The Giants made a decision to sign quarterback Daniel Jones to a huge deal and let all-world running back Saquon Barkley test the free agent waters rather than pay him what he was worth.
New York’s worst nightmare came true when Saquon signed with NFC East rival the Philadelphia Eagles, a Super Bowl contender and hated rival of Giants fans. Adding insult to injury, Barkley has produced an NFL-high 1,499 rushing yards along with 13 total TDs. Jones was released two weeks ago and isn’t even on the Giants anymore.
What an L for New York.
Jonathan Casillas Says Giants Fumbled The Bag With Saquon Barkley Departure
Former New York Giants player Jonathan Casillas joined The Shadow League’s “Locker Room” podcast to describe how hard it is on fans and former players to see Barkley thriving in Philadelphia.
“It’s rough watching him play for somebody else, it’s rough not watching him not play for the Giants,” Casillas said. “It’s rougher watching him play for the Eagles against the Giants at MetLife. That was a rough day for all of us involved.”
Casillas, who also won two Super Bowls (’09 Saints and ’15 Patriots) in his NFL career, is referring to Barkley’s 176-yard rushing masterpiece in the running back’s first game against the Giants as a member of the Eagles back in October.
He also knows that you can’t predict the outcome of a personnel move ahead of time.
“It was definitely a mistake,” to let Barkley walk, said Casillas. “When things happen …decisions being made whether that’s in free agency or the draft. You don’t really know the true impact until you let it transpire over time,” he added, showing his former team some grace in the matter.
Jonathan Casillas Says Signing Daniel Jones Was A Good Move at The Time
The reason why Giants fans are also very hurt by the Barkley loss is because the front office gambled on Jones and lost. Casillas, however, doesn’t think the Jones signing was a bad move at that time.
“The decision to sign Daniel Jones two years ago right after the Giants won the single playoff game that they’ve won in the last 10 years. That wasn’t a bad decision, I think it was a pretty good decision,” Casillas, who has won with Drew Brees and Tom Brady, the NFL’s top two all-time passing leaders, said.
“They didn’t give Daniel Jones top-tier quarterback money, but they gave him money deserving of a person who won a playoff game,” the former linebacker said. “That’s when they signed Saquon Barkley on the franchise tag. So at that point, I don’t think that was a bad decision to make.”
Did The Saquon Barkley To Philadelphia Move Hurt More Because He Went To NFC East Rival Eagles?
“You heard what John Mara said (on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’),” Casillas recalled. “‘I’mma lose sleep if he (Barkley) goes to the Eagles.’ Well, not just him. Everybody, we’re all losing sleep.”
Well, just call New York Giants fans the land of the insomniacs, because Barkley’s revenge tour began in Week 1 in Brazil and has continued while leading Philly to a 10-2 record and first-place billing in the division.
New York Giants Fans Knew Organization Fumbled Barkley Move In Week 1
Casillas then goes into a story about Week 1 of the NFL season when the Philadelphia Eagles and Saquon debuted in the NFL’s opening game against the Packers in Brazil and the impact Barkley immediately had on that game, scoring two rushing TDs while gaining over 100 yards on the ground and adding a crucial receiving TD in a thrilling 34-29 Eagles win that has set the tone for the season.
“I’m out at the sports bar, first weekend I’m not working,” Casillas recalled. “It’s Friday. There’s a whole bunch of Giants fans around and you can tell. The first touchdown everybody kind of looked around the sports bar. The second touchdown everybody’s like, ‘Man, this ain’t good.’”
“The third touchdown everybody’s like this,” Casillas said, placing his hands on his head and then over his eyes, “looking around like ‘what did we do?’”
Right now, tanking for Shedeur Sanders seems like the franchise’s best bet, as the Giants are a franchise currently entrenched in regret.
