Eagles Deny Breaking Tampering Rule with Saquon Barkley After James Franklin Remarks

The Philadelphia Eagles have denied that general manager Howie Roseman made direct contact with running back Saquon Barkley during the legal tampering period earlier this week, per ESPN's Tim McManus, after public comments made by James Franklin.

"For him now to come back and be able to play within the state, in Philadelphia, he said that was one of the first things that Howie said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch to him was not only the Philadelphia Eagles and that but obviously the connection with Penn State and the fan base as well," the Penn State head coach said Tuesday.

NFL rules only permit teams to speak to agents during the legal tampering period unless players are self-represented.

The Eagles said any communication during the tampering period is done through agents.

The team officially announced Wednesday that Barkley was signed to a three-year deal, with reports it's worth $37.7 million in total. The 27-year-old was one of the splashier signings in free agency, joining a former divisional rival after spending his first six seasons with the New York Giants.

During his time in New York, Barkley was a two-time Pro Bowler and seemed primed to become one of the most dangerous playmakers in football after being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, rushing for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 91 catches for 721 yards and four scores.

But injuries kept him from consistently reaching the level of the elite options at the position like Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry.

Still, when healthy he's one of the NFL's best three-down feature backs, capable of bolstering an offense as a runner, receiver and blocker. He'll add a dynamic new element to an Eagles offense that already features Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and a stout offensive line.

That unit stagnated by the end of the 2023 season under former offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, but head coach Nick Sirianni replaced him with Kellen Moore this offseason. Barkley will be the most dangerous running back the team has had since LeSean McCoy and should take pressure off Hurts in the passing game, both in the run game and as an elite check-down and screen option.

His introduction to Philadelphia very well could include an investigation from the NFL, however. McManus reported that the NFL declined to comment on the matter and an Eagles spokesperson said they were unaware of any communications between the league and team on the matter.