Do the Giants have a Saquon Barkley contingency plan?

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Eric Gray wasn't drafted by the Giants to be a replacement for Saquon Barkley. There's still a chance, after all, that the 26-year-old Barkley could be the Giants' primary running back for quite a few more years.

It's not a good chance, though, which is at least part of the reason why the 23-year-old Gray was selected by the Giants in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. With Barkley unsigned beyond this coming season, Giants general manager Joe Schoen has to keep at least one eye on what might happen next. And that means at least contemplating a backfield without Barkley in it.

Because right now, it doesn't sound like a long-term deal for Barkley is particularly close.

"Listen, Saquon is a very good football player, captain last year, he's a good locker room guy, I love him. We want him to be here," Schoen said in an interview on NFL Network last week. "But you've got to have a deal where both parties are happy with where you end up."

So far that happiness has been elusive. The two sides talked during the bye week last season when the Giants had an offer of about $12.5 million per year on the table, though they pulled that when it was time to give Barkley the $10.1 million franchise tag. The Giants are fine with the running back playing the year on that tag, a team source said, even though Barkley — who is absent from the offseason program — is clearly not.

Since then, the two sides have had some conversations and Schoen said they planned to talk more to "see if it makes sense or not." But it's the "not" part that weighs heavily on the negotiations. The reality is that, with the franchise tag as leverage, the Giants seem unlikely to increase their offer by much, if at all, which means a deal will only be possible if the unhappy Barkley's asking price comes down.

All of which leads back to the draft and Eric Gray. In the weeks before the draft, a team source insisted the Giants were likely to take a running back on Day 3 to add depth to their backfield and to lighten some of the load Barkley carried last season. That source added that drafting a running back could also help the team "hedge our bets" in case Barkley leaves as a free agent next March.

That same source insisted that Gray wasn't drafted with the idea that he'd be Barkley's heir apparent. But everyone knows that opportunity might eventually be there.

And that fits what those who know Schoen believe is his philosophy when it comes to running backs. As he showed in the negotiations with Barkley, he doesn't place a high financial value on the position. In his four years as the assistant GM in Buffalo the Bills never drafted a running back higher than Round 3, which they did twice (Devin Singletary in 2019 and Zach Moss in 2020). His preference seems to be to build a strong offensive line, and then use a deep, but inexpensive, running back rotation behind it.

Gray certainly could be the headliner in such a scenario. After spending his first two collegiate years at Tennessee, the 5-9, 207-pounder transferred to Oklahoma where he broke out last year as a senior. He ran for 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns and caught 33 passes for 229 yards. In general, he proved to be more efficient than spectacular and more reliable the explosive.

His most impressive stat is that he carried the ball 549 times in his four college seasons and didn't fumble even once.

"Super productive," Schoen said after drafting Gray. "Really good hands out of the backfield. Also has some elusiveness to him inside. He's a very mature young player."

He'll also have at least a season — and maybe more — to learn from Barkley, who when healthy is one of the best and most productive and elusive running backs in the NFL. Barkley surely doesn't want to be a mentor, especially with his long-term future unclear. But he's one of the most popular players and leaders in the locker room, and generally too good of a guy to freeze any young player out.

And Gray could learn a lot anyway just by watching Barkley work.

"I've watched a lot of Saquon," Gray said. "So just being able to learn from him, things that he did as a rookie being successful in the league, that's going to be very important."

Gray's presence could end up being important to Barkley, too. Barkley carried the ball a career-high 295 times last year and caught 57 passes. And while he was incredibly productive — a career-best 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns — and played a full season for the first time since he was a rookie, he did appear to wear down late in the season.

It might help Barkley's ability to thrive late in the season if the Giants had another running back to take some of the workload off his plate. Of course, Giants coach Brian Daboll's answer to that suggestion was predictively vague: "We'll see how it goes."

In other words, it's all open-ended for Gray. He certainly could become the second option in a two-man Giants backfield, serving an on-field apprenticeship to Barkley. He could end up in that role for years if Barkley signs a long-term contract with the Giants.

Or he could be the one tasked with filling Barkley's large shoes in 2024.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.