Jason Pierre-Paul

NFC East Notes: Randle, Cousins, JPP

According to reports from Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, Cowboys running back Joseph Randle – upset with his demotion – left the team’s facility on Wednesday, skipping a treatment session for a strained oblique. It sounds as if Randle will return to the team on Thursday, and Hill’s sources downplay the notion that the running back left the team because he was upset about being surpassed on the depth chart by Darren McFadden.

Still, Randle’s decision to go AWOL frustrated some members of the Cowboys staff, and isn’t a great look for a player who has had his share of off-field issues in the past — as Hill notes, Randle has been arrested twice since last October, and “drew the ire” of the Cowboys when he made comments in the offseason about DeMarco Murray leaving “meat on the bone” last season.

We’ll have to wait and see if there’s any fallout to Randle’s absence, but if the Cowboys’ public support of Greg Hardy is any indication, it might just be a matter of time until Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones are issuing votes of confidence for Randle.

Here’s more from out of the NFC East:

  • It seems as if there has been more discussion and speculation about Robert Griffin III‘s contract situation beyond 2015 than Kirk Cousins‘ situation, but Washington‘s current starting quarterback is eligible for free agency this winter. Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com examines the possible scenarios for Cousins, suggesting that he thinks a short-term deal with Washington is the most likely outcome.
  • The Giants will have a roster exemption for Jason Pierre-Paul until November 9, meaning the team won’t have to officially move the recovering defensive end to its 53-man roster until then, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
  • Newsday’s Bob Glauber takes a look at Pierre-Paul’s return to the Giants, writing that it’s worth rooting for JPP to make good on his second chance.

Giants Re-Sign Jason Pierre-Paul

WEDNESDAY, 1:54pm: According to Rapoport (via Twitter), Pierre-Paul can earn up to about $8.7MM on his one-year contract, which is the prorated portion of his franchise tag. However, the guarantee is lower than that, and the deal includes plenty of incentives.

TUESDAY, 6:46pm: The Giants officially announced the signing of JPP.

6:22pm: The Giants will ask for a two-week roster exemption for Pierre-Paul, who” could be on the field in some form or fashion tomorrow,” Rapoport tweets.

6:10pm: The Giants will sign Jason Pierre-Paul tonight, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). JPP is officially back with big blue, though it remains to be seen when he’ll make his debut. It’ll be a one-year deal (link) and the two parties are working on finalizing the language. Jason Pierre-Paul

There are currently conflicting reports on when JPP will make his return to the field. The most recent word came from Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News who heard from a source that Week 12 against Washington is the most likely possibility. There was some thought that JPP could be ready for the Patriots on November 15th, but that source says that a post-bye week return is more realistic.

The Giants waited a long time to get a look at JPP’s hand and when they finally got a chance to examine it early in the season, they were not comfortable with giving him the green light. The defensive end finally circled back to Big Blue in the last week, however, and they are ostensibly satisfied with what they saw. Pierre-Paul is not only down a digit, but he reportedly also suffered a broken middle finger and also lost a piece of his thumb.

Pierre-Paul had a strong 2014 campaign with 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles and was the league’s seventh-best 4-3 defensive end according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). At the end of the season, JPP found himself entangled in a contract dispute with the Giants. The Giants slapped the defensive end with a one-year, $14.813MM franchise tender to keep him, but Pierre-Paul was fighting for a lucrative long-term deal. Big Blue reportedly came to the table with a ~$60MM offer, but Pierre-Paul turned it down.

In July, of course, things took a bizarre and unfortunate turn when JPP injured his hand in a fireworks accident. For a while there, Pierre-Paul was rather distant from the organization and even from his teammates. Despite the frosty summer between the two parties, the Giants are undoubtedly ecstatic to have their star defensive lineman back in the fold. Outside of JPP, the Giants don’t have any players who have recorded more than 7.0 sacks in a season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jason Pierre-Paul Rumors: 10/27/15

Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul reported to the team facility on Monday for the second time in the last two months, and the first time since the regular season began. Depending on the outcome of his all-important physical exam, a contract agreement between the two sides looms as a possibility. Here’s the latest on JPP and the Giants:

  • A Giants source believes that JPP could be ready right after the team’s bye week, which would mean a Week 12 comeback against Washington, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. There was some thought that JPP could be ready for the Patriots on November 15th, but the source said that a post-bye week return was more realistic.

