MOBILE — Giants GM Joe Schoen revisited contract talks with Saquon Barkley’s brokers early this week and stated they are going to preserve working to “move closer” on the working again’s worth.
“We had some initial talks earlier this week with his representatives, so when I get back in the office next week, we’ll continue to have conversations with them,” Schoen stated on the Senior Bowl. “With any negotiation, you just gotta move closer, and that’s what we’ll try to do next week.”
Schoen additionally stated “we haven’t started conversations” with quarterback Daniel Jones’ representatives however reiterated “we want Daniel back.”
When requested if he needs to signal Jones long-term, Schoen stated each the Giants and Jones’ camp wanted to current their preliminary numbers earlier than he can focus on that.
“Once we get into it, in terms of years, contract structure, finances — I’m not really sure where they’re gonna be or what they’re gonna be asking for,” Schoen stated. “We’re still working on where we’d be willing to start. So until we get into actual negotiations, I really won’t have a good sense for years, money.”
Schoen’s first offseason as incumbent GM will probably be outlined by his negotiations with Jones and Barkley and any domino impact created by their resolutions.
And the Giants clearly need to reward every participant however not on the expense of constant to fill out the remainder of the roster.
If Schoen must stress the importance of serving to the workforce’s trigger and never hindering it throughout these talks, that might be indicative of a persistent divide.
“If it’s something we both agree on, the value, then we don’t have to approach that,” Schoen stated. “But if we’re way off, then that comes into play. You give somebody all the money, that’s less you can divvy up throughout your team or outside the building if you’re bringing free agents in. So there’s a chance that comes into play, but until we have those negotiations, I’m not sure if we’ll need to do that or not.”
The Barkley and Jones negotiations every current their very own distinctive variables and challenges, nonetheless.
Schoen stated on Jan. 23 at his finish of season press convention, for instance, that the Giants and Barkley’s brokers “weren’t really that close” on the worth of his potential contract extension once they first negotiated in the course of the midseason bye week.
Now it’s identified that Barkley’s facet declined a contract within the $12 million-$12.5 million per yr vary at the moment, which inches Barkley’s ask within the route of the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey ($16 million per yr) on the prime of the working again market.
Schoen wouldn’t focus on numbers or specifics on Wednesday.
If there isn’t significant progress towards a compromise, although, the Giants’ GM has the choice to slap the $10.1 million franchise tag on Barkley for 2023. And if that occurred, it’s unclear the place this is able to go: yet another yr of Barkley in New York, a tag and commerce, or Barkley reconsidering and taking a decrease long-term deal earlier than the tag locked in July.
Jones, in the meantime, looms because the dearer and pivotal negotiation.
One former NFL GM instructed the Daily News after Jones’ playoff win in Minnesota that he believed the Giants QB would command “between $35-38 million” on a multi-year extension, and that ballpark nonetheless is sensible above Kirk Cousins’ $35 million and under the $40 million a yr membership.
But as Schoen stated, the Giants nonetheless haven’t selected their beginning quantity in that negotiation, and it’s not clear how excessive the workforce is keen to go. No one is aware of Jones’ brokers’ beginning quantity, both.
Jones’ leverage is the franchise tag at $32.4 million for quarterbacks in 2023.
Teams sometimes desire longer-term QB contracts that permit them to unfold out signing bonus cash and decrease the wage cap at the beginning of the deal. That saves cash and cap house that they’ll use elsewhere.
Hypothetically, for instance, a five-year, $165 million cope with a $50 million signing bonus would give Jones a $33 million annual worth and permit the Giants to decrease Jones’ 2023 cap hit to round $11 million whereas releasing funds for the remainder of the roster.
Jones can’t compromise on his worth, although. If he have been to play the subsequent two seasons on again to again franchise tags, the common of these salaries could be $35.6 million per yr in 2023 and 2024.
So any provide that pays him lower than that yearly ought to be a nonstarter for the younger QB.
And if Jones and the Giants can’t attain a long-term deal and the workforce is pressured to tag Jones, that can eat up $32.4 million in wage cap house for 2023 that Schoen could be unable to spend elsewhere.
Complicating issues is that Schoen can solely use the franchise tag as soon as this offseason and has loads of different enterprise on deck, from free agent negotiations with security Julian Love to the start of contract extension talks with left deal with Andrew Thomas.
Not to say he has been right here all week in Mobile assembly with prospects, scouting them on the sector on the University of South Alabama, as different members of his entrance workplace proceed free agent conferences again in New Jersey.
All part of making an attempt to rebuild this franchise one brick at a time, whereas guarding in opposition to utilizing an excessive amount of cement on one room and failing to construct the entire home.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com