Jason Pierre-Paul

Ravens To Sign Jason Pierre-Paul

September 22nd, 2022 at 2:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jason Pierre-Paul‘s second Ravens visit this year will end up producing a deal. The veteran edge rusher told CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson he is signing with the team (Twitter link). It is a one-year deal worth up to $5.5MM for JPP, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

The 12-year veteran was at the team’s facility Tuesday but did not sign. While this seemed to repeat the pattern from earlier this year, when JPP visited the Ravens in June but left without a contract, the AFC North team is not letting the accomplished defender leave this time. Pierre-Paul, 33, will join a Ravens team in need at outside linebacker. The Ravens had been in contact with Pierre-Paul for months, per Rapoport.

This position group is shorthanded because of both tragedy and injuries. Jaylon Ferguson‘s death in June rocked the organization. The team had bigger plans for Ferguson this year. Tyus Bowser and second-round pick David Ojabo are coming off Achilles injuries, setbacks that landed them on different Ravens unavailability lists to start the season. Neither Ojabo (IR) nor Bowser (reserve/PUP) can return until Week 5. Ojabo, who suffered his Achilles tear while preparing for the draft in March, will likely need more recovery time than Bowser, who sustained his tear in January. The Ravens also just placed Steven Means on IR after his season-ending Achilles tear.

Pierre-Paul, who is joining Baltimore’s active roster, could certainly help the team. Baltimore is down to two outside linebackers on its 53-man roster — Odafe Oweh and Justin Houston, the latter being re-signed in the wake of Ferguson’s death. As veteran edge players steadily came off the free agency board this summer (from Houston to Melvin Ingram to Carlos Dunlap to Trey Flowers), JPP remained unsigned. But he will likely soon suit up for a third NFL team.

The 6-foot-5 sack artist spent the past four seasons with the Buccaneers, playing a significant role in their Super Bowl LV championship. JPP sacked Aaron Rodgers twice in the 2020 NFC championship game, with the Bucs upsetting the David Bakhtiari-less Packers en route to their second Super Bowl. Pierre-Paul, who made his third Pro Bowl in 2020, teamed with Shaq Barrett combined to pressure Patrick Mahomes throughout that hometown victory.

Although JPP (91.5 career sacks) did not finish his Tampa tenure well, recording just 2.5 sacks and five QB hits in 12 games, the Ravens will hope that is a blip rather than an indication the former first-round pick can no longer contribute. JPP will almost certainly be ticketed for a rotational role, as opposed to the starting gigs he had held for the past 11 years. A Giants backup as a rookie, Pierre-Paul broke through with a monster 2011 season — one that did plenty to key the Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI win — and has seven seasons with at least seven sacks.

Pierre-Paul underwent shoulder surgery this offseason, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes that led to the lengthy free agency stay (Twitter link). But surgeries have not exactly derailed him in the past. He completed comebacks from the 2015 fireworks accident and a fractured vertebra sustained in a 2019 car accident, leading to a 2020 Bucs re-signing. A 2020 knee operation commenced after that deal. His Ravens contract does not come close to the two-year, $25MM accord he signed in 2020, but this agreement will allow for a 13th NFL season.

Ravens Meet With OLB Jason Pierre-Paul

September 20th, 2022 at 5:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:58pm: As was the case when the Ravens met with Pierre-Paul in June, he left his morning workout without an agreement. Pierre-Paul did describe the interest as mutual, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson (on Twitter). Multiple other teams have shown interest as well, per JPP.

1:01pm: More than three months after initially visiting the Ravens, Jason Pierre-Paul is back on the team’s radar. The 12-year veteran is at the team’s facility Tuesday, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz (on Twitter).

One of the top players available on an obviously diminished free agent market by this point, JPP, 33, could be of use for a Ravens team that is only rostering two outside linebackers presently. Baltimore already turned to one veteran edge this offseason, re-signing Justin Houston after placing a UFA tender on him. Another could be on the way. For the next two weeks, at least, help is needed.

The team lost edge player Steven Means to a Week 2 Achilles tear and has multiple outside linebackers on injury lists. Second-round pick David Ojabo is on IR. The Michigan product is not a lock to debut when first eligible, given that he suffered an Achilles tear during a pre-draft workout. The team also has Tyus Bowser, who sustained an Achilles tear in January, on its reserve/PUP list. Neither Ojabo nor Bowser are eligible to play until Week 5.

A critical part of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl LV-winning formula, Pierre-Paul has racked up 91.5 career sacks while bouncing back from multiple major injuries. He registered 9.5 sacks for the Bucs’ championship team two seasons ago, adding two more in a playoff slate that ended with he and Shaquil Barrett applying consistent pressure to Patrick Mahomes.

