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‘Hard Knocks’ episode shows why the Giants moved on from Saquon Barkley

“In a perfect world, I’d still like to have him back, just until we can prove that we can have a decent offense without him,” Giants owner John Mara said on Tuesday’s premiere of "Hard Knocks."

The Giants wanted to bring Saquon Barkley back, but they decided to prioritize other positions.
The Giants wanted to bring Saquon Barkley back, but they decided to prioritize other positions.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

When the Eagles signed Saquon Barkley, many Giants fans immediately turned their backs on their former franchise running back, and he quickly became the most anticipated new addition to the Birds offense.

Thanks to Hard Knocks, now we know a bit more about why the Giants never made him a competitive offer or hit him with a franchise tag. The HBO series gives fans another look behind the curtain at what makes up an NFL season. The Eagles have never starred on the show, but many of the Eagles’ rivals have taken their turn in the Hard Knocks spotlight — including this year’s offseason host, the Giants.

In the premiere, owner John Mara and general manager Joe Schoen prepare for free agency.

» READ MORE: David Murphy: Saquon Barkley as NFL MVP? Maybe not. In the conversation? You bet, with or without the numbers.

How much should you pay for a running back? That question has been top of mind for NFL franchises over the last few seasons, with multiple running backs holding out while looking for extra dollars as the teams see the position as more replaceable than ever. Offensive line and wide receiver salaries, on the other hand, have been rising.

“Daniel [Jones] is making a lot of money, and we’ve got to figure out, is he the guy, so we’ve got to protect him,” Schoen said. “We need to put resources there. ... We’ll have to find a running back but upgrade the offensive line to give him a chance.”

Mara was hesitant.

“In a perfect world, I’d still like to have him back, just until we can prove that we can have a decent offense without him,” Mara said.

Ultimately, Schoen didn’t want to franchise tag the 27-year-old Barkley because of potential difficulties finding a trade partner at a high salary, and he didn’t want to “disrespect” Barkley with a lowball offer. So he instead let him go to free agency, where he ultimately chose the Eagles.

» READ MORE: Eagles beat reporters weigh in on the Saquon Barkley signing

The Giants proceeded to add pass rusher Brian Burns from Carolina and running back Devin Singletary, whom Schoen mentioned in the episode as a potential budget option.

Mara told reporters in March that he texted Barkley after the Eagles signed him that he was “sick about losing him.”

New Eagles teammate A.J. Brown saw the premiere and is ready to prove the Giants wrong for letting Barkley go.

“The Saquon video fired me up and it wasn’t even about me,” Brown wrote on X. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you get yours fam!”

Time will tell if the Giants can actually put together a decent offense without Barkley. Their first matchup with the Eagles will be on Oct. 20 at MetLife Stadium.