The Minnesota Vikings need reinforcements in the run game after a disappointing season from Alexander Mattison, and few signings would make more of a splash than signing Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis proposed.
In a February 6 article, Lewis proposed eight high-end free agents “who make sense if the Vikings swing big” this offseason and named the New York Giants star as an ideal free-agent singing to fortify the run game.
“If the Vikings were to spend, bucking league-wide trends to add a proven, dynamic (and aging) running back like Barkley would be an interesting move. Barkley will turn 27 later this week. Among 49 qualified running backs this past season, Barkley’s average yards after contact per rush (2.92) ranked 24th. Adding Barkley to the Vikings’ mix of skill players might be transformative both for him and the offense (like the 49ers trading for Christian McCaffrey). It’d be a bold swing for a team that cannot afford to miss.
Barkley is poised for free agency after a leak that the Giants do not intend to franchise tag the former No. 2 overall pick this offseason. Pro Football Focus (PFF) projected Barkley to garner a two-year deal worth $22 million — an average annual value of $11 million a season that would rank seventh at the position ahead of 2024 free agency.
Leave a Reply