Stephen Dubner

Pretty simple.

Is it that simple?

To find out, we wanted to hear from some running backs.

Roland took the first interview.

Let's pull back here, just in case you didn't follow the psychodrama with the New York Giants that McCoy was talking about.

Saquon Barkley is a name that comes up again and again in the argument about the value of a running back, in part because of the monster season he had last year with the Eagles.

But it's even more interesting than that.

The Giants took Barkley in the 2018 draft with the second overall pick.

His five seasons in New York ranged from good to very good.

He was hurt a few times and the Giants offensive line was weak, but he was still considered a top running back.

The Giants chose to not offer him a new contract.

Instead, they use what's called a franchise tag.

That's an NFL rule that allows a team to keep a good player for one year at a relatively high salary rather than letting him become a free agent and pursue a longer term deal.

While the Giants had Barkley on this one-year hold, they gave their quarterback, Daniel Jones, a four-year contract averaging $40 million a year.

When Barkley became a free agent, he left the Giants and signed a three-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles for about $12 million a year, so less than a third of what Daniel Jones was being paid.

And how did Jones and Barkley do the following year?

Barkley had one of the best seasons an NFL running back has ever had, and his Eagles won the Super Bowl.

Daniel Jones played so badly that the Giants benched him and then released him.

Like LaShawn McCoy asked, how is that fair?

Well, fair may not be the right word.