might consider investing a Barkley-sized extension to pieces of the roster that don’t degrade as fast as a running back in their second contract. Barkley is entering his seventh year in the NFL next season, so his elite playmaking might start to drop off a bit in the next season or two.

Would Dallas bite for a running back facing those future limitations? Yes, but only if owner Jerry Jones thinks Barkley is the missing link to make it back to the Super Bowl. Given the Giants have been to the postseason just once since they drafted Barkley, that proposition isn’t likely.