The Dawg Pound already knows the Cleveland Browns are looking to add a wide receiver and an offensive lineman before the NFL trade deadline, and fans can now add running back to that list as well.
Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported on Sunday, October 29, that the Browns are in the market for a running back along with the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens. Glazer didn’t specify Cleveland’s target ahead of Tuesday’s deadline (4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time), though only a handful of difference makers are potentially available.
Among the top names on that list is New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, after his team fell to 2-6 with a heartbreaking loss to the New York Jets over the weekend.
Glazer noted that Barkley will garner interest around the league, however his financial situation complicates any potential trades.
“A guy like Saquon, the problem is obviously he has a big contract,” Glazer said. “Going into the last year of his deal, also. Some injuries there, also.”
Barkley signed a one-year, $10.1 million deal with New York during the offseason and will probably end up nothing more than a half-season rental for any team that trades for him. In the Browns’ case, signing Barkley to a long-term deal after this season would be complicated and unlikely considering Nick Chubb is expected to return healthy to play out the final year of his current contract in 2024.
In turn, that impacts what kind of draft asset Cleveland might be willing to part with to add the two-time Pro Bowler who rushed for 1,312 yards last season. But if the Browns can work out the appropriate price for Barkley, he is the type of dual-threat running back who can play three downs and help the Cleveland offense rebound, even if quarterback Deshaun Watson remains sidelined for several weeks due to the rotator cuff injury in his throwing shoulder.
Barkley said publicly earlier this month that he would prefer the Giants choose not to trade him.
“Sitting here, everyone knows how I feel. Everyone knows I don’t want to get traded,” Barkley told reporters on October 19. “I don’t think anyone in their right mind would want to get traded anywhere. It’s not an easy thing to do. You have to move. I have a family. I would love to be here. But like I said, it’s not in my control. My focus is to be the leader I can be for this team and get this thing on the right track.”
Barkley and the Giants spent weeks engaged in tough contract negotiations, after which the running back did not get the long-term deal he’d sought. If New York won’t commit to Barkley long-term at a price he finds appropriate, the team might end the relationship this spring or following the 2024 campaign anyway. Because of that, a rebuilding Giants organization might do well to deal Barkley at a time when the demand for running backs around the league is high and his trade value is near its pinnacle.
Barkley missed three games earlier this season with a high ankle sprain, though his usage has rebounded significantly since his return. Barkley is averaging 27 carries per outing over the last three weeks, as well as nearly five targets per contest in the passing game. He is healthy and ready to contribute now, which means he will remain a trade candidate for the Browns until the clock strikes 4 p.m. on Tuesday.