NFL exec reveals why New York Giants ownership didn’t interfere with Saquon Barkley negotiations

It was up to the New York Giants to decide whether they wanted to re-sign Saquon Barkley seven years after making him the second overall pick. Giants GM Joe Schoen determined that a 27-year-old Barkley wasn’t worth the price of admission. Meanwhile, team owner John Mara said he “would have a tough time sleeping ” if Saquon goes to Philadelphia.

Well, Barkley did sign with the Eagles, for three years and $37.5 million. Meanwhile, the Giants quickly pivoted to Schoen’s old friend, former Bills running back Devin Singletary. The Giants got Singletary at a discount, signing the 27-year-old for $16.5 million across three seasons, but he’s never had a 1000-yard rushing season either. Barkley’s had three of them.

So, why didn’t the Giants just sign the Pro Bowl running back they already had? One NFL executive recently provided his take on the situation.

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New York Giants ownership didn’t want to ‘mettle’ in Saquon Barkley negotiations

NFL owners are frequently accused of meddling or making roster decisions that are usually left up to the general manager or head coach. Some owners, like Jerry Jones, do this more than others. Typically, owners don’t like to be accused of being meddlers since that management style doesn’t help recruit the best general managers available.

Yet, Giants co-owner and team president John Mara might wish he had spoken up about the Saquon Barkley contract negotiations. One anonymous current NFL executive believes Mara would have stepped in but didn’t want to take control.

“My feel is John Mara, if not for Hard Knocks, would have put his foot down (to stop Barkley from leaving), but he didn’t want to be perceived as meddling,” a long-tenured exec from another team said.

“The owner is thinking, ‘Barkley has been one of our best players for years, the players on the team respect him and I don’t want him to beat us twice,’” another exec said. “But the fact of the matter is, the Giants aren’t very good and they may lose to Philly twice anyway.”

The Athletic’s Mike Sando on Saquon Barkley negotiations

The Giants have lost Round 1, with Barkley shining in the Eagles’ win and the Gians’ offense sputtering to just six points in their loss. Of course, the decision not to sign Barkley can’t be judged after one week, but if this trend continues, letting Barkley walk could end up being the final dagger in Schoen’s coffin with the Giants.

Related: Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen land on hot seat after New York Giants’ embarrassing 28-6 loss

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