Jason Pierre-Paul: 5 best fits in NFL free agency
By James Dudko
Here are the five best fits for New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul in 2017 NFL Free Agency, including signing with the defending Super Bowl champions.
Jason Pierre-Paul remains one of the premier defensive ends in the NFL, despite never quite replicating the form he showed during the New York Giants’ last Super Bowl run in 2011.
Even so, JPP will rightly command a lot of attention in the 2017 NFL Free Agency market, should Big Blue fail to bring him back. There are plenty of teams who could use a D-end with this much versatility, including Super Bowl LI champions the New England Patriots.
The Pats are one of four teams from the AFC who help make up the five best fits for Pierre-Paul in free agency. Read on for the full list:
5. Cincinnati Bengals
In terms of playing style and philosophy, JPP won’t find a more natural fit than signing for the Cincinnati Bengals. The AFC North outfit still plays a classic 4-3 on head coach Marvin Lewis’ watch, a scheme where the ends are the primary pass-rushers.
Playing in Cincy would let Pierre-Paul focus more on his core skills, namely rushing the passer and consistently collapsing the edge. He also wouldn’t have to be a one-man show, as he occasionally has been in the Big Apple.
In fact, Pierre-Paul would join a deep and talented D-line rotation if he signed with the Bengals. It’s a rotation already including bookends Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson. Meanwhile, tackle Geno Atkins is as disruptive as any interior defender in the NFL.
Yet while the Bengals have talent up front, things have been getting a little stale. Lewis’ core group has played together for years and production has been dipping, with Johnson managing just 3.5 sacks in 2016.
The slow erosion of the front four is the main reason why Cincinnati ranked a lowly 17th in yards allowed. It’s also why Pierre-Paul makes perfect sense for a franchise with $46,784,910 worth of cap space to make a deal happen.