Earlier updates:

  • There are still details to work out, but the Giants and Pierre-Paul are working through contract negotiations with the hopes of getting something done today, says Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. If that happens, the hope inside the building is that JPP can get back in shape in time to debut in Week 10 against the Patriots.
  • The Giants are comfortable with where Pierre-Paul is physically, and have entered contract negotiations, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). If the two sides can work out the terms of that contract and reach an incentive-laden, one-year deal, the Giants will sign JPP as soon as today, and get a roster exemption for him to return to practice, according to Rapoport.
  • According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter links), the physical exam went “way better” this time than it did back in September, when Pierre-Paul was fresh out of surgery. Raanan is hearing that there’s more optimism now that JPP may be able to play this season.
  • The Giants and Pierre-Paul’s representatives have talked about working out a one-year, incentive-laden deal, which would lock up JPP through the end of the 2015 campaign, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter links). While there’s no guarantee such an agreement gets done, the two sides are hopeful. According to Graziano, the club’s goal would be to get JPP into the building to rehab and practice, getting him ready to perhaps return to the field by Week 10 or 12.

NFC East Notes: JPP, Hardy, Cowboys

Jason Pierre-Paul‘s visit to Giants was reported to the league as an official free agent visit, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That makes the visit his second of that type and there will be no more allowed, so the JPP saga has to end soon.

Here’s more from the NFC East..

  • JPP won’t be able to just swoop in and fix the Giants‘ woeful pass rush, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes. The best the Giants can hope for, the Daily News scribe opines, is that maybe he can squeeze out a few plays in a few games near the end of the season. Even then, team sources tell Vacchiano that they’re skeptical he’ll be able to make a mark for the Giants down the stretch.
  • Cowboys star defensive end Greg Hardy was not on time for practice on Thursday and didn’t call the team, leading the club to start calling around and ask about his whereabouts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Ultimately, Hardy was listed as a DNP with an “illness.” It’s not immediately clear what the issue was but it would appear that the Cowboys are having issues with their marquee offseason addition.
  • Hardy will not be disciplined for his sideline blowup on Sunday, head coach Jason Garrett told reporters (via Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram on Twitter). However, the coach added that the Cowboys have talked to him.
  • Jason Pierre-Paul Reports To Giants

    2:54pm: According to Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network (Twitter link), the Giants will want any contract with Pierre-Paul to feature incentives for playing-time and production. As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter), if JPP thinks he’s getting his full remaining salary guaranteed, he has been misled.

    Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains why Pierre-Paul probably should have signed his franchise tender weeks – or months – ago.

    1:42pm: As expected, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has reported to the Giants for the first time since the 2015 regular season began. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that JPP arrived at the team’s facility earlier this afternoon.

    We’ve heard from Cole and other reporters over the last 24 hours that Pierre-Paul and his camp are confident that the veteran pass rusher is healthy enough to sign his franchise tender and start playing for the Giants immediately. However, there were rumblings before the season that JPP thought he was close to returning, and the team disagreed at that point, sending him back home to recover further. So we’ll have to wait to see what the club thinks this time around.

    A physical exam of Pierre-Paul’s hand looms large, and Cole tweets that Dr. Robert Hotchkiss, the Giants’ team doctor, will evaluate JPP to see if he’ll be able to play with a glove on that injured hand.

    If the club decides that the 26-year-old is ready, it may be as simple as having him sign his franchise tender and getting him back on the field. However, there may be some additional issues to sort out — Pierre-Paul will want assurances that the Giants won’t place him on the non-football injury list, where the team could withhold his pay, and the club may want to reduce JPP’s 2015 salary in exchange for that concession.

    NFC Notes: Levy, Lions, JPP, Hardy

    A week after undergoing surgery on his troublesome hip, Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy is still contemplating trying to return this year, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details. Asked why he isn’t shutting it down for the season, Levy replied, “We’re not mathematically out of it yet, are we?”

    Of course, no team is mathematically out of the postseason yet, and no team will be for several more weeks. But with the Lions in the NFC North cellar at 1-6, the playoffs seem awfully unlikely, so I’d be surprised if Levy doesn’t land on IR within the next couple weeks.

    Here’s more from across the NFC:

    • After another disappointing loss in Week 7, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said his team isn’t making any changes to its coaching staff this week, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
    • If Jason Pierre-Paul were to sign his franchise tender with the Giants, and the team placed him on the non-football injury list for the rest of the season, it would likely result in the NFLPA filing a protest over the move, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The union’s goal would presumably be to get Pierre-Paul free agent status, rather than having the Giants keep him under team control.
    • While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones supported Greg Hardy publicly, there are people within the organization that view the defensive end’s behavior as “juvenile,” says Cole in a separate video. The team seems invested in Hardy for this season, but Cole thinks that the former Panther will have to change his attitude in order for his time in Dallas to last more than just one year.
    • The Falcons worked out former Tuskegee linebacker Quavon Taylor last Friday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

    Latest On Jason Pierre-Paul

    Injured defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is expected to visit the Giants this week, probably on Tuesday, according to multiple reports. Of course, JPP was considered likely to report to the team last week, and that didn’t happen, so we’ll have to wait to confirm that this is the week that the two sides reunite.