But JPP’s numbers cratered in 2021. The former Giants All-Pro totaled just 2.5 sacks and five quarterback hits in 12 games, limiting his 2022 market. An early-offseason shoulder surgery also likely affected Pierre-Paul’s free agency appeal. The Cowboys had him on their radar in March but turned to the draft (second-rounder Sam Williams) to round out their post-Randy Gregory plan.

The Ravens are down to Houston (two sacks) and Odafe Oweh for the time being and will need to make a depth-based move ahead of Week 3.

Latest On Ravens’ Edge Rush Pursuit

July 7th, 2022 at 1:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the position groups still surrounded by question marks for the Ravens is that of edge rusher. The team has been connected to a number of veterans this offseason, but little progress has been made lately on any noteworthy additions.

Arguably the most logical move available is a reunion with Justin Houston. The 33-year-old spent last season with the team, starting all 15 contests he appeared in. He totalled 4.5 sacks and 17 QB hits, providing consistency to an otherwise inexperienced unit. The Ravens have yet to re-sign him, but they placed the rarely-used UFA tender on him. That leaves Houston free to sign with another team until July 22, at which point Baltimore will hold exclusive negotiating rights; a deal on the tender would pay him slightly more than the $2.1MM he made in 2021.

As that deadline approaches, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes that the situation between the two sides remains “in a holding pattern” (subscription required). That could lead to a further opportunity for fellow veteran Jason Pierre-Paul to be brought into the fold. The two-time Super Bowl winner visited the Ravens last month, as he looks to join a contender on the open market once again. He had a down season in 2021 with only 2.5 sacks, but is one year removed from his third Pro Bowl campaign.

At present, the Ravens are led in the pass-rush department by Tyus Bowser, whose Week 1 availability remains in doubt due to the torn Achilles he suffered at the end of last season. The same injury will delay second round rookie David Ojabo‘s NFL debut for a significant period of time. That leaves 2021 draftees Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes in line for sizeable roles, with recent signing Steven Means available as depth.

With the aforementioned injury concerns, as well as, unfortunately, a roster spot open after the death of Jaylon Ferguson, Zrebiec “wouldn’t rule out” the possibility of both Houston and Pierre-Paul playing in Baltimore this season. The team is severely lacking in cap space right now, so adding both would be difficult from a financial standpoint; however, the signing of one could be the move most likely to happen between now and training camp.

Packers Eyeing Veteran Edge Addition?

June 25th, 2022 at 2:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers have made a number of changes to their edge rush group this offseason, but another addition may be in the cards. The team “might be looking for upgrades” at the position, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.

Green Bay lost Za’Darius Smith in free agency to the Ravens, it appeared at first, but he ultimately signed with the Vikings. With the two-time Pro Bowler gone, it became increasingly important that the Packers had re-signed fellow veteran pass rusher Preston Smith at the onset of free agency.

The latter is set to maintain his starting role in 2022. He will be paired with 2019 first-rounder Rashan Gary, who took a significant step forward last season. While that tandem should be in line to replicate their playing time and production from 2021, depth has been a talking point throughout the offseason.

To little surprise, Green Bay added Kingsley Enagbare in the fifth round of the draft to help address that need. The South Carolina product never had more than six sacks in a single college season, but he is listed in Demovsky’s projected depth chart as the No. 3 edge rusher on the roster. Another name included is that of Randy Ramsey, who played almost exclusively on special teams in 2020 as a rookie, and missed the entire 2021 campaign due to an ankle injury.

With very little experience behind Smith and Gary, a veteran signing would make plenty of sense. Some of the top free agents still available include Jason Pierre-Paul, Trey Flowers and, depending on the outcome regarding his UFA tender, Justin Houston. Green Bay currently ranks in the top-10 in the league in cap space, so a short-term, low-cost addition would also be financially feasible. Whether they choose to make one in the coming days or weeks could be one of the most important roster decisions still facing the team.

Jason Pierre-Paul Visits Ravens

June 9th, 2022 at 6:18pm CST by Ely Allen

Free agent pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul is still available and looking for his next NFL home. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Pierre-Paul took another step toward that goal today, taking a visit to Baltimore.

Pierre-Paul, 33, spent the first eight years of his career in New York, after the Giants selected him with their first pick of the 2010 NFL Draft. He saw early success with the Giants, being named a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in his second NFL season after finishing second in the league in tackles for loss (23.0) and fourth in the league in sacks (16.5).

In 2018, New York traded Pierre-Paul to the Buccaneers in exchange for a third-round pick and a swap of fourth-round picks. He immediately outplayed his trade capital, leading the team in sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (16.0) during his first year in Tampa Bay.

