Jason Pierre-Paul Expected To Get $15M Per Year On Open Market, Giants Could Franchise Him?

According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, “word on the street” is that the Giants are trying to keep their defense intact by attempting to retain free agent DE Jason Pierre-Paul and DT Johnathan Hankins.

However, doing so won’t be easy for New York, especially when you consider the amount of money they’ve already invested in their defense.

Raanan says that the Giants may need to use their franchise tag on Pierre-Paul for the second time, even though they would continue to work on a long-term deal with Pierre-Paul in the months leading up to the deadline to negotiate with franchise players.

After surveying some league sources, Raanan mentions that Pierre-Paul could be in position to secure a four-year, $59 million contract with around $21 million guaranteed as a free agent this offseason. If JPP ends up testing the open market, Raanan lists the Giants, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Cowboys and Browns as potential suitors to watch for Pierre-Paul.

Raanan gives Pierre-Paul a 70-percent chance of being back with the Giants in 2017, but admits that the franchise tag factors heavily into this figure. If the Giants don’t use their tag on him, Raanan believes his chances of returning to New York fall to around 40 percent.

Last week, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reported that the Giants are expected to make a “legitimate run” at re-signing Pierre-Paul to a long-term contract in the days or weeks.

“I do expect them to make a legitimate run in the coming days and weeks,” Garafolo said. “They will try and get a deal done before he can potentially hit the free agent market.”

This came shortly after the team picked up $10 million of available cap space by releasing veteran WR Victor Cruz (NFLTR) and RB Rashad Jennings (NFLTR).

Last month, Pierre-Paul made it clear that he has no intention of signing another one-year contract this offeason.

“I’ve done proved it,” Pierre-Paul said, per Garafolo. “There’s not a guy like me doing it with seven and a half fingers.”

It would cost the Giants 20 percent more to use their franchise on him again in 2017.

Pierre-Paul, 28, is a former first-round pick of the Giants back in 2010. He received the team’s franchise tag last year but later had it rescinded after he suffered a serious injury to his hand.

The two parties later renegotiated a one-year deal worth up to $8.71 million based on incentives and Giants elected to bring him back this past offseason on a one-year, $10 million contract that included $4.25 million guaranteed.

In 2016, Pierre-Paul has appeared in 12 games and recorded 54 tackles, seven sacks, three forced fumbles, a recovery returned for a touchdown and eight pass defenses.

We have him featured in our Top 100 – 2017 Free Agents list.