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#Giants mailbag: Avoiding Saquon Barkley burnout is no easy task

#Giants mailbag: Avoiding Saquon Barkley burnout is no easy task

July 24, 2020 | 9:00am

You ask, we answer. The Post is fielding questions from readers about New York’s biggest pro sports teams and getting our beat writers to answer them in a series of regularly published mailbags. In today’s installment: the Giants.

How are the Giants going to ensure that Saquon Barkley does not meet the same fate as other super backs like Todd Gurley? — Bob Bellafiore

Well Bob, you’ve presented quite a puzzler. Those who do not sign off on taking a running back so high in the draft (No. 2 overall in 2018) point to your reason for consternation. Running backs take a beating, more than any other position on the field, and that leads to shortened career spans. Gurley was great when fully healthy but has a chronic knee issue and he must be managed. He probably cannot withstand too much wear and tear, and will need to be used in smaller doses. The Giants do not want that for Barkley. He needs 20-25 touches a game, and his tank-like build makes him well-suited for a heavy load. He is not invulnerable, though — the high ankle sprain that cost him three games last season is proof of that. Mainly, the Giants have to protect Barkley from himself, because he never wants to come off the field. They need to spell him often enough to keep him fresh.

Curious if you’re a Giants fan, whose hopes and pains align with the rest of ours, or a dispassionate observer. — Dennis Ryan

This is often a subject that surfaces, especially when the Giants are not winning and fans complain I do not criticize the team enough by calling for coaches and general managers to be fired, sometimes early in the season. I am paid to cover the New York Giants, and that role means I cannot be a fan of the team I cover. I would not call myself a dispassionate observer, though. I am passionate about my coverage of the team and I am more of an insider than an observer, as far as knowing what is going on behind the scenes with the Giants. Do I know everything that is going on? Of course not. So, though I certainly understand and appreciate the hopes and pains of the fans, I am not aligned with the fans in those emotions. I root for a good story.

Saquon Barkley
Saquon BarkleyGetty Images

Submit your Giants questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag

How do you think Darnay Holmes will fit into the defense, and how immediate do you think his impact will be, if he has any impact at all? — Jay and Leo Korman

Good question, Korman brothers. First of all, it would be a great disappointment if Holmes has no impact whatsoever as a rookie, given he was taken in the fourth round of the draft. At the very least, he should find his way onto the field on special teams, where he could be a strong option as a kick returner and also as a valuable member of the coverage teams. As for defense, answer me this: Is DeAndre Baker going to be on the team? His legal issues are ongoing and he might not be welcomed back, even if his case in Florida is dismissed. With no Baker on the depth chart, Holmes is needed as a cornerback option. Let’s face it, after the free-agent signing of James Bradberry, there are loads of young, unproven players at corner. Sam Beal should have the inside track on a starting spot, sans Baker. There is Corey Ballentine and Grant Haley. There is playing time available, and I think Holmes makes a push for that time. It will not be too big for him — his father was an NFL running back and Holmes started as a freshman at UCLA. The early vibes I get from Holmes are positive.

Why wasn’t Leonard Williams’ contract extended after giving up so much? — Tom Ferrante

This is what so many Giants fans want to know. The feeling all along was the only way the trade with the Jets made sense was if the Giants were able to get Williams signed to a reasonable multiyear extension, considering he is just 26 years old. General manager Dave Gettleman believed having Williams in the building for the second half of the 2019 season would help the Giants get a deal done. That was not the case. Gettleman could not have anticipated the impact COVID-19 would have on long-term contracts, but it is true he miscalculated how much Williams would want before signing on beyond the $16.1 million franchise tag tender he will play on in 2020. The situation could turn in the Giants’ favor, but at the moment even the most level-headed observer would be hard-pressed to see this scenario working out great for Gettleman and the Giants.

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