Running backs Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs both did not receive contract extensions from their respective teams. Could Sean Payton jump into this market given his history at the position? Sean Payton has not been afraid to invest heavy resources into the running back position, and in the off chance that the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders attempt to trade Saquon Barkley or Josh Jacobs, the Denver Broncos could make a ton of sense.
In fact, to take it a step further, GM George Paton also has a history of investing a good bit into the position, so right now, Denver's primary decision-makers are running back-centric, in a way. I am not saying either player will be traded. In fact, I think what's likely is that both Barkley and Jacobs end up signing their respective franchise tags and reluctantly report to their teams, playing on the tag and cashing in next offseason when they are free agents.
However, I do think there is a possibility that one or both could be traded. The RB position is a good bit devalued from what it once was, but there are still teams out there who have invested big resources into the position in the past. The Titans handed out a huge contract to Derrick Henry, as did the Carolina Panthers with Christian McCaffrey. The Minnesota Vikings paid Dalvin Cook (when George Paton was still in their front office) and Sean Payton also has a history of paying running backs.
During his tenure in New Orleans, he has extended all of Reggie Bush, Mark Ingram, and Alvin Kamara past their rookie contracts with the team. All three players were drafted during the Sean Payton era as well, indicating that Payton perhaps sees more value in running backs than the average coach. Obviously, we've seen RBs play huge roles within his offenses over the years, and I bet Payton would have been able to extend either Jacobs or Barkley if they were on the Denver Broncos.
I do think it seems unlikely that either RB is moved, but if they are truly disgruntled and won't budge from their current situation, the best course of action for both the Giants and Raiders would be to trade them. The Giants would obviously be a much more realistic trade partner for Saquon Barkley than the Raiders with Josh Jacobs, as I don't think Vegas would trade Jacobs in the division.
And I do think if the Broncos and Giants were to engage in trade talks, a deal could get done. The Broncos could use Javonte Williams in a potential package along with a draft pick. I did go over three potential trade packages the Broncos could put together to land Saquon Barkley, and I think he'd be a perfect fit in Payton's offenses.
He can run well and catch passes out of the backfield at an elite level, which has been a staple with Sean Payton. The Broncos have spent well over $200 million in free agency this year, so they are clearly trying to create a path where they hope to win games and contend in the AFC. Well, making this huge leap and acquiring Barkley or Jacobs would not only be on par with Payton's history as a head coach in the NFL but would make the Denver Broncos that much better.
What do you think? Should the Denver Broncos look into this possibility?