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Jason Pierre-Paul

Giants Trade Jason Pierre-Paul To Bucs

March 22nd, 2018 at 9:08am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are trading defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and a 2018 fourth-round pick to the Buccaneers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Giants will receive a 2018 third-round pick and a fourth-round pick in the deal. 

The move comes as a total surprise as we have not heard any rumblings of JPP not being in the Giants’ plans for the coming season. But, there’s a new regime in New York headed by GM Dave Gettleman and coach Pat Shurmur and they do not view him in the same light as the last administration. It’s likely that they do not view Pierre-Paul as a fit for defensive coordinator James Bettcher‘s 3-4 heavy scheme.

The Giants inked JPP to a four-year, $62MM deal with $40MM guaranteed roughly one year ago today. He responded by turning in his first complete season since 2014 and tallying 8.5 sacks with 68 total tackles. The advanced metrics indicated that it was only a so-so season for him and Gettleman’s review of the game tape conferred.

Still, Pierre-Paul is undeniably a high-impact player and he’ll now join a revamped and upgraded Bucs defensive line. This year, the Buccaneers signed Vinny Curry to hold down one defensive end spot and added Beau Allen at defensive tackle. Pierre-Paul now joins the group and those three new faces plus Gerald McCoy will give the Bucs one of the most talented defensive lines in the entire NFL. Tampa Bay also has former second-round pick Noah Spence and former Bears DE Mitch Unrein in support.

The Buccaneers tried to trade for Rams edge rusher Robert Quinn, but ultimately lost out to another Florida team. Less than three weeks later, they managed to land a different superstar defensive end.

The deal figures to have major implications for the Giants’ offseason plans. The G-Men now have additional cap room to work with in the second wave of free agency and their draft plans could radically shift. It’s possible that the Giants will consider Bradley Chubb at No. 2 overall rather than selecting Eli Manning‘s successor. They could also trade down if they believe they can land a pass rusher plus a quality QB later on.

The Giants will now own the fifth pick in the third round (No. 69 overall) in addition to that round’s second pick (No. 65). In the fourth round, the Bucs move up to No. 102 overall while parting with the No. 108 selection.

[RELATED: Buccaneers Depth Chart]

Giants Notes: Abrams, Apple, Shepard, JPP

December 23rd, 2017 at 9:42am CST by Ben Levine

The Giants interviewed interim general manager Kevin Abrams for the team’s full-time position yesterday, lengthening a list of candidates that already includes Giants VP of player personnel Marc Ross, former Giants executive Dave Gettleman and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick. While Abrams had spent the majority of his career as a salary cap guru, he’s focused on proving that he can also build a winning roster.

“My role has been more than just doing the cap stuff,” Abrams told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.TV. “I wasn’t raised to be a cap guy. It was just the opportunity that was given to me and I was grateful of the opportunity. And the Giants do a great job with everyone — not just me, but we’re all encouraged to grow professionally. And like everyone else, I was getting a lot of opportunities to do that and I tried to take advantage of them whenever I could. A lot of that included being involved with our personnel departments.”

While Giants owner John Mara may be seeking major “wholesale changes,” sources told Vacchiano that Abrams is a serious candidate for the gig. The writer notes that the organization could choose to pair the interim general manager with someone like Gettleman.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the Giants organization…

