Giants Could Have $40MM In Cap Space
- After some “maneuvering,” ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets that the Giants could have nearly $40MM in cap room this offseason. The Giants have a number of key players reaching free agency this summer, including defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and cornerback Coty Sensabaugh.
[SOURCE LINK]
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/17
Wednesday’s minor moves:
Reserve/Futures Contracts
New York Giants
New York Jets
- WR Deshon Foxx
- FB Julian Howsare
- WR Myles White
Philadelphia Eagles
- OL Josh LeRibeus
- WR Dom Williams
Practice Squad
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Gus Johnson
- Practice squad/injured: RB Dreamius Smith
Giants Likely To Add Developmental QB
Giants starting quarterback Eli Manning is now 36 years old and coming off one of the worst seasons of his 13-year career, two factors which will likely press New York into acquiring a developmental quarterback during the offseason, as general manager Jerry Reese told reporters, including Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com and Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. “We always think about every position. But Eli is 36, and we have started to think about who is the next quarterback, and who is in line,” Reese said on Monday. “So we will look into that as we move into the offseason.”
[RELATED: JPP Won’t Sign One-Year Deal]
Manning, who is signed thorough the 2019 campaign with cap charges around $20MM in each of the next three seasons, is fresh off a disappointing season in which he posted a Total Quarterback Rating of just 52.2, his worst mark since 2013. The Giants still posted an 11-5 record, but that was largely on the strength of their No. 2 DVOA defense, as opposed to the club’s offense, which ranked just 22nd. Still, Reese and the rest of the front office aren’t aiming to replace Manning immediately.
“I don’t think (36) is ancient for a quarterback,” Reese said. “I think he is probably on the back nine, but I don’t think that is ancient for a quarterback, and he is taking care of himself really well, and I thought he finished the season strong.”
The 2017 draft doesn’t offer a “sure-thing” option at quarterback, but the class is chock full of signal-callers who could be selected in the mid rounds with an eye toward development. While Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, and DeShone Kizer figure to be drafted on Day 1, CBSSports.com’s Big Board lists Brad Kaaya, Pat Mahomes, Nathan Peterman, Davis Webb, and Jerod Evans as candidate to be selected on Days 2 and 3.
JPP: I Won’t Sign Another One-Year Deal
Last year, Jason Pierre-Paul found that teams were “hesitant” to offer him a long-term deal and he wound up re-signing with the Giants on a one-year pact. Now that he has delivered for two consecutive seasons since damaging his hand in the infamous fireworks accident, the defensive end is not willing to accept another prove-it deal. 
[RELATED: PFR’s 2017 NFL Free Agent Power Rankings]
“I’ve done proved it … There’s not a guy like me doing it with seven-and-a-half fingers,” Pierre-Paul said (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com).
It’s hard to argue. On the year, JPP ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 12 edge defender, placing him just ahead of the Seahawks’ Michael Bennett, high-priced teammate Olivier Vernon, and a host of other big name players. JPP’s overall score of 86.2 is his best showing since 2012 and it’s clear that he is just as menacing now as he was back when he had all ten digits. This year, JPP had 53 total tackles and seven sacks in just 12 games.
JPP, unfortunately, suffered a groin injury late in the season and was forced to go under the knife in December. The Giants got smoked by the Packers on Sunday, but the veteran says that he would have been able to play had the Giants advanced to the next round (Twitter link).
Pierre-Paul was listed in the honorable mention section of our latest Free Agent Power Rankings. If, as expected, a few players in the top ten re-sign with their respective teams before the start of free agency, JPP is a good bet to make the top ten.
