The estimated contract for Saquon Barkley is very doable for the Houston Texans

Houston Texans fans, good news, it's being estimated that some of the most elite players in the NFL are not going to be getting the huge paydays that some expected. The New York Giants apparently saw this coming, as did teams like the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennesee Titans, as they all declined to franchise tag their star running backs; despite wanting them to return.

That means that guys like Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs and of course, Saquon Barkley are going to be free agents and the market value on them is going to be significantly lower on them than previously expected. The folks at Pro Football Focus (PFF) are projecting Barkley to receive a three-year deal, worth about $36.8 million. That's roughly $12+ million a year, which would actually be backloaded more than likely; meaning that the last year of his contract will exceed the average yearly figure.

He's also expected to get $20 million of that deal guaranteed. And ya know what, that's a bargain for his upside. A healthy Barkley could produce nearly $20 million worth of stats over the course of a season, and that means that if Barkley is healthy for the Texans, then the team is getting a bargain.

At the price listed above, we have no reason to believe that the Texans not only could afford him but could likely afford two other top-tier players as well. Especially if those prospected deals are around the same number as Barkley.

Now, it's all going to depend how what positions those players pay, as a defensive end upgrade over Jonathan Greenard would likely be in the $15 million range per year. So obviously the figure will fluctuate depending on who else they bring in around Barkley but the Texans could reasonably land three Pro Bowl-caliber guys, in their prime right now and have plenty of cash to spare.