Joe Schoen Provides Update on Barkley, Lawrence Negotiations

There's good news and bad news on the New York Giants negotiations front.

Running back Saquon Barkley, whom the team placed the franchise tag on at the start of free agency, has had no movement toward a new multiyear deal, according to Schoen, who added that he hasn't spoken with the running back in several weeks.

"Nothing's changed since we talked at the owner's meetings," Schoen said Thursday at his annual draft preview press conference, referencing the standstill that exists between Barkley and the team over a new multiyear deal.

Schoen refused to say whether the stalemate with Barkley might influence any decisions about selecting a running back in next week's draft, particularly high up in the order. 

"There are players at all positions in the mix at 25," Schoen said. "I'm not gonna rule any position out." 

He also added that the lack of a market for the running back position hasn't altered how he might proceed with Barkley once the two sides resume negotiating.

"We had the conversations with Saquon," he said, referencing earlier discussions. "It was known that we were gonna get to a certain point, and then we were gonna move on and regroup at some other time--that was before free agency started. So, no, that, that hasn't affected anything we discussed."

Barkley is not eligible to report to the team's off-season program, which began Monday unless he signs the franchise tag or a participation waiver under Appendix Q of the collective bargaining agreement. Like head coach Brian Daboll, Schoen is not panicking over the running back's absence right now, noting that it's only April 20.

In more encouraging news, Schoen confirmed that he continues to discuss a new deal with defensive lineman Dexter Lawerence's representatives toward a longer-term deal. 

Lawrence is currently signed through the option year of his rookie deal but is looking for a multiyear deal comparable to what his contemporaries have received this off-season.

 "Dialogue's been good there," Schoen said. "It's hard this time of year--we're deep into the draft and the draft prep--but yeah, we've had good conversations with his representatives, and we'll see where that stands moving forward." 

Schoen, who didn't have to go through this in his first season as an NFL general manager last year, admitted that it was difficult to separate emotion from a business sense, particularly when talking about players who have given their all to the franchise.

"It's tough. Again, these guys, they're around, they work hard.  We had a heck of a season last year, and you become close with them," he said. "But you do have to separate it. 

"I'm not gonna say I'm good at it because there's a human element on both sides for them and myself. But there, there, there is a business side to it. In a perfect world, there's no salary cap. You can make everybody happy and pay everybody. 

"So after going through a season with the players and then this next step of the process, whether it's extending or players leaving the organization, the human element-- I mean that that part stinks because you do like all these guys and you know, they put in a lot of work for you. So it's, it's tough to, to separate the business and the human element."  

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