  • While many attributed cornerback Eli Apple‘s tumultuous season to immaturity, Dan Duggan of NJ.com explored the true root of the player’s issues. Ultimately, the reporter attributed the problems to “strife in Apple’s family,” particularly a falling out with his stepfather, Tim. “One of the biggest reasons Eli is declining so much this year as opposed to last year is (Tim’s absence),” Apple’s half-brother Dane Blackson said. “I know everyone always talks about the fame and all of the attention and how all of that can go to your head. But you have to imagine that from middle school to the NFL, Tim was there. Tim made this whole thing happen. Tim didn’t miss a game. Whenever Eli looked for that support, that was always there. Now, this year whenever he goes to look for support, it’s not real, it’s not genuine.” Duggan dug more in Apple’s family issues in a must-read article.
  • While the 2017 season hasn’t gone as planned for the Giants, one player has emerged as a major piece of the organization’s future. Zach Braziller of The New York Post writes that wideout Sterling Shepard has emerged as a “a future organizational linchpin.” The 2016 second-round pick is on pace to surpass his rookie numbers, as he’s hauled in 54 receptions for 686 yards and two scores. “I was ready to take it on,” Shepard said of the added responsibility. “You don’t expect for your top two receivers to go down. It kind of just throws a lot of weight on you. I’m a second-year player but kind of forced to take that leadership role because I’m the guy in that room with the most experience.”
  • Jason Pierre-Paul revealed that he’s recovering from a broken finger, although he expects to play this weekend against the Cardinals. Neil Best of Newsday.com believes the defensive end suffered the injury during his early-December matchup against the Raiders.

East Rumors: Williams, Patriots, JPP, Jets

October 5th, 2017 at 9:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trent Williams has encountered a patella issue, one that caused him to briefly exit Monday night’s Redskins-Chiefs game. The Pro Bowl left tackle will not need surgery to correct the problem, but Williams is “week-to-week,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Washington has not ruled Williams out for its Week 6 game, per Rapoport. The eighth-year tackle underwent an MRI on Wednesday, and the exam ruled out a long-term injury. A near-future absence would obviously cause issues for the team. Swing tackle Ty Nsekhe is out after undergoing core muscle surgery, so the drop-off if Williams can’t go against the 49ers could be significant.

Here’s the latest from the Eastern divisions, shifting to New England.

  • Rob Gronkowski extended his streak of seasons without 16-game participation to six by missing Thursday night’s Patriots-Buccaneers tilt with a thigh injury, but the Pats expect their all-world tight end back by Week 6, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The same goes for Rex Burkhead, per Schefter. Burkhead hasn’t played since Week 2, but the team is expecting its newly acquired dual-threat back to be available against the Jets next weekend.
  • Missing Thursday’s game will deprive Gronkowski of collecting the $10.75MM salary the Patriots set as his ceiling on the now-incentive-laden 2017 arrangement. By failing to play in 90 percent of the Pats’ snaps this season, Gronk is in danger of falling to the $8.75MM tier of his contract, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald notes (on Twitter). The 28-year-old tight end could still rise back to that top tier, but he’d have to earn first-team All-Pro honors. That’s obviously still in play for Gronkowski, a three-time All-Pro, but he will have to make it through most of the Pats’ remaining regular-season games to be strongly considered for such acclaim. He will need to play on 80 percent of New England’s snaps this season or total 1,000 receiving yards or 12 touchdowns to earn $8.75MM. The salary drops to $6.75MM if Gronkowski can’t meet one of those benchmarks.
  • A sprained shoulder has put Jason Pierre-Paul‘s Week 5 availability in question, but the Giants defensive end said this issue is not new for him. He intends to play against the Chargers, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post reports. JPP said he’s been dealing with shoulder problem for “a while.” Both Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon missed Thursday’s practice, and with Vernon leaving early with an ankle injury the past two weeks, Big Blue’s other starting defensive end is in danger of missing his first NFL game in a six-season career.
  • The Jets could be down nickel cornerback Juston Burris on Sunday after the No. 3 corner hurt his foot in practice, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. With fellow reserve corner Darryl Roberts unlikely to play in Cleveland, the Jets could be scrambling here if Burris can’t go. New York, though, still has veteran Marcus Williams in the event the younger talents can’t play behind Morris Claiborne or Buster Skrine. A former steady contributor on whom the Jets placed a second-round RFA tender, Williams has not played a defensive snap this season. Both Burris and Roberts have played 90.

