The New York Giants and representatives for running back Saquon Barkley intend to meet face-to-face at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis later this month.
“The plan is to circle up with his representatives when we get to the Combine,” general manager Joe Schoen said on Tuesday at the Senior Bowl.
There, the two sides will reengage long-term contract negotiations a year after Barkley ended his holdout and reluctantly signed a modified version of the franchise tag.
But when Schoen takes a seat and looks across the table, it won’t be Kim Miale of Roc Nation looking back at him. Instead, it will be CAA’s Ed Berry, who took over late negotiations last spring.
After more than five years with Miale, Barkley has decided to go in a different direction.
From Pat Traina of Sports Illustrated:
According to NFLPA records, Barkley’s sole representation is listed as Ed Berry of CAA, a late addition to the running back’s existing team last summer as he and the Giants attempted to reach a long-term deal by the July 17 deadline.
When that date passed, the Giants and Barkley’s representation team worked out a one-year modified franchise tag featuring incentives that pushed the deal’s potential value to $11 million if those incentives had been reached.
With that deal having expired, Barkley is now looking at another round of negotiations with the Giants, who can apply the franchise tag on their star running back for a second and final time if they so choose.
This time around, Barkley is hopeful he can avoid the franchise tag. And if he can’t, he’s set a deadline for the Giants and Schoen to use it.
“They did it last year. So, I’m numb to it,” Barkley told reporters in January. “I don’t have any feelings toward that at all. If you’re going to do it, just don’t wait until March 5. Just get it over with. If not, let me go. Simple.”
The franchise tag window opens on February 20.
