Jason Pierre-Paul - Pro Football Rumors

Giants Rumors: Wilkerson, Sanu, JPP, Ayers

February 17th, 2016 at 7:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Giants will enter free agency hoping to land two New Jersey natives – Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson and Bengals receiver Mohamed Sanu – CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports.

The Jets will place the franchise tag on Wilkerson, a two-time second-team All-Pro, but La Canfora writes that they could trade the 26-year-old because they already have Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams under control along their defensive line and need help elsewhere. If the Jets do deal Wilkerson, the Giants are potential candidates to trade a first-round pick (and maybe more) for the Pro Bowler, per La Canfora, who opines that he’d be worth Big Blue’s 10th overall selection.

The Giants would also have to give Wilkerson a new contract, one that La Canfora estimates could be in Marcell Dareus territory. Dareus signed a six-year, $95MM deal with the Bills last year and is currently second among D-tackles (behind only Ndamukong Suh) in total value, yearly average ($15.85MM) and guarantees ($42.9MM).

Sanu, on the other hand, is coming off a less-than-stellar season in terms of productivity (33 catches, zero touchowns). Nevertheless, La Canfora argues that the 26-year-old would make a good complement to Odell Beckham and could merit $5MM per year.

Here’s more on the Giants:

The Giants will try to re-sign pending free agent Jason Pierre-Paul, but they will not place the franchise tag on the defensive end or bring him back on a huge contract, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole adds that there’s a debate within the organization in regards to Pierre-Paul’s value.
As we touched on earlier tonight, a USA Today report states that JPP’s time with the Giants is likely up.
Like Pierre-Paul, fellow Giants defensive end Robert Ayers is also on the verge of becoming a free agent. There’s a good chance Ayers will re-sign with the team, however, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan asked five league sources what kind of deal Ayers, 30, will get off a career-best 9.5-sack season, then averaged out their projections. The end result: three years, $18MM – including $9MM in guarantees.

JPP Unlikely To Return To Giants

February 17th, 2016 at 5:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Pending free agent Jason Pierre-Paul is unlikely to return to the Giants for a seventh season, a league source tells Kristian R. Dyer of USA Today.

“[A]ll signs point toward the Giants letting Pierre-Paul test free agency,” the source stated, adding, “as of right now he isn’t going to be returning.”

[RELATED: Offseason Outlook: New York Giants]

Pierre-Paul has been one of Big Blue’s fiercest defenders since they drafted him 15th overall in 2010. The 27-year-old end totaled 42 sacks from 2010-14, including a career-high 16.5 during the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2011. However, his career took a terrible turn last summer when he lost his right index finger thanks to a July 4 fireworks accident. The Giants withdrew a $60MM contract offer for Pierre-Paul afterward, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and he refused to report to the team and its doctors for several weeks while recovering.

The two sides ultimately patched up their differences enough for Pierre-Paul to come back and play the 2015-16 season for $7.35MM, a steep drop-off from the $14.8MM he would have made as their franchise player.

Pierre-Paul returned to the field in November and ended up appearing in eight games, registering 26 tackles and a personal-low one sack. Despite his statistical decline, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) still ranked Pierre-Paul a solid 30th out of 91 qualifying edge rushers. The site remained impressed with his pass-rushing ability, though it gave him a poor grade against the run. He clearly disagrees in regards to the latter, having stated in December that, “I think I play the run better than I play the pass.”

Pierre-Paul also expressed a desire before the season ended to finish his career with the Giants, but the chances of that happening now appear low. While JPP should garner plenty of interest as a free agent from teams in need of an edge rusher, it remains to be seen if he’ll end up with a deal anywhere near the one the Giants were willing to give him prior to his accident.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Updates: J. Allen, O. Bolden, JPP

January 18th, 2016 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Our newest round of injury updates has an impact on two teams still alive in the postseason, along with one notable player eligible for free agency this winter. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….

