The New York Giants have a complicated relationship with running back Saquon Barkley and his departure to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Barkley burned the Giants last year, joining the 2,000-yard club and winning a Super Bowl. However, general manager Joe Schoen’s decision to let Barkley walk was made with the thought that a younger, cheaper running back could provide a similar impact.
Rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. didn’t chase down the record books or take home Offensive Player (or rookie) of the Year. But he essentially proved Schoen right. If Barkley didn’t have an all-time season, and New York found better quarterback play, the discourse would look different.
However, Schoen also signed Devin Singletary to a three-year, $16.5 million deal to be the veteran replacement to Barkley. Tracy quickly dethroned him – and that’s for the best – but the contract will go down as a loss for the general manager.
Subsequently, Bleacher Report listed Singletary as a cut candidate. Evaluating Singletary’s role in the Giants’ new-look backfield reveals that shouldn’t be the case.
“A year ago, the New York Giants signed Devin Singletary to a three-year, $16.5 million contract, hoping that he could adequately replace Saquon Barkley,” Kristopher Knox wrote. “However, rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. proved to be New York’s best back, and the Giants added Cam Skattebo in this year’s draft.
“Releasing Singletary would save $1.5 million in 2025 cap space while erasing his $5 million 2026 salary from the books.”
According to Over the Cap, cutting Singletary with that post-June 1 designation would incur a $4.75 million dead cap charge, a hard pill to swallow given the team’s limited cap space. Instead, it would be better cap management to eat the expensive $6.25 million cap hit in 2025 and move on after the season.
Doing so would allow New York to clear $5.25 million with a mere $1.25 million in dead cap.
In the meantime, Singletary profiles as the team’s third running back. Skattebo is the more natural complement to Tracy, boasting upside in pass protection and power to spare. Singletary posted an inefficient 437 rushing yards in 2024, but he brings more to the table than Eric Gray, Dante Miller, and Rushawn Baker, who join him on the 90-man roster.
Singletary isn’t the biggest, strongest, or fastest running back in the Giants’ room. But that isn’t his game. His vision and technique are still top-class, an important pair of traits for a veteran contributing behind two young backs.
At this point in the offseason, moving on from the veteran back isn’t likely to turn into an impactful addition. By simply eating the deal, New York can hold onto a stable depth piece and afford some insurance in the event of Skattebo struggling or getting hurt.
