NFC Notes: Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants

Commanders

Commanders RB Antonio Gibson hopes to finally display his receiving talents this year.

“Just lining up out wide, like you said,” Gibson said, via NFL.com. “I haven’t shown my position. I feel the same way. Every year we talk about it, but it hasn’t happened. Hopefully, this year, it comes around to where I get to showcase on multiple occasions what I can do out there,” he added. “First, I love being out there. I have fun out there, and once I get the ball in open space, I’m really that guy. At running back, I’m not going to say it’s not (possible), because I’ve seen a lot of guys do it, but those opportunities are not there. Once you catch the ball in that open field, you got so much more space.”

Cowboys

• According to Todd Archer of ESPN, it is likely RB Tony Pollard‘s last season with the Cowboys, barring an outstanding season. Archer adds that the team may be willing to franchise tag Pollard one more time at a cost of $12 million if he finishes 2023 as one of the top running backs in the league.
• Archer says that Pollard being franchise tagged again may largely hinge on the team getting new deals done with CB Trevon Diggs or OT Terence Steele.

Giants

• According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, the final proposal on the table from the Giants for RB Saquon Barkley was a three-year deal in the range of $11 to $11.5 million a year with $22 to $23 million of that sum fully guaranteed.
• He says those numbers were all only $2 million or so from Barkley’s asking price after his camp came down from some of their initial requests as well. 
• Ultimately, no deal was reached before Monday’s deadline because both Barkley and the Giants felt they had already compromised a lot from their initial stances and felt it was up to the other side to make up the difference, per Dunleavy. 
• Barkley is now expected to hold out for all of training camp, with it still up in the air whether he’s willing to miss time in the regular season when it would actually cost him money. Dunleavy adds it’s viewed as unlikely that the Giants would rescind the tag for Barkley, which they can do as long as he hasn’t signed the tender because they view what Barkley brings to the table as a bargain for $10.09 million. 
• Dunleavy mentions at least six teams were thought to be interested in Barkley if he had been able to hit unrestricted free agency. 
• FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano was told the Giants felt that going all the way above $22 million in total guarantees on a long-term deal for Barkley was a big stretch for them and not something they intended to do at the beginning of talks. Giants GM Joe Schoen just doesn’t put a high value on the running back position.