Per David Newton of ESPN.com, Panthers defensive end Jared Allen met with Dr. Robert Anderson – one of the country’s top foot doctors – during Sunday’s game and was scheduled to meet with him again today. Initially diagnoses with a fractured foot, Allen aimed to get a more definitive diagnosis today, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests (via Twitter) that nothing has changed since Sunday — it’s still believed to be a small broken bone, and Allen hopes to play through it. The veteran pass rusher’s status will be worth keeping a close eye on this week.
Broncos defensive back and return man Omar Bolden will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his PCL, per Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Bolden was used somewhat sparingly as a returner this season, but made the most of his opportunities, with one of his five regular-season punt returns going for an 83-yard touchdown, and his lone playoff return going for 42 yards. He’ll be placed on IR and the Broncos will decide within the next couple days how to place him, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
Giants defensive end and free-agent-to-be Jason Pierre-Paul posted a photo on his Instagram revealing that he’s undergoing more surgery on his injured hand today. New York is unlikely to use its franchise tag on JPP again, so he figures to hit the open market in March if he and the Giants can’t work out an extension. You can bet teams will be closely monitoring the state of his that right hand.

FA Rumors: Brooks, JPP, Gates, James Jones

January 8th, 2016 at 7:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Bills cornerback Ron Brooks is eligible for free agency this offseason, but he technically remains under contract with the team until the new league year begins in March. Perhaps he was reminded of that this afternoon.

Earlier today, Brooks published a tweet that read, “Preciate everybody with the @Buffalobills and the great fans of WNY!!! It’s been a good ride. Sad to leave but business is business.” He has since deleted the tweet.

It’s not clear whether Brooks plans or expects to leave the Bills, or he was just a little premature in assuming his free agency. Either way, with the tweet deleted, we may have to wait until March to find out the fate of the defensive back and special-teamer.

Here are some other Friday updates on players eligible for free agency this winter:

Appearing on The Michael Kay Show, Giants co-owner John Mara confirmed that he’d like to see his team bring back Jason Pierre-Paul. However, he cautioned that it will depend on the price, adding that the Giants “have to see more before [Pierre-Paul] gets paid like the top free agents in this league” (Twitter links via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News). A report last week suggested there’s mutual interest between JPP and the Giants in having the veteran defensive end re-sign with the team.
Antonio Gates has previously indicated he’ll likely return for at least one more season in 2016, and if he does, the Chargers would love to have him back, general manager Tom Telesco said today, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com.
Another veteran pass catcher, Packers wideout James Jones, says he’d love to stay in Green Bay and finish his career with the team. However, as Jason Wilde of ESPN.com details, Jones acknowledges that he wasn’t necessarily counting on a multiyear stint when he re-signed with the Packers in 2015. “I kind of felt, ‘You’re here on a one-year deal; Jordy [Nelson] comes back next year; they’ve got a bright young star in Davante [Adams], drafted Ty [Montgomery], got Randall [Cobb],’ so my expectation was not to really fight for a contract here,” Jones said. “I’d love to finish it out, but at the same time, we’ll see.”

Extra Points: Dolphins, Lynch, Giants, Browns

January 1st, 2016 at 10:09pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

As the Dolphins get their head coaching search under way, the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero lists a slew of candidates. Chip Kelly, Todd Haley, Josh McDaniels, Jim L. Mora, Jim Schwartz and Hue Jackson are those with NFL head coaching experience. The potential first-timers consist of three offensive coordinators – Carolina’s Mike Shula, son of legendary ex-Dolphins coach Don Shula, as well as Chicago’s Adam Gase and Tampa’s Dirk Koetter. The Dolphins are looking for a leader of men capable of assembling a great staff, according to Salguero.

More from around the league as the first day of 2016 wraps up:

Welcome news for the Seahawks as the playoffs near: Running back Marshawn Lynch should return to practice Monday, head coach Pete Carroll said (link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta). Lynch has been out since mid-November because of abdominal surgery.
Sunday could be head coach Tom Coughlin‘s last game with the Giants. The same holds true for a pair of the club’s defensive institutions, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, as end Jason Pierre-Paul and cornerback Prince Amukamara are both pending free agents. “I’d be lying if I said it’s never come up in my head or someone has never brought it up to me,” said Amukamara, whom the Giants chose in the first round of the 2011 draft. Amukmara added that he’d like to remain a Giant. “I love the organization, definitely treated first class here, so it’s been great.’’ There’s no word on whether the Giants want to retain Amukamara, but there was a report Thursday that they are hoping to keep Pierre-Paul, a 2010 first-rounder.
Browns pass rusher Paul Kruger indicated Thursday that the team’s coaching staff hasn’t deployed him properly this year. “Personally, I probably wouldn’t say so. I don’t have too much more to say about it, and I don’t put everything personally this year on that, but I don’t think I was utilized in the best way,” he opined, per Jeff Schudel of the Morning-Journal. Kruger has just 27 tackles and 2.5 sacks, his lowest total since 2010, though Schudel notes that he’s second in the league in quarterback hurries (33, up from 18 in 2014). Assuming Kruger’s with the Browns next season, he’ll probably work under a different staff than the one with which he’s currently disenchanted, as head coach Mike Pettine and coordinator Jim O’Neil are both on the outs.

