Could Giants trade RB Saquon Barkley before Nov. 2 deadline?

The New York Giants predictably exercised the fifth-year option attached to the rookie contract for star running back Saquon Barkley this past spring, but plenty has gone wrong for both player and club since. The Giants opened the regular season at 1-5, and Barkley was sidelined with an ankle injury after he missed the majority of the 2020 campaign because he tore his ACL in September of that year. 

Giants coach Joe Judge vowed Monday that things are "definitely going to get better" for the organization and Big Blue fans, but New York looked way more lost than found in this past Sunday's 38-11 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The current state of the Giants has understandably caused outsiders and also SNY's Ralph Vacchiano to wonder if the franchise would listen to offers for Barkley assuming he's healthy and able to contribute before the Nov. 2 trade deadline. 

"The current front office loves him too much, and he has value to the organization beyond what he does on the field," Vacchiano noted while also adding that the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens are among would-be contenders that could use upgrades at running back this fall because of injury setbacks endured by those clubs. 

"If Barkley can prove he’s healthy the next two weeks, he might be able to give someone’s offense a jolt," Vacchiano continued before seemingly talking himself out of the idea because "there’s no way (the Giants) get good enough value in return." 

The Giants play the Panthers and Chiefs before the deadline and appear headed toward a 1-7 record and another lost season by the start of the first Tuesday of November. At that point, New York may not be in a position to reject calls for any assets.