Can We Just Acknowledge Saquon Barkley Isn’t That Good?
I tried to tell you. Remember all of the things I tried to tell you about Saquon Barkley all those years ago? Nick Chubb is better than Barkley. In reality, the former Penn State back was just a bigger version of Reggie Bush. Weird… somehow this can’t miss Hall of Fame running back prospect has become exactly what I thought he would be. A running back who’s really not that good but his physic will make him appear to be much better than he really is. 2021 became the year everyone got their truth medicine.
Through 11 games in 2021, Barkley has a YPC average of 3.5. It’s not really a small sample size either (130 attempts). I don’t want to hear about the offensive line excuse. Andrew Thomas has taken a massive leap and Devontae Booker has been unequivocally better. Booker has been nothing more than a journeyman and he’s averaging 4.5 yards per carry.
I don’t want to hear the injury excuse either. I don’t want to hear any excuse. Nick Chubb is once again averaging 5.5 yards per carry and continues to humiliate anyone that considers Barkley even close. Barkley’s rushing yards over expected number is -.44. Can we just be honest for once? Even when Barkley was semi productive, it had a Reggie Bush feel. He would do nothing the entire game and hit one home run to save the stat line. Of course, something that was never sustainable.
I’m not trying to be disrespectful. Barkley is an NFL athlete and deserves to be on a roster. But let’s get to reality. People thought this guy was Hall of Fame level good. People thought this guy was good enough to be taken over Josh Allen. People threw around Barry Sanders comps. It’s laughable. What’s worse is that nobody is acknowledging the fact that this whole thing around Barkley was always nonsense.
Listen do me a favor; I just want ONE person to acknowledge that Saquon Barkley isn’t that good. Just one. There is no more reason to lie. Do the Giants even pick up his 5th year option? Better yet, where is he ranked in fantasy next year? Uhhhh give me Cordarrelle Patterson or even Rhamondre Stevenson next year over Barkley… and I’m being dead serious.
This is supposed to be a guy who is in the middle of his prime. Hall of Fame? Can he just look more competent than Brandon Bolden? I’m not asking for much. I’ve already won this argument. I’m just asking for him to stop embarrassing his fan base at this point.