Giants Interested In Re-Signing JPP

December 31st, 2015 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Giants have gotten past the hard feelings that arose after Jason Pierre-Paul and his agent froze out the team in the offseason, and are interested in bringing back the veteran pass rusher after his contract expires this winter, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The report comes on the heels of JPP indicating he’d like to remain in New York and play out the rest of his career as a Giant.

After injuring his hand in a fireworks accident this summer, Pierre-Paul didn’t report to the Giants, who wanted their doctors to examine him, for about two months, creating some apparent acrimony. Ultimately though, the two sides worked past those issues and agreed to a reworked contract, with JPP returning to the field in Week 9.

As he has adjusted to wielding a club on his injured hand, the former first-round pick hasn’t quite been his usual self, having recorded just 20 tackles and one sack. However, he’s still one of the team’s top pass rushers. Outside of Robert Ayers, who plays primarily in passing situations and has compiled eight sacks, no Giants edge defender has a higher Pro Football Focus grade than Pierre-Paul, who ranks 34th out of 107 qualified players — George Selvie comes in 91st, while Kerry Wynn places 96th.

As he once again nears potential free agency, Pierre-Paul knows that he’s valuable to a Giants team lacking a consistent pass rush. JPP, who turns 27 on New Year’s Day, told reporters on Wednesday that there’s nobody currently on the roster who could step in and replicate his production against both the pass and run for the team.

“They don’t need me, they need a pass rusher,” Pierre-Paul said, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I feel like that’s what I bring to the table. I’m not just a pass rusher, I’m also a run-stopper. I think I play the run better than I play the pass, it just so happens I can get back there fast enough and disrupt the quarterback. I’m an all-around player.”

Pierre-Paul may not be quite as effective an all-around player as he was prior to his fireworks mishap, but as Vacchiano points out, the defensive end could make the case that he’ll only get better as he continues to learn how to play without the use of all the fingers on his right hand. JPP, who will undergo some additional surgery on that hand this offseason, could end up in the $10MM-per-year range this offseason, based on supply and demand, several agents told Vacchiano.

With Muhammad Wilkerson likely to be franchised by the Jets, Pierre-Paul would be one of the top defensive lineman available if he reaches the open market. And getting to the open market appears likely for JPP if he and the Giants can’t work out a longer-team deal, since the team will be very reluctant to franchise him again with his price tag on the rise.

East Notes: JPP, D. Jackson, Maccagnan

December 30th, 2015 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

There were some frustrating moments for the Giants and Jason Pierre-Paul over the summer, when the standout defensive end – having received the franchise tag – refused to report to the team and its doctors for several weeks while he was recovering from a July 4th fireworks accident. The situation, which resulted in the two sides eventually agreeing to a reworked contract, had the potential to create some acrimony, but JPP doesn’t seem too phased by it.

According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link), Pierre-Paul said today that he would like to continue playing for the Giants next year, despite the fact that his contract will expire this winter. “I would like to finish my career here,” the veteran pass rusher said.

Contract negotiations between JPP and the Giants – or any other team – should be fascinating, since it’s hard to know exactly how high his ceiling is now that he’ll have to deal with his right hand issue for the rest of the his career. As we look forward to seeing how the situation plays out, let’s explore some other East notes…

Washington likes wide receiver DeSean Jackson “a lot” and hopes to keep him around going forward, sources tell Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jackson will count against the cap for $9.25MM in 2016, the final year of his contract, though that figure could be reduced with an extension.
Darrelle Revis‘ pick for executive of the year is Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan, as Seth Walder of the New York Daily News writes. Revis, having received $39MM in guaranteed money from Maccagnan in March, might be a little biased, but he may not be the only one who picks the Jets GM. Within his annual contract awards, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com identifies Brandon Marshall and Ryan Fitzpatrick as the top two acquisitions of the year.
After having to deal with health issues again in 2015, Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne will have a lengthy injury history on his résumé if and when he hits the open market this winter. For now, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes, Claiborne isn’t thinking about that, though the former first-round pick hopes to remain in Dallas.

