Reporter reveals if Giants could trade Saquon Barkley before deadline

The 1-4 New York Giants appear to be an absolute mess and may become sellers ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline, but it seems like star running back Saquon Barkley will stay put through at least the rest of the season.

"...There’s pretty much no way anybody would trade for him," reporter Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com said about Barkley for a piece published Wednesday. "He once again is struggling to stay on the field. He suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 2 and hasn’t played since (a three-game absence so far). With just three games left before the trade deadline, Barkley would have to do a lot to boost his value."

Barkley missed the majority of the 2020 season due to a torn ACL and then dealt with an ankle issue the following campaign. The 26-year-old managed to stay healthy and impress with his play last season before his rights were retained via the franchise tag, and he ultimately signed a one-year contract worth roughly $10.1M with incentives. As Ryan Dunleavy mentioned for the New York Post, Barkley won't reach those incentives because of his latest setback coupled with the Giants' woes. 

Slater hinted the nature of Barkley's contract theoretically could make him moveable. 

"...Barkley got a $2M signing bonus, plus an $8.091M salary, in order to reach the $10.091M number," Slater explained. "That means a team trading for him would take on a portion of $8.091M, not $10.091M." 

Even still, Slater added that "teams won’t be lining up to trade for Barkley" considering it was, as of Wednesday afternoon, unclear when the sixth-year pro will return to the playing field. Logic suggests the Giants wouldn't receive much of note, if anything, for a damaged-goods weapon who features at an undervalued position, meaning Barkley likely will have to enjoy a monster second half of the season with his current employer to earn even the raise that would come with being tagged for the second consecutive March.