00:00Topping a legendary list in NFL history certainly sounds elite.
00:05Gotta say, most impactful sounds pretty sweet as well.
00:10Best signing ever?
00:14Aight, we're getting a little redundant here.
00:17How many descriptors do we need to define this move?
00:21Stunning?
00:22I guess not enough.
00:24Which honestly, fair.
00:26In just one season after testing free agency, running back Saquon Barkley had a record-setting season en route to winning a Super Bowl with his new squad, the Philadelphia Eagles.
00:37If hoisting the Lombardi Trophy is the ultimate reward, then achieving that goal in the single season is an incredible payoff.
00:45While the Eagles were being crowned as geniuses for signing Saquon, his ex-team had their reasons, and surely people didn't overreact and had nice things to say about their decision-making for letting them go, right?
00:59Come on.
01:01That's not very nice.
01:04Saquon Barkley's decision to sign with the Eagles in free agency was a big deal.
01:08Oh, hey there.
01:13Let me push you on some game real quick.
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01:31But for now, let's get back to the action.
01:33Okay, we've established.
01:35Eagles smart, Giants dumb.
01:38While life at times can be that simple, that's not exactly the case here.
01:42I'm sure Saquon wouldn't trade anything for his championship ring, but he had dreams of achieving that goal with the Giants and no one else.
01:51Now, some New York executives called bullshit on him wanting to be a Giant for life, but the organization losing its once-franchised star ultimately came down to disrespect.
02:01It was all avoidable.
02:04Let's set the stage.
02:06The Giants selected Saquon second overall in the 2018 draft.
02:11The selection initially seemed like a misguided decision, taking a running back so high, especially with an aging quarterback.
02:17But former Giants GM Dave Gettleman saw a future Hall of Famer who had been touched by the hand of God.
02:25Maybe a little excessive, but in his debut season, Saquon indeed looked heavenly as he sauced up defenders, leading the league in scrimmage yards, finishing his rookie year with some hardware.
02:36It's a high standard to set straight out the gates, but a high ankle sprain in his second season, followed by an ACL injury in his third, and another ankle injury in his fourth, made it tough for Saquon to replicate that type of production.
02:52Despite the setbacks, he still had productive seasons good enough for then-GM Gettleman to pick up his fifth-year option.
02:58Emphasis on the then, because as Saquon entered his fifth year, there was a new head hunch on the Big Apple as Joe Shane took over general manager duties.
03:09Journalists labeled Shane as a man who operated with positional value principles in mind, and as running backs continued to be devalued across the league, it didn't appear the new GM would come in itching to pay Saquon.
03:21This is where the early seas of disrespect were planted.
03:25After having a tremendous bounce-back season in 2022, helping propel New York to the postseason, Saquon and the Giants' front office engaged in several months of intense contract talks.
03:37It got heated enough that Saquon threatened to sit out the season completely before both sides agreed on a one-year franchise tag deal, avoiding further mess, and bringing Barkley back in 2023.
03:48After that, conversations moving forward were almost non-existent, and the relationship between both sides soured, as evidenced by the scars from the negotiations playing out all too clearly in front of audiences during a 2024 off-season episode of the TV series Hard Knocks.
04:05Just pulling over this, the right thing to do is let you test the market and see what your value is.
04:12If you really want to be a giant for life and you're interested in staying here and coming back, just see what your market is and then have Ed come back to us, and we'll see if we can come to an agreement.
04:25Okay, telling your star player to test the market is definitely an awkward conversation, but that's just the business of the game.
04:31But I'm sure Saquon understands.
04:34All right, I appreciate that.
04:36Does that sound good?
04:37Yeah.
04:37Can you give me your word on that, or you're not going to give us a chance?
04:42What do you mean?
04:42I'm just talking about?
04:44Yeah.
04:45I mean, I already told you where I want to be, so.
04:48Right.
04:50Saquon sounded so thrilled by the proposition of going back to the Giants to proudly show what he's worth to get a deal from the team he already said he wanted to be on.
05:00How thoughtful of New York.
05:03So that left Saquon with two options.
05:06Behind door number one, he could return to the team he knew and loved, but he first had to open the other door to gauge interest and come back with a figure for New York to evaluate.
05:19Before we see what lies behind door number two, let's take a step back for a second.
05:24Saquon was in a position to control his future because of a decision he made in the past.
05:29Shane and the Giants offered Saquon a multi-year extension during the 2022 campaign, but Saquon turned down the offer, fully aware the team could hit him with a franchise tag at the end of the season.
05:42When he put his pride to the side, not wanting to go through an extended holdout, he assumed risk by playing on a one-year deal and now had the reward to choose where he wanted to play next.
05:53While the ball was now in Saquon's court, journalists applauded Shane's thinking of letting a potentially cold market allow New York to retain him at a low rate.
06:04Except in reality, Saquon was never going back to the Giants.
06:08After the phone call that aired on Hard Knocks, which Saquon had no idea was being recorded, he had all the clarity he needed and he wasn't prepared to run back to the Giants with his tail tucked between his legs.
06:21He felt like it was a slap in the face to be asked to shop around when he had made it crystal clear he wanted to be a Giant.
