New York Giants: Jason Pierre-Paul Signing Excellent For Defense, Awful For Offense

The New York Giants reportedly signed star defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to a four-year deal, which could help the defense, but hamper the offense.

According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the New York Giants will sign defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to a four-year agreement. The details of the agreement haven’t been finalized, but one can assume the terms will be similar to the one signed by 2016 free agent acquisition Olivier Vernon. The word out of JPP’s camp was the 28-year-old veteran wanted Vernon money.

If Pierre-Paul sought dollars akin to Vernon’s deal and he got what he asked for, then the Giants could be in salary cap trouble. Vernon carries a cap hit of $16-19.5 million (per Spotrac) over the remaining four years of his contract. Prior to the signing, the Giants had a little less than $23 million left under the salary cap for 2017 (according to Spotrac), which is slightly below the league average. The Pierre-Paul contract would probably bring the available space down to $6 million, or less.

The cash-strapped Giants should release high-cost, low-output players like J.T. Thomas and Dwayne Harris to free up some room, because the team has a few players who warrant big money when their contracts expire.

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Offensive line stalwarts Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg become unrestricted free agents in 2018. Pugh has a cap hit of almost $9 million in 2017 and should see an average annual salary in that ballpark over the next four to five years. Richburg only has a cap hit of around $1.5 million, but should expect at least $5 million per year and possibly upwards of $10 million per year if his performance progresses.

Odell Beckham and Landon Collins are scheduled to hit the market in 2019. Right now, Beckham has a market value of $15.2 million per year, according to Spotrac. Should Beckham mature under the tutelage of Brandon Marshall and his level of play remains high, that figure will grow. If Collins continues to kill it, he should expect a deal worth at least $7 to $8 million per year.

For the Giants to retain Pugh, Richburg, and Beckham, something has to give. Eli Manning might have to restructure his contract again. The team might have to trade Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Ereck Flowers could be a salary cap casualty.

With the future of New York’s offense up in the air, the Giants defense appears set to repeat their success from 2016 over the next four years. Big Blue should add some inexpensive depth at linebacker and in the secondary through the NFL Draft. If the old adage “Defense wins championships” holds any weight, the Giants are in prime position to acquire a few Lombardi Trophies. But, the uncertainty surrounding the current Giants offense and its future prospects is undeniable.

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