As his first free agency with the team approaches, it appears Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh may have his eyes on New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
“This is one thing, too, in terms of what (Jim Harbaugh) wants to do offensively,” Ryan Leaf, Harbaugh’s former teammate, said on Good Morning Football. “Austin Ekeler’s a big part of what that could be with them running the football. But I do think that Saquon Barkley is going to be at the top of his list in terms of what he wants to do with the running back position with him being a free agent.
“I think (the Giants) can franchise-tag him again (but) it’s a lot of money. . . but it’s something I know that Jim Harbaugh wants to do. He wants to run the football and he wants to use those guys down the field with play-action.”
A destination like the Chargers would likely provide Barkley a better shot at the Super Bowls he’s chasing. And with Austin Ekeler also set to hit free agency, there may be a vacancy for Barkley to fill in L.A.
Going to the Chargers would also keep Barkley away from the NFC East opponents that Giants fans fear as a potential destination.
With a ton of talent on the roster, it’s puzzling that the Chargers have lacked success in recent memory.
It should be noted that when Harbaugh took the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, he had a workhorse running back in Frank Gore.
Barkley has been one of the faces of the Giants since he was drafted and his new representation is set to meet with the Giants before free agency.
For the longest time, Barkley seemed destined to spend his entire career in Giant Blue. However, recently, he has changed his tune most notably saying he could see himself in a different uniform.
It will be interesting to see how the situation plays out with Barkley.
