Following all the drama of last year’s offseason, not much has changed in New York concerning the contract of veteran running back Saquon Barkley. The Giants were able to avoid too much trouble with a one-year, $10.10MM band-aid, but with that year now come and gone, the two parties find themselves at quite a similar standoff. 
When many of the league’s running backs grew more and more concerned about their value as a position group, a coalition was formed to explore solutions last year. With Barkley and the Giants one of many RB-team pairings dealing with this issue of valuation, chatter rose of trade demands and threats of a holdout. Those rumors were seemingly put to bed in the team’s short-term resolution, but it’s tough to act like the situation never got that bad.
Still, late into the year, Barkley maintained that he wanted to remain with the Giants past this season. Despite multiple trade inquiries amidst a 2-8 start to the year, the Giants stood pat, committing to at least trying to patch things up with Barkley for the long term. Both Barkley and New York were saying all the right things, insinuating that both were interested in finding terms for an extension.
A couple months later, though, Barkley admitted that, despite his repeated assertions that New York was where he wanted to be, he really wouldn’t mind getting to make a fresh start somewhere new. Perhaps, it’s the constant stalemate the two sides seem to keep finding themselves in despite seeing the Colts and Jonathan Taylor reach a new three-year, $42MM deal in much rockier waters. A new deal may be even more difficult to come to after all four running backs headlining the valuation issue in the offseason (Barkley, Taylor, Josh Jacobs, and Austin Ekeler) missed time this season due to injury, further muddying the waters of their bargaining position.
Regardless, the Giants and Barkley will continue to strive for a resolution. General manager Joe Schoen claims to have met briefly with Barkley after the season concluded, and according to Connor Hughes of SNY, he plans to meet with Barkley’s representation at the NFL Scouting Combine at the turn of the month, as well. It will be interesting to see how things will be different in this offseason.
It would have been better for everyone if they had parted ways last offseason. It was a much better running back draft class last year, so replacing him would have been easier. The Giants should have used that franchise tag last year on Jones, paying him to show himself for another year instead of laying out massively for two. And it would be more fun for football fans to watch Barkley play for a team with more talent around him.
The Giants have screwed this up horribly. Anyone with half an ounce of common sense could see the only correct move was to franchise Jones and move on from Barkley. I know, most people on these message threads were insightful enough to see Jones at best is a mediocre QB and that Barkley was wasting his time in New York and that there was more value in moving him for a pick and using that pick and the money saved to upgrade the team in more vital areas. So how is it that the Giants collective brain trust couldn’t see that?
“that Barkley was wasting his time in New York and that there was more value in moving him for a pick”
How? He wasn’t under contract.
Also, your scenario of franchising Jones was what they were going to do. They had a very generous offer on the table for Barkley and were going to franchise Jones after Barkley signed. Only Barkley foolishly rejected it, so the Giants franchised him and signed Jones to the best deal they could that offered an out after only the second year. But your suggestion that they franchise Jones and trade Barkley could not have happened because Barkley didn’t have a contract.