Dexter Lawrence was at the New York Giants’ training facility Friday doing his signature sack dance with head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen after officially signing his four-year, $90 million contract extension.
Lawrence joined quarterback Daniel Jones, also a 2019 first-round pick, as a linchpin of the franchise’s big-money lockup for the future.
But the Giants still have one piece left to secure, and all eyes are on running back Saquon Barkley’s status with the team. He has the franchise tag, though he and the Giants hope to pull off something like Jones and Lawrence did by the time training camp comes around.
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New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is introduced before a game against the Indianapolis Colts on January 1, 2023 in East Rutherford, NJ. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Lawrence, knowing how much Barkley means to the team, said the All-Pro running back will get his big payday.
«I think Saquon will get what he deserves,» he told reporters on Friday. «He’s a great player, he’s a great leader for us. One of the best players on the team. I’m excited to see what he has in store for him.»
Schoen recently told «Good Morning Football» that Barkley’s representatives have agreed to host a post-NFL Draft meeting to see «what the appetite is» regarding a potential deal.
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Schoen and the Giants want their leader in the backfield of the roster, but a deal has to make sense for both parties.
«Listen, Saquon is a very good football player, captain last year. He’s a good guy in the locker room. I love him,» Schoen explained. «We want it here. But you have to have a deal where both parties are happy with where you end up. That’s what we’re going to try to work on and see if we can get something we can both agree on.» in.»
The running back market isn’t like the market for quarterbacks or even defensive tackles like Lawrence. It’s been a position for which teams have found profitable talent in later rounds of the draft. Think Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, a seventh-round pick out of Rutgers last year who ended up getting the bulk of the carries for the Super Bowl champions as the season wore on.
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball as Philadelphia Eagles safety CJ Gardner-Johnson (23) tries to stop him during the second half of a divisional round playoff game in the NFL on January 21, 2023 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
But Barkley has proven to be one of the most dynamic two-way running backs in the league since the Giants drafted him No. 2 in 2018. And in Daboll’s offense, Barkley has been the focal point. He had 1,312 yards on 295 carries last season with 10 touchdowns along with 338 receiving yards.
That’s elite production, and Barkley likely wants to get paid like an elite player.
Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers leads the pack with just over $16 million in average annual value after signing his four-year contract while playing for the Carolina Panthers. Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints earns $15 million per year, while Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings and Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans earn $12.6 million and $12.5 million, respectively.
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley celebrates a touchdown during the second half of a game against the Green Bay Packers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on October 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
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The Giants reportedly offered Barkley a deal worth $14 million per season, but the talks fell through because the deal structure and guaranteed money were not to his liking.