Don’t worry about it.
They knew.
All of them.
Saquon Barkley and his agent, Ed Berry, knew that their private phone conversations with Giants general manager Joe Schoen might be used at some point in “Hard Knocks.’’
Sure, enough, the details of those talks were revealed last week in Episode 2 of the docuseries and, while airing details about Barkley and a potential contract offer and impending free agency might have seemed as if the Giants breached a confidence, all parties involved were aware their words might find their way to the public domain.
Everyone involved, according to a source with knowledge of the show’s inner-workings, signed off on this prior to any scene in the first two episodes hitting the screen.
Episode 3 drops Tuesday at 9 p.m. on HBO.
And so, when Schoen on March 5 informed Berry and then Barkley that the Giants would not be using the franchise tag on Barkley again this year, both sides knew the ensuing conversation likely was not going to remain private.
They knew at the time, or soon after, that the phone conversation was recorded and they granted approval for it to be used on the show.
The Giants then confirmed this with NFL Films prior to the airing of the show.
Schoen told Berry, “Here’s what I’m worried about, we offer him something, he gets a little pissed off because it’s not what he wants, and then some other team comes in a million over us, he feels disrespected so he goes. … I think he can still play, you gotta get the value right.”
Berry responded with this: “That’s why I’m asking, in your room at night, when you’re by yourself, are you like, ‘I wouldn’t mind if this kid bounced?’”
Schoen pulled no punches with his reply: “I’m torn, Ed, because I still think he can play. And I think he can help us. But I didn’t want to come in at a number, because I don’t have a great idea where the market is. I’m gonna let the league tell him what it is. … I do think he was our best offensive player.”
Schoen asked Barkley if he would give the Giants an opportunity to match any offer received in free agency, asking the 27-year old running back if he would “give me your word.’’
Barkley did not sound excited by this, saying “I mean, I already told you where I want to be, so …”
Barkley did want to return for a seventh season with the Giants but both sides were fairly certain a return was a longshot, unless no other NFL team was willing to sign Barkley for more than the $7 million per year threshold the Giants wanted to spend on a starting running back.
Schoen told Barkley he loved and appreciated him and that he hoped something could be worked out but the tone was more of a goodbye and good luck vibe.
Barkley ended up signing a three-year, $37.5 million deal with the rival Eagles.
Conversations revealed with Schoen and Panthers general manager Dan Morgan (about the trade for Brian Burns) and with Eliot Wolf, the Patriots vice president of player personnel (about interest in the Giants trading up to No. 3 in the NFL Draft to get a quarterback) were also pre-approved for airing by all parties involved.