East Notes: Giants, Harrison, Eagles

December 27th, 2015 at 11:16am CST by Rory Parks

The Giants were officially eliminated from playoff contention last night by virtue of Washington’s victory over the Eagles, which has led ESPN’s Dan Graziano to wonder where Big Blue goes from here. He lays out the three biggest questions facing the team this offseason, including, of course, the fates of head coach Tom Coughlin and former first-round draft picks Prince Amukamara and Jason Pierre-Paul. Although it has been widely reported that Coughlin would be fired if his team failed to reach the playoffs this season, Graziano writes that a decision on Coughlin’s future has not yet been made.

Let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s east divisions, beginning with more out of New York:

Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News suggests that there will be pressure from within the Giants‘ organization to make a coaching change, but Vacchiano says it would be unwise to underestimate how much team president John Mara likes Coughlin, and if Mara wants to stick with the coach that has delivered two Super Bowl titles to his club, Vacchiano lays out five reasons that would justify such a decision.
If the Giants do decide to part ways with Coughlin, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is highly thought of within the organization and would become a strong candidate to become the team’s next head coach.
If he stays with the Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick could land a contract that will pay him between $10-12MM annually, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (citing a prominent NFL agent).
Damon Harrison, one of the unsung heroes of the Jets defensive line, will be a free agent at year’s end, and during a recent Q&A with Steve Serby of The New York Post, Harrison expressed his desire to remain with the Jets for the foreseeable future.
Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald looks back at the disastrous 2013 offseason that saw the Dolphins make enormous mistakes in both the draft and free agency, mistakes that will continue to haunt the team in 2016 and beyond.
After the Eagles‘ loss to Washington last night, quarterback Sam Bradford said he would like to remain in Philadelphia going forward, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. Although Bradford has had an up-and-down season in his first year with the club, Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer believes the impending free agent did enough last night to prove to the Eagles that he is worthy of a new contract.
As Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Daily News notes, the question of who will make the decision on Bradford’s future with the Eagles is still very much up in the air. Although Bowen still believes owner Jeffrey Lurie is “in too deep” with Chip Kelly to pull the plug on his embattled head coach so soon after handing him control of the team’s personnel decisions, the Eagles loss last night and the manner in which they lost may force Lurie’s hand.

NFC Notes: JPP, Panthers, Maxwell, Washington

December 18th, 2015 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has been reasonably effective since returning from his hand injury, but the bulky club on his right hand has prevented him from being as sure a tackler as he once was. As Tom Rock of Newsday details, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is confident that JPP will make the necessary adjustments. Teams around the league will likely be keeping a close eye on the veteran pass rusher down the stretch to see how he adapts, since he’s eligible for free agency this winter.

Here’s more from across the NFC:

With the Panthers three wins away from a 16-0 season, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer takes a look back at GM Dave Gettleman‘s time with the franchise, examining both his good and bad moves since taking over the job.
Byron Maxwell‘s deal with the Eagles may have looked like a $63MM mistake earlier in the season, but the cornerback has played well in recent weeks, and is beginning to justify the club’s investment in him, says Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.
With multiple players trying new positions this season, Washington has gone mad scientist on its roster, and so far many of the team’s experiments have worked out, writes Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post.

NFC East Notes: JPP, Cowboys, Watt

December 2nd, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC East:

Jason Pierre-Paul said today that he wants to finish his career with the Giants, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets. JPP added that the two sides haven’t begun to discuss a contract yet, however. Since returning to action, JPP has tallied 6 tackles and one pass deflection in 3 games. The defensive end is 26, so he’s ostensibly thinking about a long-term deal with the Giants when he references spending the rest of his career with Big Blue. Of course, Pierre-Paul likely doesn’t have the same earning power that he did in the spring.
J.J. Watt on the Cowboys? Bills coach Rex Ryan says that his brother, former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, wanted to take Watt with the No. 9 pick in the 2011 draft, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. Dallas wound up taking tackle Tyron Smith, a two-time Pro Bowler and a quality talent in his own right. Watt, meanwhile, fell to Houston at No. 11. Watt has recorded 70.5 sacks in over four-and-half seasons with the Texans and he leads the NFL with 13.5 sacks this season.
At the age of 73, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not inclined to groom a young quarterback, Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News opines. Jones has given comments to indicate that he will look for Tony Romo‘s heir, but he has also said that he expects Romo to be the club’s starting quarterback for another “four or five years.”