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Jason Pierre-Paul

East Notes: Giants, Dolphins, Enemkpali

October 12th, 2015 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Ex-Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor on Sunday night, and while he was in town, Umenyiora weighed in on his former teammate, Jason Pierre-Paul. As Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes, Umenyiora thinks JPP is “just happy he’s alive” after his fireworks accident, but he remains very optimistic about a comeback.

“If anybody could do it, it’ll be him,” Umenyiora said. “He’s a powerful, athletic football player. I relied more on technique: He was just more athleticism. A guy like that, he’d be able to [come back]. … He’s still young. He’s going to be able to play football. I don’t know if it’s going to be this year, but he’s going to be able to play.”

As we wait to see when Pierre-Paul might be able to return to the field, here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Sunday night’s performance was a quintessential example of why the Giants extended Eli Manning with a lucrative new contract prior to the season, writes Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com.
  • The Dolphins announced today in a press release that special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi has been elevated to an assistant head coach position. According to the team, Rizzi will continue to oversee the special teams unit while working with new head coach Dan Campbell.
  • Speaking of Campbell, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald identifies the 10 biggest issues that the Dolphins‘ interim head coach must fix in order to turn the team’s season around.
  • As Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets, the Bills will have until 3:00pm central time today to either add IK Enemkpali to their 53-man roster or cut him. If the club chooses to activate Enemkpali, who is returning from a four-game suspension, another player would need to be removed from the roster.

NFC East Notes: JPP, Cowboys, Washington

October 6th, 2015 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

When Jason Pierre-Paul reported to the Giants shortly before the regular season got underway, he and his camp expressed confidence that he’d be ready to play soon, perhaps even as early as Week 1. The Giants, of course, didn’t see it that way, and JPP returned home to work on getting his injured hand healthy enough to play before the end of 2015.

So when do the Giants expect Pierre-Paul to be ready? According to Bob Glauber of Newsday, the club is hopeful that the veteran defensive end will be back for the final four games of the season, or perhaps even longer. However, the Giants are optimistic about seeing JPP back on the field down the stretch, a source tells Glauber that it’s “still possible he doesn’t come back [this year].”

As we wait to see how Pierre-Paul’s recovery progresses, let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFC East…

  • Lance Dunbar‘s season-ending injury will be a significant blow for the Cowboys‘ backfield, but Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets that the team isn’t planning on bringing in another free agent running back. Werder hints that Christine Michael, acquired last month via trade, could take on a bigger role in Dunbar’s absence.
  • Former 49ers guard Joe Looney was among the players to work out for Washington this week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets that ex-Ravens wideout Daniel Brown and tight end D.J. Williams also tried out for the team. Washington let Williams go with an injury settlement about a month ago, so he wouldn’t be eligible to rejoin the team for at least a couple more weeks.
  • While Chip Kelly won’t admit it, the Eagles head coach has to recognize that the lack of talent on his offensive line is killing his run schemes, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Having cut Evan Mathis in the offseason, Kelly insists that there’s no lesson to be learned there: “If we didn’t renegotiate [Mathis’ contract], we weren’t getting him back.” Still, it’s fair to be skeptical of that assertion, considering Mathis was under contract and likely wouldn’t have extended a holdout into the regular season like Kam Chancellor did.

East Notes: JPP, Giants, Washington, Jets

October 3rd, 2015 at 3:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is some news coming out of the Eastern divisions …

  • A recent report stating Jason Pierre-Paul will re-join the Giants in two weeks came as news to Tom Coughlin, according to James Kratch of NJ.com. “I don’t know anything about that,” Coughlin told media at a charity function. This wouldn’t be the first time the New York staff has been in the dark on this unique saga that’s continued to unearth new layers.
  • Exorbitantly paid kick returner Dwayne Harris looks like the Giants’ next man up at receiver now that Victor Cruz‘s timetable has been further delayed and Preston Parker being cut, per Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News. Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo also floated the idea out of Shane Vereen being used as a receiver, an idea that may be more efficient than using Harris (one target this season). The former Cowboys return man has 33 career catches; Vereen’s made 119 since being drafted in 2011.
  • Even if he’s not burdened by it, Ryan Kerrigan wants to show the Washington organization made the right investment in signing him to a five-year, $57.5MM deal this offseason, notes ESPN.com’s John Keim. “That’s a lot of personal pride. I got that big contract and I want to show I’m worthy of it. Of course you want to justify it, but it’s not something like I wake up every day and say I’ve got to [justify] it,” Kerrigan said. With a half-sack through three games, Kerrigan’s a bit behind the 13.5-sack pace he set a year ago.
  • The current plan in Washington is to use recently signed veteran Mason Foster on special teams behind the team’s current third inside linebacker, undrafted rookie Terrance Plummer, while Perry Riley is injured, according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com.
  • Brandon Marshall‘s rejuvenated start with the Jets doesn’t mean as much for his long-term prospects unless one of Gang Green’s complementary targets can become consistent, Jets wide receivers coach Karl Dorrell told Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. “Someone has to step up, because if we don’t have guys that step up, they’ll find a way to take away Brandon Marshall with getting him in double coverage,” Dorrell said. “He’s effectively able to get open in some of those situations, but not all the time.” Marshall’s 23 receptions for 272 yards are well ahead of his career-worst pace established last season.

