With the NFL Draft complete, the Giants are turning their focus back onto the contract situations of Saquon Barkley and Dexter Lawrence.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen told reporters after the draft that team would continue talks with both players now that the draft has been completed. Schoen had also said that he had touched base with Barkley’s people last week.
“we’ll have conversations with him. We have; we had conversations last week,” Schoen said.
Barkley has yet to sign the tender offer from the Giants, who used their franchise tag on him following the extension of quarterback Daniel Jones’ contract. The tag would keep Barkley in New York for one more season at $10.1 million and until he signs the tag or the two sides agree on a new contract, the back cannot be at the team facility.
Barkley had reportedly turned down a multi-year contract extension worth $12.5 million during the bye week. There was no current offer on the table to Barkley and Schoen said that they would continue to talk to “see if it makes sense or not, through dialogue.”
The Giants did use the No. 172 on Saturday to select running back Eric Gray out of Oklahoma. Gray isn’t expected to be a replacement for Barkley and told local media that he was looking forward to learning from Barkley.
“I’ve watched a lot of Saquon, me playing, I’ve watched a lot of his games,” 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 had a workout with Giants running backs coach Jeff Nixon before the draft and the newest member of the organization added “I would say a pretty good amount of contact with (the Giants).”
Lawrence has not been at the Giants facility for the offseason program while he tries to negotiate a new contract for himself. Unlike Barkley, he is able to be at the facility since he is under contract.
