It’s not often that you’re able to see a team lose a franchise star in real time, but the latest episode of “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” depicted just that.
Moments ahead of the start of free agency, Giants general manager Joe Schoen circled back with Saquon Barkley’s agent, Ed Berry, to see if they would still allow New York to match any offer the star running back got. Berry told Schoen that the offer the Giants would need to put out was a three-year deal worth $12.5 million per year and $25 million guaranteed.
However, Schoen got the sense that Barkley’s side wasn’t going to honor their commitment to allow them to match the top offer he got on the open market.
“I told the agent, if we match that deal, he’s gonna be a Giant,” Schoen said in a conversation with Giants owner John Mara. “He’s like, ‘Wellll.’ He hemmed and hawwed. He’s like, ‘I’m not saying that. We’ve got a lot of work to do if that happens.'”
When free agency opened later on in the episode, Mara pressed Schoen on where things stood with Barkley. The general manager said that, at the time, the Chicago Bears were “driving the price up” on Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles appeared to be out of the conversation.
“I might have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philly, I’ll tell you that,” Mara responded to Schoen. “I’ve been around enough players. He’s the most popular player we have by far.”
Of course, the Eagles were not out of the conversation. A couple of hours after Schoen’s conversation, Barkley’s agent called back to say that a team had offered more than the original offer that was laid out, but wouldn’t say which team made the offer.
“North of [the original offer]? … We’re out,” Schoen told Berry. “Is it in the division? I’m trying to prepare myself mentally for what’s going to happen.”
New York never made Barkley an offer in the days leading up to free agency and when free agency began.
The Giants were left in the dark about where Barkley was going and what contract he got until it was reported. He ultimately signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Eagles that could be worth up to $46.75 million and included $26 million guaranteed.
“All right,” Mara said with a smirk when he went back to Schoen’s office upon learning the news.
“We’re going to be fine,” Schoen responded.
“I think we will be, too,” Mara said.
That wasn’t the only key free agent the Giants lost that day. Safety Xavier McKinney agreed to a four-year, $67 million contract with the Green Bay Packers that made him the second-highest-paid safety, ending his time in New York after four seasons.
“Oh my God,” Schoen blurted when he learned of McKinney’s deal and where it ranked compared to other safeties.
After losing two franchise cornerstones on the first day of free agency, the Giants were able to add one, but not without some haggling. The Giants checked back in on acquiring standout edge rusher Brian Burns, who was franchise-tagged by the Carolina Panthers, so they’d have to trade for him.
New York was granted permission to negotiate a deal with Burns, and the two sides came to terms, agreeing to a five-year, $141 million deal with $87.5 million guaranteed. So, all that was left to do was work out a trade with Carolina.
That process was more laborious than the Giants anticipated it would be. Schoen initially offered Panthers general manager Dan Morgan the 39th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for Burns. Carolina declined, so Schoen countered with the 47th overall pick and a selection in the 2025 draft.
Morgan was interested in that offer, but kept the Giants waiting throughout the first day of free agency before Schoen called him. The two sides agreed to the major parameters of a deal, but Morgan sought more draft compensation.
“Oh my God, what are we doing, Dan? Why do we need to add on a seventh, Dan?” Schoen asked Morgan. “You and I are going to be doing this a long time, hopefully, and we’ve got to have allies. I don’t want to throw in a seventh. Like, I need players too, Dan.”
The call ended with the two sides agreeing to a deal. The Giants would give up the 47th overall pick and a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft along with a conditional pick in the 2025 draft, while the Panthers would trade Burns and a 2024 fifth-round pick.
“They tried to wear me down with a seventh-rounder and a half a sack,” Schoen said of the negotiations.
Later on in free agency, the Giants signed Drew Lock to back up Daniel Jones. Head coach Brian Daboll told Schoen that he wanted to bring Tyrod Taylor back, but he signed with the New York Jets.
“He’s still athletic and can move,” Schoen told Mara about targeting Lock after Taylor signed with the Jets. “He’s 27. He’s got size. He’s got arm talent. He can play. Seattle really wants him back. So, we’ll probably be competing with them. Our sale to Drew Lock is, ‘Hey, we had [Mitchell] Trubisky in Buffalo as a backup. He went on and got paid by Pittsburgh. We had Tyrod for two years, he went in and got a raise. Daniel’s uncertainty with his health, that situation.”
The Giants were able to win a free-agency sweepstakes with the Jets, though. Standout guard Jon Runyan was set to sign with the Jets on a two-year, $18 million deal with $17 million guaranteed to reunite with Aaron Rodgers and Nathaniel Hackett. New York opted to give him a three-year, $30 million deal with $17 million guaranteed, which Runyan accepted shortly after it was offered.
Earlier in the episode, Schoen listed Runyan as one of his top three offensive lineman targets in free agency. They signed him and their top target, Jermaine Eluemunor.
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