The New York Giants have signed 2018 first round pick running back Saquon Barkley to a four-year deal worth $31.2 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Barkley, whom many consider the best running back prospect ever, lands one of the many big paydays that he will get in what should be an illustrious career. The 21-year-old already fulfilled the promise of buying his parents a new house, which he completed in June.
Many expected the Giants to use the second overall pick on a quarterback to replace the 37-year-old Eli Manning, who performed well below expectations in 2017. Even though signal-caller talents such as Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen were available, the Giants simply couldn't pass up on Barkley, the once-in-a-lifetime running back prospect.
Barkley played three years for Penn State, rushing for over 1,000 yards in each season while totaling 43 rushing touchdowns. Barkley was a 2017 Consensus All-American and two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, winning the award in 2016 and 2017.
A year after qualifying for the postseason, the Giants fell apart in 2017 and won just three games. Head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese were fired, and replaced by Pat Shurmur and Dave Gettleman, respectively.
With healthy wide receivers, Barkley and the marquee free agent signing of offensive tackle Nate Solder, there is optimism among Giants fans that a turnaround could be in order.
The Giants haven't had an elite running back since Tiki Barber, who played with the team from 1997-2006. Now that they have a game-changer in Barkley, the Giants can rely less on Eli's arm, and try to run a much more balanced offense.
Barkley signed his first NFL contract with the Giants, but we can only imagine what the next deal will look like if he lives up to expectations as a rare gem of a running back.