East Rumors: Amendola, Jets, Giants, Landry

March 19th, 2017 at 6:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots‘ addition of Brandin Cooks would seem to further diminish Danny Amendola‘s role in New England, but the team kept him on the roster despite his impending $6MM base salary and $7.791MM cap number for 2017. New England will reduce that salary if Amendola comes back for ’17, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, but the team is open to the possibility of the veteran returning at a lower rate. The 31-year-old wideout failed to surpass 250 yards receiving for the second time in his Patriots tenure last season, but Reiss notes the door seems open for a fifth Amendola Patriots year if he’s willing to work for less money. Amendola’s five-year deal runs through 2017, and the former Rams target accepted paycuts the past two offseasons. He made $1.25MM in base salary in each campaign.

Here’s more from the Eastern divisions.

  • UFA defensive end Howard Jones plans to make a few other visits before making a decision next week, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv (on Twitter). The team Jones visited Friday, the Jets, are still in the mix, Vacchiano notes. Beginning the year as an ERFA whom the Buccaneers did not offer a tender, Jones finished with five sacks in 2015 but none last season. He would profile as an outside linebacker in Gang Green’s 3-4 scheme. PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranked the third-year player as one of the 15 best edge defenders still available in free agency.
  • The Jets aren’t in a hurry to land their presumptive 2017 starting quarterback, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. The team could bring in Jay Cutler for a visit after meeting with Josh McCown this weekend, but the quarterback market in somewhat of a holding pattern — and few teams competing with the Jets for Cutler — could well point to a Cutler trek to the Big Apple for a meeting. Gang Green reached out to the soon-to-be 34-year-old passer earlier this week.
  • The Dolphins are expected to give Jarvis Landry a “sizable” extension this offseason, James Walker of ESPN writes. This was the expectation last season, but the Fins now have Kenny Stills back on an $8MM-AAV deal. Landry has been the better player over the course of his career and would stand to earn more than that. Doug Baldwin and Tavon Austin reset the slot receiver market last summer, agreeing to extensions that paid them $11.5MM and $10.5MM per year, respectively. Landry will enter his age-24 season on the heels of back-to-back 1,100-yard slates.
  • Jason Pierre-Paul‘s Giants extension will count $7.5MM against the cap in 2017, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes. JPP’s deal created more than $9MM in cap space for 2017, since the eighth-year defensive end would have been attached to a $16.9MM figure due to being franchise-tagged for the second time. As of Sunday, Big Blue has $12.7MM in cap space remaining.
  • Eli Manning has three years remaining on his latest Giants contract, but Raanan does not anticipate the team targeting his successor in this draft. Although Raanan could envision a mid- or late-round pick coming to New York as a developmental candidate, the Giants will likely target the 36-year-old Manning’s heir apparent in a future draft. Jerry Reese said in January the team has started to look for their next quarterback, but the team having signed Geno Smith and agreeing to re-sign Josh Johnson may have assembled the Giants’ QB depth chart for this season.

Giants, Jason Pierre-Paul Agree To Deal

March 17th, 2017 at 10:29am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants and star pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul have agreed to terms on a four-year deal, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The new deal should give the Giants some extra breathing room against the salary cap for 2017. His agent has since confirmed the deal via social media."<strong

Pierre-Paul will receive about $17MM/year on the deal and he’ll get $54MM guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The deal has a base value of $62MM and can reach up to $66MM through incentives, Rapoport tweets. Rapoport also hears that the deal has $40MM guaranteed, so there is some disparity between the two reports.

[RELATED: Giants To Sign QB Geno Smith]

JPP was slated to be on the books for $16.934MM in 2017, per the terms of the franchise tender. The two sides technically had until July 15 to work out a new contract, but the Giants were eager to get something done sooner so that they could add players in the second wave of free agency. In theory, the Pierre-Paul extension could allow the Giants to retain free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins. Hankins has found a much softer market than he expected and the G-Men might be able to afford him now.

