Saquon Barkley Trade Rumors: Giants' Asking Price for Star RB 'Very Significant'

While the New York Giants are "open to everything" this offseason, their appetite to trade Saquon Barkley may be relatively low.

According to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, at least one team executive is skeptical about whether the Giants would move Barkley without a sizable offer:

That aligned with a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who said a Barkley trade "doesn't seem realistic":

Giants general manager Joe Schoen acknowledged Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team is willing to entertain a number of possibilities as it looks to pivot from the Dave Gettleman era, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan:

"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. If it's trading a couple players -- I'm not going to say the entire roster, [that] we're open for business on the entire roster. But if anyone is going to call and they're interested in any of our players. I'm certainly going to listen."

When it comes to Barkley, the issue probably isn't the absence of a robust trade market but rather what other teams will be willing to offer in return.

Since New York selected him second overall in the 2018 draft, the 25-year-old has played a full season just once. A high ankle sprain sidelined him for three games in 2019 before a torn ACL wiped out nearly all of his 2020 campaign. This past year, it was another ankle injury.

The 5'11", 233-pound back led the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,028) as a rookie and seemed to have a bright career ahead. Instead, he might serve as a cautionary tale for teams that are considering using a top-five or top-10 pick on a running back.

Barkley's injury history is more than enough to scare away some teams, and his contract status is doing little to boost his trade value.

Heading into the 2022 season, Barkley will command the eighth-highest salary-cap hit ($7.2 million) at the running back position. He's then due to hit free agency in 2023.

Along with paying him a somewhat sizable salary this year, a team acquiring the former Penn State star might have to shell out for a lucrative extension or use the franchise tag if he performs well in 2022.

Unless a team is willing to go above and beyond to entice Schoen, holding on to Barkley in the hope he can finally stay healthy and return to his Pro Bowl form might be the Giants' best bet.