06:28The idea that they only wanted him if he could prove his worth, then maybe they would take him back, didn't sit right with Saquon.
06:38Plus, what Shane and league trends perceived to be a cold market for a veteran running back turned out to be piping hot for Saquon.
06:47Behind door number two was a slew of teams who had the trifecta of bread to pay him with the need and want to land him.
06:55Being the belle of the ball is a lovely feeling, but it was a gut punch for Saquon, seeing outsiders fawn over him more than the franchise he'd been with his entire career.
07:07While there were initially a half dozen teams that threw their hat in the ring, three serious contenders emerged.
07:13The Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, and Philadelphia Eagles.
07:18For the Texans, it appeared everything had fallen perfectly in line for them to land Saquon.
07:25The need was clearly there, as Houston finished fourth and last in total rushing offense a year prior,
07:31and had last year's ineffective starters set to hit free agency, which helped open up cap space for Saquon.
07:38The interest couldn't be louder, as head coach D'Amico Ryans hit the offseason and vowed that the franchise would address the running game.
07:45The fit even made sense.
07:48With quarterback C.J. Stroud coming off a strong rookie of the year campaign,
07:52the addition of Saquon's pass-catching ability could have been a dangerous insertion into an already high-powered offense.
07:59Hell, Saquon initially seemed to be on board.
08:03On an episode of the New Heights podcast with Travis and Jason Kelsey,
08:07Saquon detailed the early stages of chopping it up with C.J. about the possibility of joining forces.
08:12But, similarly to Houston,
08:16the attraction of building a future with a young quarterback was promising,
08:20as Chicago had the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft,
08:23and all signs pointed to them selecting Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams.
08:28Trapped with the ninth overall pick in the same draft,
08:31and eyes on choosing a receiver,
08:33Saquon could have completed a full-skilled position overall,
08:37adding an explosive threat out the backfield, which Chicago lacked.
08:40In terms of money, Chicago was prepared to throw a bag at Saquon.
08:45Bears GM Ryan Poles was a known shopper in free agency,
08:49not afraid to spin,
08:50reportedly driving up the price and knocking other teams out of contention for Saquon,
08:54but his heavy investments, specifically among the offensive line,
08:58pointed to the franchise ready to go all-in to acquire him.
09:03Media members predict that Chicago is the top spot.
09:05People close to Saquon thought the Bears were the wisest move,
09:10and Saquon admitted that he was pretty damn close to signing with Chicago.
09:14But Chicago presented potential.
09:18Philadelphia offered the trusty trifecta of the other franchises,
09:21while bringing some extra sauce to the table.
09:24They knew how to win.
09:26With a recent track record of deep playoff runs,
09:29a chance to rush behind arguably the league's best offensive line,
09:33in proximity to his Pennsylvania hometown,
09:36the decision felt like a no-brainer.
09:39The only small thing that would have deterred Saquon from signing with Philly
09:42was the potential of catching slack because he played for their division rival.
09:46Other than that, his list was filled with nothing but positives.
09:50More than anything, Saquon finally just felt valued.
09:55When he became available as a free agent,
09:58Eagles GM Howie Roseman put on the full court press from the jump,
10:02doing whatever it took to get Saquon to the Eagles.
10:05The rest is history.
10:08If you're a Giants fan,
10:09or just someone who loves to point the finger at another person's slip-ups,
10:13it's extremely easy to say in hindsight,
10:15the Giants fucked up by paying quarterback Daniel Jones instead of Saquon.
10:19Especially considering their highest offer reportedly was a minuscule amount off of Philly's deal.
10:27Sure, Danny Dimes wasn't poised to be some top-five QB,
10:31but zero people predicted he would regress so awfully
10:34that the Giants would cut ties with him completely.
10:38And if the Giants were to pay Saquon,
10:40I don't think he would have magically fixed New York's problems
10:43being forced to run behind one of the NFL's worst O-lines.
10:46And again, still using hindsight,
10:50of course choosing Philly made the most sense.
10:53If the mission is to avoid getting hit and have the best shot at winning a title,
10:57it obviously makes sense to squad up with the best big boys up front
11:01who've shown they can push bodies around deep into the playoffs.
11:04His decision paid dividends,
11:06but none of that would have been possible without Saquon first betting on himself.
11:12He took the gamble of playing on a one-year deal,
11:15knowing his value could plummet if he were to ever get seriously injured.
11:19The Giants came with big offers,
11:21which Saquon ultimately declined,
11:23and called out the org for painting him as some money-hungry individual.
11:28He knew his worth and contributions to the team's success,
11:30and he just wanted to be valued as such.
11:33It was all about respect for him, plain and simple.
11:37Losing a franchise star for disrespect is a tough pill to swallow,
11:40as seen by the public crash out by the Giants community,
11:44New York media members, fans, and the owner included.
11:47But Saquon's decision is truly a tale of trusting your gut and betting on yourself.
11:52Not saying you'll have immediate success
11:54and reach the heights of winning whatever the Super Bowl up your field is,
11:57but believing in yourself could be the difference maker.
12:01Because ultimately, life's choices are in your hands.
12:05And Saquon's decision to join the Eagles turned out to be a tremendous deal.
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