Latest On Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul
- Despite a report that Jason Pierre-Paul could return for the divisional round and possibly even Wild Card weekend, the timeline has not changed for the Giants star, a source tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. That means JPP is still looking at a conference round return as his best-case scenario. The defensive end is still just one month removed from sports hernia/groin surgery.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/27/16
Tuesday’s practice squad changes:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DE Martin Ifedi, TE Darion Griswold
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: QB Dustin Vaughan
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Antwan Goodley
- Placed on P-Squad IR: TE Devon Cajuste
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Brandon Shippen
New York Giants
- Signed: QB Keith Wenning, RB Jacob Huesman, S Ryan Murphy
Seattle Seahawks
Latest On Giants’ Jason Pierre-Paul
The Giants still have a glimmer of hope that Jason Pierre-Paul could return in time for Wild Card weekend, sources tell Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. However, the team is feeling more confident about his ability to play in the divisional round of the playoffs, if the Giants reach that point. 
JPP has missed several games with a groin injury and he was forced to go under the knife in early December. At the time, the hope was that he could possibly suit up for the NFC Championship game. He seems to be a little ahead of schedule at this juncture. Of course, JPP is no stranger to beating long odds. Many wrote him off before the 2015 season when he lost a finger in a fireworks accident, but he looks as good as ever with nine digits.
Pierre-Paul is having one of his best NFL seasons ever. Currently, Pro Football Focus has him ranked as the tenth-best defensive end in the league. That’s two spots ahead of high-priced teammate Olivier Vernon.
At 10-5, the Giants are locked into the No. 5 seed in the playoffs. They will play the Lions, Packers, Seahawks, or Falcons in the opening round.
Buccaneers To Bench Doug Martin Again
Buccaneers running back Doug Martin was a healthy scratch against New Orleans over the weekend and he’ll also be inactive for the season finale against Carolina, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes. With Martin out of the picture, the Bucs plan to sign running back Russell Hansbrough off of the Giants’ practice squad. 
Since returning from a hamstring injury, Martin has struggled to regain the form that made him a top running back in the league. Now, his future with the Bucs is not clear as the offseason approaches. Martin is signed to a five-year, $35.75MM contract he inked last March, including $15MM guaranteed. Releasing Martin this offseason would not save the team any money against the 2017 cap, so their options are limited.
Jacquizz Rodgers started in place of Martin on Saturday and rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Although he’s had his moments this season, like his 154-yard game against the Niners in October, Rodgers might not be what the team has in mind for a No. 1 RB next season.
Florio: Giants Receive Preferential Treatment
- The Giants clinched their first playoff berth in five years Saturday, but a view around the league is they’ve received a reputation of seeing leniency from the commissioner’s office. This comes after they were penalized a maximum of 12 draft slots for their walkie-talkie infraction. “My understanding is that folks inside the Giants organization, they generally win the jump balls,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said during a radio appearance (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com). “They have that working in their favor. The John Mara connection. Look, it’s a league where the commissioner formally answers to the owners, so the most influential owners are going to have the greatest influence on the commissioner. Teams realize [they] don’t have any juice with the commissioner and other teams do. The Giants do. It’s not a surprise.” When comparing this penalty to the league docking the Chiefs a third-round pick for committing a common violation regarding premature free agency dialogue with Jeremy Maclin, Florio categorized the Giants as getting off easy.
Giants Have Draft Pick Downgraded
The league has ruled on the Giants’ walkie-talkie use from Week 14. The Giants will have their fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft moved to the end of the round, following any compensatory picks, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. In addition, the team has been fined $150K and coach Ben McAdoo has been fined $50K. 
During Sunday’s game against Dallas, the Giants’ “coach-to-quarterback system” malfunctioned, preventing Eli Manning from receiving play calls from McAdoo. To resolve the issue, McAdoo used a walkie-talkie to communicate to Manning, which is against NFL rules. The league forbids coaches from communicating with quarterbacks when there are less than 15 seconds remaining on the play clock, and the walkie-talkie prevented the NFL from monitoring the situation. Coaches are also not allowed to hold two-way radios during a game.
After the game, the Cowboys asked the league to investigate. Their petition to the principal’s office worked and the Giants could now fall several spots in the fourth round of the draft.