Jason Pierre-Paul To Report In Next Two Weeks

October 2nd, 2015 at 8:41pm CST by Rob DiRe

Jason Pierre-Paul is coming off an offseason that can be kindly described as tumultuous. After injuring his hand in a fireworks accident during July 4th weekend and then the back and forth between him and the Giants concern the state of his health, it has been a tough time to be a Giants fan.

All will be forgiven when he returns to the team and proves he can still perform, and that might not be as far away as one might have thought. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has a source that believes Pierre-Paul will report to the Giants within the next two weeks.

He questions whether that will bring him back in time for the Giants matchup against the 49ers on October 11th. Even if he comes back before that game, it is highly unlikely he is healthy enough to play so soon, and even if he is, it is doubtful old-school Tom Coughlin would even consider putting him on the field.

Pierre-Paul has been working with veteran defensive line coach, who is helping him learn to compensate his game for the injuries to his hand.

Still, the Pro Bowl defensive end would have to pass the physical with the team, and Cole says it would be very easy for the Giants to fail him on that physical considering the damage to his hand. It would depend on whether the team wants him on the field as to whether they decide to pass him.

Obviously wanting to get paid and reach free agency at season’s end, Pierre-Paul is trying his hardest to prove he can still play and perform at a high level. If the Giants fail him on his physical, it will likely return to the battle between the two sides that started in the hospital room this past July.

Latest On Jason Pierre-Paul

September 24th, 2015 at 7:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul took to Instagram earlier this month to show off his training routine and help quell public concerns about his condition. Apparently, that display didn’t do much to change opinions in East Rutherford, as Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com write.

Part of the video shows JPP bench pressing a barbell, but he only does five reps of ~240 pounds. Furthermore, he had a small yellow towel wrapped on the bar to protect his damaged right hand. While there is some talk that the defensive end will seek a grievance against the Giants if they do not deem him physically ready to play this season, the video, photos of his hand, and his physical evaluation have not done him any favors.

The ESPN duo adds that the condition of his middle finger was a much more significant concern than anyone was led to believe before he allowed the Giants to examine him. As it stands, there is some concern about whether that middle finger will ever be “football-functional.” To make matters worse, Pierre-Paul is severely underweight. Listed at 6’5″, 278 pounds, JPP had a goal of reporting to camp at 265. However, he was down at least 20 pounds, maybe more, when he visited the team. One source told Mortensen and Schefter that he weighed 246 pounds while another team source said he was around 255 pounds.

Pierre-Paul has been an important piece for the Giants during his five-year career, collecting 42 sacks – including 12.5 last season – since they used a first-round pick on him in 2010. The Giants had the NFL’s 29th-ranked defense last year even with Pierre-Paul, so the Giants clearly would like to have him back on the field, if he’s capable of playing. Right now, that seems very much in doubt, despite the defensive end’s claims.

NFC East Notes: Romo, Cowboys, JPP, RGIII

September 21st, 2015 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

No NFL division looks more in flux through two weeks than the NFC East, where the Eagles and Giants have yet to win a game, and the Cowboys will be without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant for the next several weeks. Earlier today, we asked you to weigh in with your thoughts on how the East race will play out over the next 15 weeks. Now, we’ll round up a few more Monday items from out of the division…

  • Speaking of Romo, he won’t have to undergo surgery on his fractured left clavicle, a source tells Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. That doesn’t significantly alter the projected recovery timetable for the Cowboys quarterback, who still figures to miss about eight weeks. He’s a candidate for Dallas’ IR-DTR slot.
  • With Romo out, the Cowboys are evaluating whether or not to sign a veteran signal-caller to back up Brandon Weeden, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), who says the team considered Kyle Orton. Orton is still finished with football, however.
  • According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), there’s some concern in Jason Pierre-Paul‘s camp that if the Giants defensive end reports to the team, New York will place him on the NFI list and be able to franchise him again next year at the same price. The CBA isn’t 100% clear on how this situation would work, but if the two sides disagree on JPP’s ability to play this season, it could create some contract issues.
  • In another video for Bleacher Report, Cole suggests that Washington quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins aren’t communicating much at all these days. Per Cole, that doesn’t reflect particularly well on RGIII, who reportedly has a history of not being on the same page as everyone in the locker room.
  • Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said after yesterday’s loss that everyone will be evaluated, hinting that roster changes could be coming. But it doesn’t sound like the team will make any major moves. “The guys we have are the guys we’re playing with for the remainder of the season,” Kelly said today, referring in part to the offensive line’s struggles (Twitter link). “It’s not a change thing.”

