Your indifference to logic is impressive.
Yes, you can get two mediocre running backs for the price of Saquon, and if you are really clever, you could get five incredibly bad running backs - what a bargain that would be. But here's a clue: you can only play one of them at a time.
Do I think Schoen will find another running back? Sure he will. The Giants have just signed two such guys. You think anybody in the NFL is going to be afraid of either one of them? No, because they are mediocre RBs who can be easily contained. Instead, they will focus on Jones, and his numbers will plummet, just as they have over the past four years when SB isn't in the game. Or did you choose to ignore those stats?
Here's what you don't understand: We don't have Mahomes, or Allen, or Burrow, or Hurts, or Hebert at QB. We have Daniel Jones, who ranks in the bottom half of the league. And who we are paying $40 million a year. I happen to like Jones' potential and I think he can develop, but he desperately needs to be paired with someone whom defenses need to focus on, and that is Saquon Barkley.
Easy there professor. In my experience when someone resorts to personal inults during a debate it generally speaks to their own insecurity about the soundness of there own argument/logic.
If you want to keep things purely logical, I'm game. But you appear to be falling into the trap of mixing logic, emotion and opinion into your argument as well.
Lets start with where the Giants stand as a current franchise. They initiated a management change, strip down rebuild last year......but greatly exceeded expectations....albeit with a fairly weak NFL schedule. Their win projections for 2023 season stand at 7.5 against a very difficult schedule. They are a very young team with a still relatively unknown commodity at QB who they resigned to a $160m contract which will mostly load against the cap in the first 3 years. They signed Jones likely because his advanced stats in terms of efficiency, reads and running ability tell a much different story about what he is as a QB....also likely because cap situation limitation and their ability to get creative with his contract to the cap management - especially this year.
On to SB. He's going into his 6th year and 2nd contract industry where RBs average about 4 years and do not likely live up to high salaried 2nd contracts. He has missed over 25% of his career games due to injury but still retains an extemely high usage rate with over 1200 career touches. His salary demands would have put him in the top 5 RBs career earnings of ALL TIME. Even with his franchise tag salary, he will move into the top 15 of all time earnings at RB.
So...the question is....
From a logical perspective, if you were in Joe Schoen's position. Would you:
1) Stick to your negotiation limit.....accounting for the team rebuild, schedule and projected positioning as well as cap management over multiple years.... also knowing you had the one franchise tag leverage as insurance.
......OR..
2) Resign Barkley to the multi-year deal he was seeking @ about $14M per season guaranteed for 2 years as he likely has already reached his peak and likely will be starting decline during this contract extension.
To me its not just about this year. Its about building a long term franchise. If you are being honest with the situation, it is unlikely that Barkley will be part of that longer term beyond this season. Even if the parties agreed to sign for multiple seasons, his injury downtime potential would be pretty high based on wear and tear, high usage and previous injury history. So like it or not, likely get ready for what the rest of the NFL is doing. Rotating a group of RBs with different looks and in different schemes to mix things up and keep the defense guessing.