A Christmas wish list for New York Giants fans

3. A smart offseason

Dec 7, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; New York Giants defensive end

(90) leaves the field after his team defeated the Tennessee Titans 36-7 during the second half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit:

-USA TODAY Sports

Notice I didn’t say an exciting offseason. Last year the Giants has a free agency frenzy, but things didn’t necessarily turn out too well. This offseason the Giants should shy away from spending too much money, and they should focus on what they need.

Whether or not to re-sign defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is a big decision. JPP will likely want premier pass-rusher money, but he’s transformed into more of a run stopper. JPP has expressed his interest in remaining a Giant for life, so he could possibly take a “home-town discount.” To his credit, Pierre-Paul has turned it on as of late, as he’s helped lead the New York pass rush to 22 sacks in the last three games, per NFL.com. JPP currently has 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and six pass deflections. Pierre-Paul has six sacks in the past three games, so it’s not like he’s been dominant all year. However, he’ll be 26 next year and young pass rushers can command a lot of money.

If the Giants decide to get rid of Mathias Kiwanuka and leave him home alone in New York, then the Giants will likely have enough money to give to JPP a reasonable contract. Some people speculate JPP is seeking a contract ranging from $11 million to $13 million. Both prices are reasonable, and Pierre-Paul has had a much better year than he has the previous two years.

Antrel Rolle is another player whose contract is up for renewal, and I think the Giants should definitely bring him back. He’s a good safety, even at 32, and he’s the vocal leader of the defense and he brings a certain swagger to the secondary. If the Giants are looking to save money, they should cut ties with Kiwanuka and ask Will Beatty to take a pay cut.

If the Giants can figure out what they want to do with JPP and Rolle, then the Giants can afford to try to lure players to the team. As previously mentioned, Ndamukong Suh might be interested with joining the Giants, but re-signing JPP and signing Suh would be difficult. For the Giants to get both Suh and JPP, they would need a miracle like they were on 34th street. At this juncture, I would view re-signing JPP as a higher priority than signing other players in free agency.

The Giants still need help on the offensive line, so finding some affordable, but reliable players in free agency would be great.

It’s like what mothers say to their children during the Christmas season: “Only ask Santa for things you’re going to use.”

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