Giants rookie RB could be insurance plan for Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants and star RB Saquon Barkley have been unable to come to terms on a long-term contract extension this offseason. 

In the midst of negotiations, the Giants drafted RB Eric Gray out of Oklahoma in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. While Gray may not threaten Barkley for the starting job, he does provide New York with insurance in their backfield.

Barkley will continue to be the lead back in the Giants' offense; however, his long-term future with the team is clouded with uncertainty. If the two sides cannot come to terms by the July 17 deadline, he will be forced to play the season out on the franchise tag, meaning he will not be under contract past the 2023 season.

Gray, however, is officially under contract through 2026. If Barkley and the Giants decide to move on next offseason, Gray will be in prime position to take over the starting job.

Additionally, Barkley has not yet signed the tag and could refuse to play on it. This would propel Gray into the starting lineup. This possibility is unlikely, though, as Barkley is expected to eventually sign and play on the tag.

Barkley has also had his fair share of injuries throughout his career. Before staying healthy for the entirety of the 2022 season, Barkley had missed 18 of the Giants' last 33 games with injuries from 2020-21. Gray will also provide the Giants' offense with insurance in-case their star runner suffers any injuries during the 2023 season.

Regardless of Barkley's future, the Giants added some quality talent to their backfield with Gray. The 5-foot-9, 206-pound running back totaled 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns on 213 carries for the Sooners in 2022. His 44 carries of 10+ yards last season were the most of all Big 12 RBs, per Pro Football Focus.