Over the course of a 12-year career, Pierre-Paul has totaled 91.5 sacks and 122.0 tackles for loss. He’s had his share of injuries throughout his career. Some were natural football-injuries that required surgery, but, twice, Pierre-Paul experienced substantial injuries outside of football that nearly cost him his career. His most recent season saw him miss time due to a torn rotator cuff that he called “the worst injury of his career,” according to Luke Easterling of USA Today.

Baltimore is certainly in the market for a veteran pass rusher. The Ravens return Tyus Bowser and Odafe Oweh at the top of their depth chart, with the former working to come back from a torn Achilles injury suffered in Week 18 of last season. They’ve seen limited results out of three-year pass rusher Jaylon Ferguson and 2021 fifth-round pick Daelin Hayes only saw one game of action last season. The Ravens did draft Michigan’s David Ojabo in the second round of this year’s Draft, but a torn Achilles suffered during his pro day is likely to hold him out for much of his rookie season.

Enter: Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul has an extensive pass rushing resume to bring to Baltimore. While his recent injury may prevent him from being an immediate upgrade over Bowser or Oweh, his presence would give the Ravens some much-needed depth in their pass-rushing rotation.

Ravens Seeking Veteran Edge Rush Addition?

June 6th, 2022 at 10:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

This time of the offseason is rife with teams looking to round out their depth charts with available veterans who can help fill remaining roster holes. In the case of the Ravens, that could lead them to be players on the edge rusher market.

Jeff Zrebiec of the Athletic (subscription required) writes that Baltimore will “likely still sign a free agent pass rusher”. The team has already added a number of notable players on defense recently, including veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller. Their front seven could stand to be bolstered further, though.

The Ravens currently have Tyus Bowser and Odafe Oweh at the top of their depth chart at the outside linebacker position. The former stepped into a larger role after the departures of Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue last offseason, and responded by putting up career highs in sacks (seven) and tackles (59). However, he suffered a torn Achilles in the season finale, putting his Week 1 availability in question.

That would place an even heavier burden on Oweh, who flashed potential with a five-sack rookie campaign, and the team’s other young options at the position, Jaylon Ferguson, Daelin Hayes and, potentially at some point this season, David Ojabo. As a result, it came as little surprise when general manager Eric DeCosta said in April that the team wasn’t finished making additions in the edge department. However, the team didn’t select a pass rusher in the draft other than the injured Ojabo, leaving the June free agent market as the last realistic avenue to add to the unit.

With respect to veterans, the likeliest move could be a reunion with Justin Houston. The Ravens placed the rarely-used UFA tender on the 33-year-old last month, pointing to another low-cost, one-year deal being possible in the near future. The longtime Chief totalled 4.5 sacks in 15 games, providing an experienced presence to an otherwise young unit. If not Houston, other options for the Ravens to target include Trey Flowers and Jason Pierre-Paul. By training camp, the team could very well have signed one of those three, or another edge rusher, to add depth to a position group facing a number of questions.

NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Falcons, Saints, Trask

May 15th, 2022 at 9:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Going into the 2022 offseason, the Cowboys knew that they needed to bolster their defensive line. Early reports rumored that Dallas had interest in adding a former rival in Jason Pierre-Paul, who spent eight years as a Giant before going to Tampa Bay.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Cowboys’ interest in Pierre-Paul seems to be waning, as Dallas believes they have “at least six capable edge rushers.” In the offseason, they added Dante Fowler through free agency and drafted Sam Williams out of Ole Miss last month. They’ll find themselves in the pass rushing rotation with the likes of Dorance Armstrong, Tarell Basham, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Chauncey Golston.

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC, starting with a few more rumors from Jeremy Fowler’s article:

Atlanta selected Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder in the third round, over every quarterback in the Draft, besides Kenny Pickett who was the only passer off the board at that point. Fowler reports that Ridder’s biggest competition for the pick was Liberty’s Malik Willis, but the Falcons felt that Willis lacked the signature moments at Liberty, even though he had incredible talent. Ridder, on the other hand, had a more complete body of work, in their opinion. It didn’t hurt that Ridder reportedly came to interviews with a plan on how to unseat a veteran starting quarterback wherever he landed.
Another team that was long rumored to be looking at quarterbacks in the Draft, New Orleans instead drafted wide receiver Chris Olave with their first round pick. According to Fowler, the Saints had no plans to draft a quarterback. They had Olave in their sights and, upon seeing Drake London and Garrett Wilson come off the board at Nos. 8 and 10 overall, they knew they needed to make a move to ensure Olave would be available. New Orleans apparently did an outstanding job of keeping their plans a complete mystery to the rest of the NFL.
With Tom Brady coming out of retirement to quarterback the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay has been evaluating their backup quarterback position. According to Greg Auman of The Athletic, Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen doesn’t see Kyle Trask competing with Blaine Gabbert for the backup job. This shouldn’t put Trask’s roster spot in jeopardy, though. Gabbert is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, but the plan for Trask was always for a post-Brady team. Tampa Bay is happy with Trask’s progress so far and will likely keep developing the 24-year-old for the future.

