Saquon Barkley reveals first 'interest' in free agency before signing with Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles signed Saquon Barkley in the early hours of free agency. The move came as a shock to many — a wonderful surprise for Eagles fans, and a singularly torturous outcome for those who once rooted for Barkley with the New York Giants.

A breakup was inevitable. The Giants refused to franchise tag Barkley a second time, which meant he was always going to test the market. We heard rumblings of New York still wanting to keep him, but "at their price" was always the kicker. In theory, all it took was one team to meaningfully outbid the Giants. In the end, several did.

In a recent appearance on the 'New Heights' podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, Barkley gave fans insight into his free agency process. Apparently, the Eagles weren't the first team to catch his eye. The Houston Texans were the first team to really pique Barkley's interest.

"Probably the team that had my first interest was Houston. I got to communicate with C.J. [Stroud] and a couple of those boys, but this was before when you could actually put offers on the table and talk to teams."

Houston was always a strong possibility for Barkley. The C.J. Stroud hype is real, and the Texans feel like a team about to catapult into the contenders' circle with Bobby Slowik pulling the strings on offense. The fact that Barkley was having conversations with Stroud and multiple Houston players is a sign of how close that was to becoming reality.

In the end, however, Barkley couldn't pass up the opportunity to return to his home state of Pennsylvania, where his family resides. Barkley went to school at Penn State. Now, he has the chance to compete for a Super Bowl in Philly.

"Then, as it got closer, and you start hearing word and Philly, I probably never imagined myself playing for Philly six years ago, but I get to come back to Pennsylvania, my family is from Pennsylvania, my lady, our kids, grandmas all that is from Pennsylvania and we’re already close and we can even get to get closer and get a chance to compete.

I got to admire them from afar, admire what he was able to build over there and get to be part of that culture. It was a no-brainer for me."

On the whole, Barkley said four teams reached out, including "a couple good offers." The Giants were not one of them. Barkley's contract with the Eagles is for three years and $37.75 million, with $26 million guaranteed at signing. His contract value could reach $46.75 million with incentives.

Eagles weren't the only team to interest Saquon Barkley in free agency

It's still a bit weird to see Barkley associated with the Eagles' midnight green. He was a franchise pillar in New York for six years, in stark opposition of Philadelphia. Even when the Giants aren't a threat in the standings, there is enough bad blood to fuel that rivalry for the next century. New York fans don't feel betrayed because Barkley left. That is on the Giants' front office. They feel betrayed because he joined the Eagles, of all teams.

In the end, blame does still land on the Giants' front office. Barkley expressed his desire to finish his career in New York and the Giants passed, instead opting for cheaper options at the RB position. That's fair — heck, it may even be the correct team-building decision. But, fans are emotional creatures. We develop bonds with players that transcend cap space. Barkley was beloved in New York. Now, the Giants' faithful need to root against him full stop. It's a harsh, uncomfortable new reality.

Barkley isn't complaining, though. He's close to family with a real chance to compete, at long last. He also gets the privilege of running behind the Eagles' elite offensive line, a luxury he was not accustomed to with New York. Barkley should find more holes to run through than ever before. It's risky to invest big money in 27-year-old RBs, but Barkley is a special case. He's one of the best RBs in football at full strength. If he's healthy, we can expect Barkley to experience ample success in Eagles green.