East Notes: JPP, Kerley, Andrews

September 20th, 2015 at 9:51am CST by Rory Parks

One thing that has become apparent in the Jason Pierre-Paul drama is that the team and the player have very different ideas about JPP’s health and his ability to take the field. As NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, if the Giants and Pierre-Paul remain divided, an independent doctor could wind up making the final call.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, that would only happen if Pierre-Paul files a grievance against the team for failing to agree that he’s ready to play. Florio says that JPP could sign his franchise tender and then file the grievance. At that point, if an independent doctor clears Pierre-Paul, the Giants would be forced to take him back. Of course, JPP could also file the grievance without signing the franchise tender. If he were to then receive clearance from an independent doctor, the Giants could rescind his tender, thereby allowing Pierre-Paul to seek his fortunes elsewhere.

In a separate piece, Florio opines that the best way for Big Blue and its star pass rusher to resolve the matter is to agree on a new contract for 2015 that pays Pierre-Paul a reduced amount per week with the ability to make up the difference based on performance. The team could also agree to not use the franchise tag again in 2016. As of yet, however, there have been no publicized talks of such a resolution, and the stalemate continues.

Let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s east divisions:

  • Aside from Pierre-Paul’s long-term outlook in the NFL and the possible outcomes of his contract negotiations with the Giants, Ebenezer Samuel of The New York Daily News says JPP must also solve the challenges of the weight room. Samuel details how JPP’s injury will force him to adapt his approach to his usual training regimen, and although he should be able to get himself into good enough shape to perform well, experts are skeptical that he will be able to return to his old self.
  • Jeremy Kerley‘s role on offense has all but disappeared, and Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com believes the Jets should look to trade the player who has become little more than a high-priced punt returner. Cimini lists the Cowboys as a logical trade partner, but he notes that Kerley’s contract could be a major obstacle to any trade talks. Kerley’s $2MM base salary this year is guaranteed, and beyond 2015, he has three years and $9MM remaining on the deal he signed last fall.
  • Rookie David Andrews, whom the Patriots signed as an undrafted free agent in May, was the only player outside of Tom Brady to play every offensive snap in the team’s Week 1 win against Pittsburgh. Adam Kurkjian of The Boston Herald details Andrews’ journey to this point and what the future may hold for the promising young center.

East Notes: JPP, Giants, DeflateGate

September 17th, 2015 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the latest out of the East Divisions..

NFC Notes: JPP, Giants, Vikings, Cardinals

September 16th, 2015 at 4:42pm CST by Zachary Links

A report on Tuesday indicated that Jason Pierre-Paul‘s hand is in worse shape than the Giants expected, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) has some encouraging news on that front. The defensive end is in fact missing a piece from his thumb, but a source says that it’s far above the joint and just the tip of the digit. Pierre-Paul also has no more surgeries after last week’s skin graft and it’s all about healing at this stage.

Here’s more on JPP, along with a few more NFC notes:

  • Pierre-Paul took to Instagram with a video of him training and vowed that he would soon join the Giants on the field, as Avery Stone of USA Today writes. “God can turn any situation around for the better,” the defensive end wrote. “Your hard times will lead to the best times of your life. Don’t believe the hype … Be back soon! #90PC #ImAFighter #PutMeInCoach.”
  • Eli Manning‘s new contract with the Giants includes $5MM roster bonuses in both 2018 and 2019, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets.
  • When asked if he would bring in another kicker to compete with Blair Walsh, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said, “No. I’m bringing in consideration for him to pull out of this thing and start kicking like he’s capable of kicking,” according to Chris Miller of the Star Tribune. Walsh missed a 44-yard field goal on the team’s opening drive against the 49ers and went just 5-11 in preseason. Last year, he posted a league-worst 74.3% mark.
  • The Cardinals are not interested in adding a veteran running back because they’re confident that Andre Ellington‘s injury is a short-term issue, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has no hard feelings about being passed over for the Bears‘ head coaching job, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes. Arians was a finalist for the gig after Lovie Smith was fired in 2013. Ultimately, the team hired Marc Trestman, who has since been replaced.
  • The Bears‘ release of linebacker Sam Acho over the weekend was one of example of how teams sometimes get around the 53-man roster limits, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Latest On Jason Pierre-Paul

September 15th, 2015 at 7:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason Pierre-Paul had a procedure performed on his right middle finger three days before the Giants examined his hand last week, sources told ESPN’s Dan Graziano. The defensive end is also missing the tip of his thumb and his entire index finger and there is now increased pessimism among team decision-makers about his prognosis, Graziano hears.

JPP remains convinced that he will play again this year, sources with knowledge of his thinking have told Graziano, and he thinks he’ll be back on the field relatively soon. But, another source said the Giants don’t plan to see Pierre-Paul again for another five or six weeks. If the hand isn’t healed to their satisfaction by then, the Giants will consider rescinding his $14.81MM franchise tender, per Graziano’s report.

One has to imagine that the Giants are less-than-thrilled with the situation, not only because of JPP’s medical condition, but because the star defensive end has largely been out of the loop this offseason. Big Blue offered to pay Pierre-Paul part of his $14.81MM salary to go on the NFI list prior to the 53-man cutdown, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. That would have allowed Pierre-Paul to rehab his hand, improve his conditioning, and learn Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Pierre-Paul, of course, declined.

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