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NFL New York Giants

New York Giants Must Make Re-Signing Jason Pierre-Paul Top Offseason Priority

Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants

Andrew Weber-USA Today Sports

When the New York Giants selected Jason Pierre-Paul with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, they knew they were taking a risk. The kid from the University of South Florida was very raw but his upside was hard to ignore. After his breakout year in 2011, the Giants thought they had a cornerstone of their defense for many years to come, but since that season, Pierre-Paul has been very inconsistent. With his contract about to run out, the Giants have a huge decision to make regarding whether to retain JPP or let him walk.

There will be people on both sides of the argument on this one, but I lean more towards the Giants re-signing Pierre-Paul. I can definitely understand the people who will say don’t re-sign him, though, and here’s why.

In the offseason, Pierre-Paul is going to be asking for big time money. He will probably ask to be paid like one of the best defensive ends in football, but the fact is that since 2011 he only has 12 sacks in 38 games. While he has the ability to take over a game all by himself he has not been very consistent.

In the 2012 and 2013 seasons, there were a number of factors as to why Pierre-Paul didn’t duplicate his 2011 performance, including constant double-teams and injuries. But if you want to be paid like a top defensive end you have to handle double-teams.

Coming into the 2014 season, Pierre-Paul was expected to have a monster season. He had proclaimed himself fully healthy for the first time since 2011, and he was going to be playing for a new contract. Now 11 games into the season, JPP has had some outstanding games but only has 3.5 sacks. He has also had a couple of games that make you wonder if he’s worth the big bucks.

All of this said, I still think the Giants need to pay Pierre-Paul this offseason for a myriad of reasons. The first reason is that his game is not just about sacks. Pierre-Paul is one of, if not the best run-stuffing defensive ends in the league. Teams usually try to run away from his side, and if they don’t he is typically the one making the stop.

The second reason is his potential. JPP is still only 25 years old and has a lot of years left before he is done. He came into the league with not much football experience and had a lot to learn. The idea that he could replicate that 2011 season is reason enough for the Giants to keep him, because when he was at his best he was one of the most dominant players in the league.

The final reason is that the Giants don’t have anyone to replace him, and as it is the Giants are struggling to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Mathias Kiwanuka starts opposite Pierre-Paul and gets the majority of the snaps, but he is not much of a pass rusher and will likely not be back with the Giants next season. Robert Ayers has been the Giants’ best pass rusher this year with five sacks and he will be back next year, but the Giants only use him in a rotation. Damontre Moore is the end, aside from Pierre-Paul, with the most upside, but the Giants don’t trust him as a run defender.

The bottom line is that Pierre-Paul is the total package you look for in a defensive end. He stops the run, gets after the quarterback and strikes fear into opposing teams. The Giants should do everything they can to re-sign him in the offseason and give him more help on the line so that he can return to his dominant 2011 form. If they don’t, some other team might reap the benefits of all of the hard work they put into developing him.

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