Cowboys Interested In Jason Pierre-Paul

March 20th, 2022 at 10:31am CST by Rory Parks

After DE Randy Gregory elected to sign with the Broncos and leave the Cowboys at the altar, Dallas suddenly had a major pass-rushing void to fill. The team’s Von Miller pursuit was unsuccessful, so it pivoted to Dante Fowler, agreeing to terms with the former No. 3 overall pick earlier this week.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, the Cowboys may not be done and may be considering multiple additions to their contingent of edge defenders (Twitter link). Specifically, Fowler reports that Dallas is interested in free agent Jason Pierre-Paul.

Now 33, JPP has long been one of the best pass rushers in the game. Selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2010 draft, he earned two Pro Bowl nods and a First Team All-Pro selection during his time with Big Blue, which shipped him to the Buccaneers in a March 2018 trade. Over his first three seasons in Tampa, Pierre-Paul averaged over 10 sacks per year, and he secured a third Pro Bowl berth in 2020, the Bucs’ championship-winning campaign.

The 2021 season, however, represented a step back for Pierre-Paul. Hampered by a broken finger and a torn rotator cuff that required offseason surgery, he managed just 31 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 12 contests. That was a disappointing platform year, and it could explain why this is the first time we have heard of interest in his services.

On the other hand, the addition of a player like Pierre-Paul to a group of QB hunters that also includes DeMarcus Lawrence — who recently agreed to a new contract — Fowler, and Micah Parsons would help to soften the blow of Gregory’s defection. However, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News cautions that nothing is imminent with respect to JPP at this time (Twitter link).

After Za’Darius Smith agreed to terms with the Ravens, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reported (via Twitter) that Dallas had discussions with Smith. Now that the two-time Pro Bowler pulled a Gregory and chose not to reunite with Baltimore, the Cowboys could circle back to him, but that is only speculation at this point.

Jason Pierre-Paul Had Offseason Shoulder Surgery

February 18th, 2022 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

Pending unrestricted free agent Jason Pierre-Paul could very well be headed somewhere other than Tamp Bay. His suitors will be glad to know that the veteran could be in better shape, from a health perspective, than he was in 2021. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes, he had shoulder surgery earlier this week.

The 33-year-old suggested that he would likely be exploring the open market, raising the possibility of his four-year tenure with the Buccaneers coming to an end. As he did in that instance, he took to Instagram to provide an update on his status, vowing to recover in full for next season.

After being named a Pro Bowler for the third time in his career in 2020, Pierre-Paul took a step back last season. Hampered by not only the shoulder issue, but also a broken finger, he managed just 31 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 12 contests. He added an additional half-sack and a fumble recovery in the postseason.

Even with missing five games in 2021, durability hasn’t generally been a problem for the 12-year veteran. If he is able to recover in full, he could provide solid production to any number of pass-rush needy teams in free agency, giving him a chance to build back his value, not to mention earn a third Super Bowl ring.

Jason Pierre-Paul Leaving In Free Agency?

February 14th, 2022 at 1:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Tom Brady retired and a slew of other high-end players set to hit free agency, the Buccaneers’ roster is likely to look very different in 2022. One of the veterans of the team’s dominant defense, Jason Pierre-Paul, could be on his way out of Tampa Bay.

In an Instagram post, the 33-year-old said in part, “wherever I am next year you gone get the same me” (Twitter link via Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times). That would certainly suggest he is, at a minimum, willing to look at other options on the free agent market.

Pierre-Paul was a Pro Bowler in 2020 for the Super Bowl champion Bucs, but had a much quieter year in 2021. Dealing with a broken finger and torn rotator cuff throughout the campaign, he recorded 24 fewer tackles (31), seven fewer sacks (2.5) and three fewer forced fumbles (one) than the previous year.

If he does depart, a starting spot would be opened up for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. The 2021 first round pick flashed potential in a rotational role in his rookie season, recording four sacks and five tackles for loss. With fellow starter Shaquil Barrett already under contract, moving on to Tryon-Shoyinka would not only be a nod to his upside, but also a way to save cap space at the position.

At his age, and coming off of an injury-plagued season, Pierre-Paul is unlikely to command a contract like the two-year, $25MM extension he signed in 2020. Still, he would represent an accomplished edge rusher with two Super Bowls to his name for any outside teams interested in his services.

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