Giants Should Have Offered Jacobs a Free Agent Contract

The New York Giants have spent the last 24 hours declining The Athletic's latest report that the team offered former All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs a free-agent contract.

This, of course, is their way to show the fanbase still reeling off of Saquon Barkley's signing with the Philadelphia Eagles that the Giants had no intention of paying any running back top money.

Should they have, though?

While it is true that the modern NFL has devalued the running back position due to the short shelf-life of the position, a renascence of sorts has begun with top players like Christian McCaffrey, Barkley, and even Jacobs.

The reason? With league defenses getting faster, the importance of size is no longer necessary for front sevens around the league. That means many top defenses are undersized against physical rushers like Jacobs -- giving a unique advantage to offenses should they opt for them.

The Giants have obvious needs along their offense including the line which has been on an extremely disappointing rebuild over the last 10 years. Paying a running back ahead of fixing the line would have been putting the cart before the horse.

That's why the team opted not to re-sign Barkley or bring in Jacobs.

Related: Giants Win Projection: Least in NFC East?

It also doesn't mean they are right in this regard, either. As New York looks to rebuild their roster to compete with the likes of the Eagles and the rest of the NFC East, the Giants need unique ways to overwhelm their division.

Jacobs could have been that solution.