    According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), Pierre-Paul will report to the Giants on either Monday or Tuesday, with the intent to sign his franchise tender and return to the field. However, Cole cautions that the standout pass rusher would have to pass a physical from the club.

    Per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, who also expects JPP to report by Tuesday, the situation is still “murky” and may not be close to a resolution. As Graziano writes, the 26-year-old believes his injured hand has recovered enough for him to play immediately, but the team may not see it that way, and there’s no guarantee New York even clears him to play at all this season.

    With Pierre-Paul’s franchise tender still unsigned, he likely wouldn’t put pen to paper unless he receives assurances that the Giants won’t place him on the non-football injury list — if he lands on NFI, he wouldn’t necessarily be paid. For New York to make that promise though, the team may need JPP to agree to reduce his salary for 2015, so there are a handful of moving parts in play.

    Before Pierre-Paul and the Giants determine their next course of action, the team will have to once again examine his hand. The last time New York’s doctors got a look at that injured hand was in early September, just before the regular season began, so it’s possible the club will be pleased with the progress JPP has made over the last seven weeks. If so, then the two sides would engage in negotiations about a potential return — if not, the former first-round pick will probably remain unsigned for a little while longer.

    NFC Links: Kaepernick, Cardinals, JPP

    Some assorted notes from around the NFC…

    • Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman could envision the Eagles trading for embattled quarterback Colin Kaepernick following the season (via Twitter). The 49ers signal-caller has previously shown the skills that Chip Kelly covets, and Freeman believes (via Twitter) the coach is convinced that he can fix any quarterback.
    • Furthermore, Freeman tweets that scouts are attributing the 49ers offensive issues on the offensive line and coaching staff, not the quarterback.
    • It could be in the 49ers best interest in bench Kaepernick, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. The quarterback’s contract calls for more than $31MM in guaranteed money for injury, meaning the organization would be in quite the financial hole if Kaepernick were to go down.
    • Over the past few years, the Cardinals have added some big names during the first weeks of free agency. However, Kent Somers of AZCentral.com says the team should be commended for the under-the-radar moves that have often come later in the summer. Jermaine Gresham and Chris Johnson were among the Cardinals’ later additions this past summer, with Karlos Dansby, John Abraham and Tommy Kelly being previous examples.
    • Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter) has serious doubts as to whether Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will return this season.

    Giants Notes: JPP, Beatty, Coughlin

    Here’s a quick look at the Giants and an update on the status of their star defensive end..

    • When asked for an update on Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants coach Tom Coughlin told reporters, “I wish I knew,” according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). When asked if he’d be coming in today (Wednesday), Coughlin said “Not that I know of.”
    • Despite previous indications to the contrary, JPP did not come to the tri-state area on Wednesday, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter). The defensive end is still expected to meet with Giants doctors at some point this week, however.
    • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that there are no set plans for a JPP visit with the Giants yet. It may happen, but it may not be this week and it could drag on until next week.
    • Coughlin told reporters, including Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter), that tackle Will Beatty (PUP) practiced on Wednesday. The Giants now have three weeks from now to activate him or put him on injured reserve.

    NFC East Notes: JPP, RGIII, Bradford

    Here’s a look at the NFC East..

    • The Giants have kept an open mind that Jason Pierre-Paul could perhaps return at some point in the second half of the season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). That’s somewhat contradictory to other reports which indicated that the Giants are pessimistic about JPP’s hand and his chances of returning to the field anytime soon. The defensive end is in transit to New York where he could soon get another medical evaluation.
    • JPP won’t be showing up at the Giants‘ facility on Wednesday as originally planned, according to Jason Cole of BR (on Twitter). However, whether he shows up this week at all will be determined on Wednesday.
    • On Sunday, Robert Griffin III was in uniform for Washington for the first time this season, but he did not play. That was a football decision and not a financial one, coach Jay Gruden claims. “That’s not an obstacle for me,” said Gruden, according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com, when asked if Griffin’s 2016 salary has been factor in the decision to not play him. “For my line of thought, my line of thinking, no.” Griffin lost his starting job to Kirk Cousins in the preseason and was inactive the first five games, while Colt McCoy has been serving as the No. 2. With six starters sidelined on Sunday, however, Griffin was elevated to the 46-man game day roster.
    • Sam Bradford had a dreadful Monday night performance, but Eagles coach Chip Kelly says he won’t be making a quarterback change. “Sam’s our quarterback. We have full confidence in Sam,” Kelly told reporters, as Tyler Dragon of NFL.com writes. The Eagles acquired Bradford from the Rams in a high-profile offseason quarterback swap. The pending free agent was approached about a contract extension but he chose instead to bet on himself. At this time, that gamble appears to be a poor decision.