The New York Giants made their first move in an offseason expected to be filled with them by retaining Jason Pierre-Paul with a one-year deal loaded with incentives. This is a smart signing for all parties involved.
The Giants’ pass rush was awful last year, ranking 30th in the NFL in sacks and ranking dead last in passing yards against. The loss of Pierre-Paul in the beginning of the year was felt throughout the defensive line as they struggled to get any pressure on the opposing quarterback. The defense actually performed better as soon as Pierre-Paul returned, and while he had only one sack last season, he did open things up for Robert Ayers and other members of the defensive line.
Obviously, there are still concerns about Pierre-Paul and his hand. However, there is a very good chance that he will be able to play without the club that he had over it last season. At the very least he should be able to make modifications to it which will give him greater ability when tackling after some obvious issues last year.
If Pierre-Paul is able to play without the club he could have an outstanding year, especially since the Giants will most likely add more help along the defensive line. It is widely believed they will pursue Olivier Vernon of the Miami Dolphins who was given the transition tag. It is widely believed the Dolphins won’t match anything over the $12.7 million he would make with the tag.
Getting a full and healthy season from Pierre-Paul will go a long way to improving the Giants defense and is the first step in getting back on track. If the team wants to get back to the playoffs they will need Pierre-Paul to be at his best, and there is no reason to think he won’t be.
