GM Joe Schoen: Giants would take calls on Saquon Barkley

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

GM: Giants open to trade talks for any player, including Saquon Barkley

By Adam Stites | Last updated 3/1/22

Joe Schoen knows he has a lot of work to do to turn around the New York Giants and the team's new general manager says he'll leave no stone unturned in his rebuild of the roster. That could even mean a trade involving former No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley.

"We're still working through that, but I'm open to everything. Like whether it's trading player for player. I'll listen to anybody," Schoen told reporters at the 2022 NFL Combine when asked about the possibility of a trade involving Barkley. "I'm not going to say we're open for business on the entire roster. But if anybody is going to call and they're interested in any of our players, I'll certainly listen.

"We're in a situation where unfortunately we have to get under the salary cap and we're not in very good salary cap health. I'm not going to say yes to every deal, but I'm definitely going to listen and be open to situations that are best for the New York Giants."

Would Joe Schoen trade Saquon Barkley? He says he's "open to everything." pic.twitter.com/y78X5nvW1S
— Big Blue View (@bigblueview) March 1, 2022

According to Over The Cap, the Giants are currently projected to be just over $12 million over the salary cap when it's set later this month. In January, Peter King of NBC reported that Schoen planned to clear $40 million in space this spring.

Barkley, 25, is set to play the 2022 season on the roughly $7.2 million fifth-year option on his rookie contract. The running back was Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 after leading the league with 2,028 yards from scrimmage. He has struggled to recreate that production, though, due largely to injuries, including an ACL tear that cost him 14 games in 2020.

More must-reads: