NFL Rumors: Saquon Barkley 'Aggressively' Pursued by Eagles; Xavier McKinney Linked

The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly set to "aggressively" pursue Saquon Barkley at the start of the NFL free-agency period.

Connor Hughes of SNY reported the Eagles are targeting Barkley and safety Xavier McKinney as they look to poach two of the New York Giants' best players.

The Eagles already lost their incumbent running back this offseason, as D'Andre Swift agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal with the Chicago Bears, agent Trevon Smith told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Barkley is the crown jewel of a loaded free-agent running back class. He's joined on the open market by fantasy football stalwarts Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard and Josh Jacobs. Swift's contract may be a promising sign for the aforementioned backs, as he was widely considered the sixth-best of the group hitting the market.

Barkley has spent his career as one of the NFL's most explosive playmakers when healthy despite playing in middling Giants offenses. He recorded 962 rushing yards and six touchdowns last season while adding 280 yards and four scores on the ground. The Penn State product has topped 1,000 total yards in four of his six NFL seasons, and the other two were plagued by injuries.

Whether it's the Eagles or another team, there will be hope Barkley's true potential can be unlocked in a more explosive offense. He turned 27 in February, giving him one or two more years of elite potential, and the San Francisco 49ers have proven what a dynamic running back can do in taking even great teams to the next level.

McKinney, a 2020 second-round pick, played his first four seasons with the Giants. He missed chunks of time due to injury in 2020 and 2022 but was on the field for all 17 games last season, setting a career-high with 117 total tackles and three interceptions.