Not only would Barkley, a Coplay, Pa. native, be playing in front of the favorite team of most of his longtime friends, the 27-year-old would find with the Eagles the best offensive line that he ever has run behind and an annual opportunity to reach the playoffs.
Even without the retired Jason Kelce , the Eagles boast two-time Pro Bowler Landon Dickerson, two-time First-Team All-Pro Lane Johnson and well-regarded Jordan Mailata up front, along with highly drafted youngsters Cam Jurgens and Tyler Steen.
The Eagles typically do not spend big on running backs — ranking no higher than No. 18 in salary-cap allocation to the position in any season since 2018, according to spotrac.com.
The Eagles offense flamed out last season and general manager Howie Roseman does have a history of renting stars who might put the team over the top.
Barkley would add another dimension of explosiveness if he is amenable to a shorter contract that could reset his value if he puts up big numbers in a situation more conducive to production than running behind the Giants’ offensive line — ranked bottom-three across the NFL in each of the last three seasons by Pro Football Focus.
Of course, he would have to stay healthy after missing 24 games (14 to a torn ACL in 2020) due to injury over his six-year career.
Saquon Barkley greets fans after the Giants’ win over the Eagles on Jan. 7, 2024, possibly his last game with Big Blue. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
The Giants and Barkley’s agent Ed Berry did not exchange offers during the eight weeks since last season ended, a source told The Post.
The door is not closed on a return but the sides mutually decided it was best to let the open market determine Barkley’s value after last year’s tense negotiations ended with a gap of less than $2 million in guaranteed money and Barkley played on the franchise tag ($10.1 million).
D’Andre Swift, 25, rushed for 1,049 yards for the Eagles last season and is a free agent.
Miles Sanders left the Eagles for the Panthers in free agency last offseason after rushing for 1,269 yards.
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