The New York Giants have finally freed Saquon Barkley after signing a three-year, $37.75 million deal with $26 million guaranteed with the Giants' National Football Conference East rivals Philadelphia Eagles.
The departure comes a year after he was franchise-tagged by his former club.
Going with him to Lincoln Financial Field is edge rusher Bryce Huff from the New York Jets, who also gets a massive payday: a three-year, $51.1 million contract. The 25-year-old stud will receive $17 million per season.
Huff, who went undrafted in 2020, has been a rising star for the Jets. The team's coaching staff knew he would be gone before the season started and that he deserved every penny from whatever deal he signed.
The two were huge for their former teams and are expected to have the same role for the Eagles.
Huff will work with Brandon Graham and Nolan Smith on the edge, although the entire makeup of the group remains unknown as Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat might depart soon.
As for Barkley, he will replace D'Andre Swift, who signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Chicago Bears.
The Eagles' offense became more elite
In 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles already had the best offense in the NFL. The signing of Barkley and Huff just made them more formidable.
They will join a team that already boasts MVP contender Jalen Hurts and multiple Pro Bowl-caliber starters in Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, and Landon Dickerson.
Each offensive department on the Eagles roster can compete with anyone, but the running back position can be better.
Two-time Pro Bowl Barkley is an upgrade.
The team is probably taking a page from the playbook of the San Francisco 49ers, who had MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey carry the load of their offense. The team reached the Super Bowl and was just one play away from stealing it from the Kansas City Chiefs.
McCaffrey allowed the Niners and his quarterback, Brock Purdy, a wide selection of offensive weapons with his running ability.
Barkley, 27, was no. 31 on the list of the NFL's Top 100 in 2023 and more than lived up to the tag, finishing the season with the league's 8th-best 247 carries, 962 rushing yards (16th), and six rushing touchdowns (19th).
The team brought in Kellen Moore as their new offensive coordinator, and it looks like they are looking to try or add new flavors to their offense. Barkley is a dynamic player who can provide the talent they need for their new offense.
Eagles VP Howie Roseman once lamented the team's lack of passing rush production, and this is where Huff comes in.
Huff was heavily used by the Jets as a passing rusher, but he could provide more. In 2023, he had a career-high 10 sacks and 68 quarterback pressures in 312 pass-rush attempts. According to Next Gen Stats, he has a league-best 21.8% pressure percentage.
With many players departing their 2022 Super Bowl squad, the comparison now should be with the underachieving 2023 team.
Overall, these new signings look perfect on paper.
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