Much of what the Giants do at the running back position this offseason depends on what happens with Saquon Barkley, of course. He’s talked about being a Giant for life and Big Blue certainly needs as many dynamic players on offense as they can possibly get, but there’s no guarantee the free agent returns.

The Giants still have the power to use the franchise tag on him this winter – it’s about $12.4 million – and then either just let him play out the season or, perhaps, work out a multi-year deal.

While all that gets sorted, New York must consider other options, too. If Barkley goes elsewhere, who’s giving them offense? Let’s look at a running back who likely would be cheaper than Barkley and is coming off a career-best in rushing yards with the Houston Texans – Devin Singletary.

If the Giants move on from Barkley – or he moves on from them – Singletary might be a good replacement. Here are the pros and cons of the Giants signing him:

PROS

Singletary, 26, is a rugged runner with excellent balance and quick burst, which makes him tough to bring down. He’s got a catchy nickname to that effect – "Motor." Great moniker for a running back, eh?

Singletary ran for 898 yards on 216 attempts last season in Houston, both career highs, and rushed for four touchdowns. He only fumbled once. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry, below his career mark of 4.6, and caught 30 passes for 193 yards. He even threw a TD pass to tight end Dalton Schultz on a gadget play.

In Week 10, he was the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 150 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries in the Texans' win over the Bengals. In Houston’s one playoff win, Singletary ran for 66 yards on 13 carries (5.08 yards per carry) and one touchdown.

He signed a one-year, $2.75-million contract with Houston after four seasons in Buffalo, where a certain Giants head coach was the offensive coordinator for the first three years. Obviously, Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen know Singletary well as the Bills selected him in the third round, 74th overall, out of FAU in the 2019 NFL Draft.

This season, Singletary seemed poised to be a backup of sorts for Dameon Pierce, but he surpassed Pierce during the season. Over the course of his five-year career, Singletary has run for at least 687 yards every season, and has eclipsed 800 yards three times.

CONS

Singletary is 5-7 and 203 pounds, so he’s smaller than Barkley, who stands 6-foot and weighs 232. If Singletary signs with the Giants, he would likely be their No. 1 runner, and his size might prompt durability questions. Seems like a minor con, though, considering he’s appeared in 16, 17, 16 and 17 games over the last four years. That’s a fine example of sturdiness, whatever his workload has been.

Can’t believe there would be a scenario where Singletary joins the Giants and Barkley is still around. That seems like too many resources devoted to the running back position, especially for a team with pressing issues in other areas, such as the offensive line. Still, the Giants need runners – Matt Breida and fifth-round pick Eric Gray were the only two running backs other than Barkley to have double-digit carries in 2023-24.

Whatever the case, Singletary definitely enhanced his value coming off a strong season. We’ll see how much he can get in free agency. According to Spotrac.com, Singletary’s market value is about $16.2 million over three years, or about $5.4 million per season. It’s fair to wonder how the Giants view their budget for a non-Barkley running back. Maybe they want to see what Gray, who got just 17 carries last year, can do.

VERDICT

Again, it likely boils down to Barkley and whether he stays or goes. But Singletary is a talented runner who could help the Giants if Barkley splits. Market timing might play a role, considering that it took a while for Barkley’s situation to be resolved last offseason.

But signing Singletary would allow the Giants to concentrate on other areas in the draft and in free agency. Previous success under Daboll certainly helps make it an attractive match. Unless, of course, the Giants-Barkley relationship continues going forward.

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