3 reasons the NY Giants won Saquon Barkley contract negotiations

3 reasons the NY Giants won Saquon Barkley contract negotiations, No. 2: Prevent holdout, allows the offense to build chemistry before the season

Once the New York Giants and Saquon Barkley were unable to agree to terms on a long-term deal, the word “holdout” was used a lot in describing the looming situation. With training camp on the horizon, the NFL world expected Barkley to hold out in training camp. Let’s not forget that earlier in the offseason, Barkley didn’t rule out potentially sitting out regular-season games.

Barkley holding out from training camp would have been bad for the Giants, especially as head coach Brian Daboll looked to take the offense to new heights in 2023. With some more cap space at their disposal, the Giants were able to trade for Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller and brought in wide receivers Parris Campbell, Jalin Hyatt, and Jamison Crowder to add to their depth chart consisting of Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, and Sterling Shepard, and drafted a new center in Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz.

The Giants did prepare for a potential Barkley holdout, as they signed former Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets running back James Robinson shortly after the July 17 deadline.

Now, the Giants don’t have to worry about any looming uncertainty on when Barkley would report to camp. He’s ready to go for the first day of camp.