Jason Pierre-Paul: Giants make right move with franchise tag
By Ryan Ratty
With the deadline approaching, the New York Giants officially placed the franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul.
The New York Giants were horrible in 2014. However, caught in the midst of the bad season was Jason Pierre-Paul’s resurgence.
More from NFL
- Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
- Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
- Chargers loosen grip on checkbook to pay Justin Herbert: Best memes and tweets
- Patriots backup plan for DeAndre Hopkins is a shot in the dark
- Raiders: Saquon Barkley’s new contract may have screwed over Josh Jacobs
After bursting onto the scene in the 2011 NFL season, his second professional season, Pierre-Paul was monumental to the Giants’ Super Bowl run. However, he disappointed tremendously in 2012 and 2013.
2014 was a different story, as Pierre-Paul showed off again his uber potential and his freakish athleticism.
Pierre-Paul had 76 tackles and 12.5 sacks. The scary thing about Pierre-Paul is that he showed off his ability again in his contract year, which raises a ton of questions. Making the smart decision, the Giants placed the franchise tag on the defensive end.
Officially: Dez Bryant, Justin Houston, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Demaryius Thomas have been franchise tagged, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2015
[Considering his maturity issues as well as his inconsistent production, this was the right move for the Giants and general manager Jerry Reese.
If Pierre-Paul continues his 2014 form, then Reese will have the cap space to sign Pierre-Paul to a long-term deal. However, if his production stunts again and he fails to show consistency, the Giants will look smart not handing out that long-term deal.
By placing the franchise tag on Pierre-Paul, the Giants will pay the South Florida product $14.78 million for the 2015 season. With the ninth pick in this year’s draft, the Giants will have the opportunity to bring in a talented prospect.
With needs across the offensive line, in the linebacker group, and in the secondary, the Giants will have the ability to add many promising prospects. However, by bringing back Pierre-Paul for another year, the Giants will likely not spend that draft pick on a pass rusher.
The Giants come away winners from this day by franchise tagging the 26-year-old.
More from FanSided
- Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
- Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
- Braves-Red Sox start time: Braves rain delay in Boston on July 25
- Yankees: Aaron Boone gives optimistic return date for Aaron Judge
- MLB Rumors: Yankees-Phillies trade showdown, Mariners swoop, India goes to Seattle