Pierre-Paul played in 12 games before being shut down in December with a core muscle injury. All in all, he had seven sacks and three forced fumbles. Pierre-Paul also ranked 13th among Pro Football Focus’ 109 qualified edge defenders and totaled the league’s 15th-most QB hurries (24).

The veteran did not want to receive the franchise tag this year, but the Giants were unwilling to let him test the open market. Last year, the inflated market for defensive ends led to the Giants giving Olivier Vernon a five-year, $85.5MM deal with $52MM in guarantees. Pierre-Paul is three years older than Vernon, but the bidding still would have gotten out of hand for him. Today, the Giants agreed to give JPP a deal for roughly the same average annual value with potentially equal guaranteed money on a per year basis. We’ll have to wait for additional details before fairly grading the deals against each other.

For his career, JPP has 50 sacks and eleven forced fumbles to his credit. He should add even more to that total as he remains with the Giants for his prime years.

Giants, JPP Won’t Do Extension Today

March 9th, 2017 at 12:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants and Jason Pierre-Paul could still hammer out a cap-smoothing extension, but it won’t happen today, according to Seth Walder of the Daily News. Jason Pierre-Paul

The deadline for a new deal isn’t until July 15th, so there’s still plenty of time. However, the Giants would probably like to clear out that space today so that they can do a little extra work on the free agent market.

As it stands, JPP is slated to be on the books for $16.934MM in 2017. Given that they have already added a decent-sized contract in Brandon Marshall, the Giants don’t have very much space to work with. No one expected the G-Men to go on a shopping spree like they did one year ago, but multiple holes still need to be addressed on both sides of the ball. Right now, it looks like they’ll focus more on the draft to get those upgrades.

Pierre-Paul played in 12 games before his 2016 ended in December on account of core muscle surgery, though he showed well with seven sacks and three forced fumbles. Pierre-Paul also ranked 13th among Pro Football Focus’ 109 qualified edge defenders and totaled the league’s 15th-most QB hurries (24).

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Gruden

March 5th, 2017 at 6:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Had the Giants let Jason Pierre-Paul hit free agency instead of franchise-tagging him for the second time, the Cowboys were prepared to intervene. Dallas was going to attempt to pry JPP away from the Giants if he were available, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports. While fitting Pierre-Paul’s high-end salary demands would have been difficult for a Cowboys team that as of now has the least cap room in the league at $3.3MM, Jerry Jones wants to upgrade his team’s pass-rushing corps.

A source informed Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram the Cowboys are seeking help at pass-rusher and wide receiver this offseason. An interest at wideout seems interesting given that the Cowboys stand to return their top three pass-catchers from 2016, with only Terrance Williams being a free agent, and the team having shifted to a run-based offense. Dallas plans to try and retain Williams, but only at a certain price, per Hill. If the sides can’t work something out, the Cowboys will target a receiver in free agency or the draft.

“We can’t come up empty. We have somebody meaningful there. They are part of our core strategy. But it’s two [positions]. It’s not nine,” Jones said, without identifying those positions. “And I think we have the cap room and whatever we resolve with Tony [Romo], I feel confident we will not lose on those two.”

