Saquon Barkley has a new team but he’ll still be seeing Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons twice a year.
Barkley left the New York Giants for the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. The sides agreed to terms on a three-year, $37.75 million contract that could be worth up to $46.75 million and includes $26 million fully guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Barkley celebrated his free agency move but putting a pair of Eagle emojis on social media. That caught the attention of Parsons, who needed only one word to respond.
“Sickening,” Parsons wrote with a couple of laughing emojis.
The Cowboys were the only NFC East team to not add a new face in their backfield. The Giants signed Devin Singletary to take Barkley’s place. And the Washington Commanders added former Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler on a two-year deal worth up to $11 million.
The Cowboys also lost their starting running back to the open market. Tony Pollard is heading to the Tennessee Titans looking for a fresh start. Pollard is expected to sign a three-year, $24 million deal with Tennessee. The Cowboys were willing to bring Pollard back but he went with the bigger payday with the Titans, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and has nearly 100 catches in that span. However, he didn’t thrive as a lead back last season and lacked in the explosive play department.
Micah Parsons Weighs in on Packers Cutting Aaron Jones
Barkley wasn’t the only running back Parsons shared his opinion on during the first day of free agency. The Pro Bowl pass-rusher also reacted to the Green Bay Packers cutting ties with Aaron Jones. The Packers signed former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, making Jones disposable.
“This is actually wild to me! The Aaron Jones disrespect is crazy!!” Parsons tweeted.
Maybe it’s a light recruiting pitch by Parsons. The Cowboys are expected to be interested in Jones, per Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post. And with some of the big-name running backs off the board, Dallas should investigate the former Pro Bowler.
Jones dealt with injuries last season, appearing in 11 games. He collected 656 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jones also added 30 catches for 233 yards and another score. Where he truly shined was in the postseason. Jones racked up 226 yards and a trio of touchdowns — a chunk of that coming in a stunning Wild Card upset of the Cowboys.
“He certainly had an impact on the game and an impact on our offense, an impact on our team with our late-season push,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said of Jones. “I don’t know if we do all that without him. That’s all part of the process.”
Cowboys Still Have Free Agent Options at Running Back
The Cowboys do not currently have a feature back on their roster. But the team still has options despite a slow first day of free agency. A big name still lurking is former Titans running back Derrick Henry.
Henry notched 1,167 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns last season. However, the Baltimore Ravens have shown interest in landing Henry and there is mutual interest in getting a deal done, per Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.
Another interesting name who recently became available is Joe Mixon. He was released by the Cincinnati Bengals after the team signed Zack Moss to a two-year, $8 million deal.
Mixon played seven seasons in Cincinnati and is coming off his fourth 1,000-yard campaign.
