Saquon Barkley Rumors: Cowboys, Chargers Eye Giants FA amid Pollard, Ekeler Buzz

Running back Saquon Barkley might be seeing plenty of the New York Giants even if he leaves the team as a free agent this offseason.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported some within the NFL believe the Dallas Cowboys "will pursue" the two-time Pro Bowler.

Jordan Raanan of ESPN, however, reported separately the Cowboys "aren't expected to reach Barkley's price point," which is also true of another NFC East squad, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Raanan listed off the Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears and Houston Texans among the other interested suitors.

In the case of Dallas and Los Angeles, Barkley would replace another veteran ball-carrier who hit free agency.

Tony Pollard eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the second straight season, but that wasn't enough for the Cowboys to decide on applying the franchise tag to him for another year.

The Chargers, meanwhile, appear ready to move on from Ekeler after a seven-year run. His 1,064 yards from scrimmage were his fewest since 2020 and he'll turn 29 in May, so the concerns about a potential decline will be acute.

Even with the running back market at a nadir in terms of cost, finances could be a hurdle for both Dallas and Los Angeles.

Raanan cited one agent who said Barkley might be able to get $12 million to $14 million annually, with the general estimate projecting him at $30 million total over three years.

That's a relatively significant sum when the Cowboys and Chargers are strapped for cash. The former is just $2.2 million under the salary cap, while the latter is $21.1 million over the 2024 cap.

Assuming he gets something in the eight figures, Barkley might be out of reach without some serious cost-cutting.