Saquon Barkley outlook
By: Jake Rajala
The backward jumping running back Saquon Barkley is showing that the Madden curse may be real. Barkley ran for 2,005 yards a season ago. Well, he’s only managed to unleash 267 yards so far this season. He is 22nd in rushing yards. The worst part is that he’s getting plenty of opportunities. He’s fourth in the league in carries. PFF has handed him a grade of 54.8 thus far. This is 44th among 48 RBs. He isn’t dead, but he is declining, to say the least.
Barkley has failed to score more than 20 pts in a single game. He still has four games of 17 pts and one game of 18 pts. He is slotted as the ninth best RB right now. To be fair, he has played tough foes thus far. He played the Broncos, (who are fifth in rushing YPG allowed), the Bucs (eighth in rushing YPG allowed), the Rams (who are 10th in rushing YPG allowed).
However, the run defenses in the NFC East, are below average. The GMEN are 26th in rushing YPG allowed, Dallas is 23rd in rushing YPG allowed, and Washington is 17th in rushing YPG allowed. He gets to play the GMEN tomorrow night. It would be a concern if he’s not going to run for 100+ yards in Week 6.
With that said, Barkley is clearly not as productive given how high he was drafted. Which was an early first round pick. Hence, could it be wise to trade him away. I believe he’s worth a first round pick at the very least. I wouldn’t eclipse that first round pick and trade the house, such as two first round picks or a first round pick, a second round pick, and a third round pick.
Barkley is 28 years old, so he won’t be around forever. We all know the age of 30 smells “washed up” for running backs. I wouldn’t be surprised if they drafted a RB in the 2nd or 3rd round in 2026. The Eagles RB2 AJ Dillon isn’t even that young, as he’s 27.
The future of Philly’s offense isn’t the All-Pro Barkley. It’s rather the quarterback Jalen Hurts and it appears the Eagles WR duo is the second major part of the offense. After all Brown was pegged as the best WR entering the season. I still believe he has that in him. As for the former Heisman winner Devonta Smith, he recorded 114 yards in Week 5.
Hurts is 27 years old and he’s a major rushing threat in the offense. He had 14 rushing touchdowns in 2024 and 15 rushing TDs in 2023. He’s a potent touchdown machine, especially in the red zone.
If I were an owner of Barkley, I’d move him for a first round pick and a slightly worse RB. Or it may be wise to trade Barkley with a second round pick for the former OPOY Christian McCaffrey. It could also be wise to exchange him for a young RB, such as the Top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Ashton Jeanty.
Barkley may be on the downward slope, but he is still on the path to becoming a Hall of Fame RB. Not only was he prolific in the regular season, but he won the Super Bowl. He may require a couple of more Pro Bowl seasons to get a gold jacket, nonetheless.
Barkley is quietly following in the footsteps of LeSean McCoy and Brian Westbrook, who are both regular Pro Bowl ball-carriers. McCoy and Westbrook have both been inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame.
Leave a Reply