Hard Knocks is back in New York City.
HBO’s classic documentary series debuted a new offseason version of the show Tuesday night, and will follow the Giants as they head into the traditional version of the show this fall. The series will feature No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.
While the first episode didn’t offer much in the way of detail, Giants fans got a detailed look into how the team began negotiating to sign pass rusher Brian Burns and parted ways with longtime running back Saquan Barkley.
Burns’ Early Deal Discussions
The Giants traded Burns to the Carolina Panthers last offseason in a deal that apparently began at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, in February.
The episode’s main character, GM Joe Schoen, asked other GMs if they would be interested in trading up for the Giants’ No. 6 overall pick in the draft. But he was only half-joking. Panthers GM Dan Morgan ended up making Burns an offer.
“Oh!” Shoen replied.
It took a while, but he got a second-round and fifth-round draft pick in return. Burns then signed a five-year, $150 million contract with the Giants, and now he’s going to make a big impact where the franchise clearly needs help. That was one of the things Schoen needed so badly early in Tuesday night’s first episode.
It doesn’t hurt to ask.
What about Sacquaon Barkley?
They learned a lot Tuesday night. We got a look at Schoen’s offseason preparations after the team went 6-11 last year, and we also saw quarterback Daniel Jones recover from an ACL injury. But there were plenty of hints about the team’s decision to move on from star running back Saquon Barkley.
Barkley is coming off a long-term extension from the Giants this offseason. Barkley played under the franchise tag last season, but the two sides failed to agree on a deal to keep him in New York long-term. Barkley had 962 rushing yards and six touchdowns last season, sixth in the league.
The episode ended with a discussion in the front office about which direction to take the Giants’ offense, with Schoen seemingly committed to protecting Jones above all else and waiting for a cheaper running back later. But the group was deadlocked by how they ended the Barkley era in New York.
We know the team ultimately signed Devin Singletary to a three-year, $16.5 million contract, but it’s clear that Barkley will be leaving the franchise once the Hard Knocks season ends this summer.