Here’s more from the NFC East.
  • The Giants have made an effort to keep Johnathan Hankins, but he’s likely going to test the market, Vacchiano reports, adding that the defensive tackle will almost certainly leave the Giants if he reaches free agency. Vacchiano notes the feeling around the league is Hankins is not quite on Damon Harrison‘s level, but his age (25 in three weeks) should help him secure a deal in Harrison range. Vacchiano estimates Hankins will fetch a deal that pays him around $7MM or $8MM per year. The Giants have just more than $14MM in cap space after spending to fortify their defense last season. Their defensive line contains per-year payments of $17MM (Olivier Vernon) and $9.25MM (Harrison), and coupled with Pierre-Paul’s $16.9MM price tag, it’s unlikely Big Blue can afford to keep Hankins.
  • Despite that lofty price for tagging JPP again, the Giants would be OK with the eighth-year defensive end playing the season on the tag. Vacchiano notes. The sides remain far apart in talks. The Giants want to keep as much of their defense together for a Super Bowl run during the final three years of Eli Manning‘s contract, Vacchiano writes, but would be hamstrung by Pierre-Paul’s 2017 salary if it’s unable to be reduced via extension.
  • The Giants are likely to cut or reduce the salary of linebacker J.T. Thomas, Vacchiano writes. Signed to three-year, $10MM deal in 2015, Thomas missed 15 games last season after starting 11 in his first Giants slate. A Thomas cut would create $3MM in cap room while saddling the Giants with a $1MM dead money charge.
  • Jay Gruden‘s two-year Redskins extension came together quickly after an impromptu meeting at the Combine, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports. Team president Bruce Allen and Gruden’s agent, Bob LaMonte, met in Indianapolis and agreed to tack two more years on top of the two that remain on his initial Washington deal. La Canfora notes how this will help counter some of the concerns about GM Scot McCloughan‘s status with the team.
  • Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Jonathan Casillas received small performance-escalator bonuses, per Vacchiano. The fourth-year Giants corner and third-year linebacker will each receive $500K bonuses in their 2017 salaries. DRC will make $6.98MM in base salary, while Casillas will earn $2.75MM.

Giants Not In Running For Adrian Peterson?

March 3rd, 2017 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have been heavily connected to Adrian Peterson ever since his option was officially declined by the Vikings. It turns out, they might not be a player for No. 28. The Giants aren’t in the running for Peterson, according to multiple sources who spoke with Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Adrian Peterson

Last year, the Giants went on a free agent spending spree that saw them add three high-priced players to the defense. This time around, it could be a much quieter March. In addition to Peterson being unlikely, Raanan hears the Giants are not expected to go after a high-end left tackle, guard, middle linebacker, or wide receiver. All of those positions are needs for the G-Men, but they won’t be satisfied with the best players at each spot.

This spring might not be as exciting as the last one, but the Giants are still willing to loosen up the purse strings to lock down their own top free agents. They are working hard to re-sign defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and to extend Jason Pierre-Paul after his franchise tag. There have also “been talks” about new deals for free agents like linebacker Keenan Robinson, guard John Jerry, backup quarterback Josh Johnson, and cornerback Coty Sensabaugh, Raanan writes.

2017 NFL Franchise Tag Players

March 1st, 2017 at 3:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The deadline to designate franchise or transition players for 2017 has passed. Here’s the rundown of the players that were tagged, plus the candidates that did not receive the designation:

Franchise players (exclusive):

Franchise players (non-exclusive):

*second tag; players receive raise over designated salary for position tender

Candidates who didn’t receive tags:

Giants, JPP Far Apart In Contract Talks

February 28th, 2017 at 5:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Giants have been working to re-sign franchise-tagged defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, but the two sides are “nowhere near a deal,’’ agent Doug Hendrickson told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post on Monday. As a result, the Giants had to tag Pierre-Paul to keep him from hitting the open market March 9, and Schwartz expects the decision to “infuriate” the seven-year veteran.

Jason Pierre-Paul

While Pierre-Paul will rake in $16.955MM via the tag in 2017 if he and the Giants don’t agree to a long-term deal by the July deadline, he likely expected to end up with a similar annual value on a multiyear contract in free agency. Pierre-Paul would’ve been one of the most accomplished defenders available, having tallied 50 sacks and 11 forced fumbles to this stage, and proven pass rushers command premium prices on the open market. Exhibit A: The five-year, $85.5MM deal featuring $52MM in guarantees that the Giants handed Olivier Vernon a year ago.

Even though Pierre-Paul, 28, is both two years older and far less durable than Vernon, he had been targeting a similar payday as of late January. When asked Monday if that’s still the case, Hendrickson said, “I don’t want to get into that.” He also lamented the fact that Pierre-Paul won’t get to measure his worth in free agency.

“He’s earned the right to see what’s out there,” opined Hendrickson.

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