Jason Pierre-Paul Expects To Play Early This Season
Jason Pierre-Paul plans to return to the Giants next week and expects to be able to play early on in the season, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) adds that the Giants will examine JPP’s hand to determine when he’ll actually be able to get back on the field.
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 lost a finger in a fireworks accident. Since then, Pierre-Paul has been 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.
NFC Notes: JPP, Mathis, Wayne
According to three sources informed of his recovery, Jason Pierre Paul‘s rehab is “progressing very well,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. However, it’s not clear if the Giants star will be in uniform Week 1 against the Cowboys. It’s also not clear when the Giants will get a chance to examine JPP’s hand to get a better read on his situation. Here’s more from the NFC..
- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter), that even though Evan Mathis‘ workout went well, there are “a lot of issues” preventing a deal from happening. The biggest roadblock, unsurprisingly, is Mathis’ asking price. Carroll indicated that the Seahawks can’t offer the guard the $5.5MM salary he earned last year with the Eagles. The Seahawks may have to wait and see if Mathis gets that kind of cash elsewhere. If he doesn’t, then he could bounce back to them, Condotta tweets.
- Reggie Wayne considered waiting for the Packers, but the team did not confirm its interest before Wayne decided to sign with the Patriots, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
- Washington worked out fullback/tight end Evan Rodriguez today, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The versatile Rodriguez spent time on Tampa’s practice squad last year and made five starts with the Bears in 2012.
East Notes: Dolphins, Flynn, Giants, JPP
The Dolphins confirmed today that safety Louis Delmas has torn his ACL for the second time in nine months, and the injury leaves the team scrambling to find a new starter at free safety. While it’s possible that Miami will promote an in-house option to the starting lineup, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) hears that the team will “definitely” look around the league for a possible upgrade, either via trade or a waiver claim later in the preseason.
Despite the fact that Eric Weddle ‘s agent David Canter promoted the idea of a trade that would send his client to the Dolphins, Canter himself acknowledged that such a deal won’t happen, and Miami is unlikely to make a major splash to add a safety. Still, as Salguero suggests, the team is in win-now mode, so if the Dolphins’ backups can’t get the job done, it’s imperative that the club finds someone who can.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- According to head coach Todd Bowles, the Jets considered waiting to sign a quarterback in order to see what other QBs might become available within the next few weeks. However, the club decided to sign Matt Flynn to give him a head start on getting comfortable with the team’s system, and because there was no guarantee he’d still be available in a couple weeks, as Brian Costello of the New York Post details.
- The only scenario in which Eli Manning and the Giants don’t eventually work out a new contract is if the team decides to rebuild around a younger, cheaper quarterback, but barring a major injury or a disastrous season, the team is much more likely to stay the course with Manning, says Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
- Nearly seven weeks after the fireworks accident that cost him a finger on his right hand, Jason Pierre-Paul has yet to inform the Giants when he’ll report to the club and when he might return to action, writes Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
East Notes: Brady, Giants, G. Smith
Lawyers for the NFL and NFLPA are meeting today for more settlement talks regarding Tom Brady‘s situation, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Judge Richard M. Berman wants the two sides to compromise and reach a settlement, but Brady can’t concede to the NFL’s terms without committing perjury, argues Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.
As Robinson explains, the league wants the Patriots quarterback to admit guilt, but Brady testified under oath that he was innocent. So if a settlement is to be reached, the NFL will likely have to give more ground than Brady and the NFLPA to make it happen.
Here’s more on the Brady situation, along with several more notes from out of the East divisions:
- Judge Berman has made next Wednesday’s settlement conference optional for Brady and commissioner Roger Goodell, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks the judge may be trying to discern whether Goodell and Brady view the case as sufficiently important to attend the meeting.
- Free agent guard Evan Mathis may be on the verge of signing with an NFL team, according to a recent report, but Dan Graziano of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) says he doesn’t think it’ll be the Giants, since he doesn’t believe they’re interested.
- Graziano (on Twitter) also doesn’t see Jason Pierre-Paul staying with the Giants beyond 2015.
- Geno Smith and IK Enemkpali are both to blame for the unrest in the Jets‘ locker room, Kristian Dyer of Metro NY writes. Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) suggests there’s a belief that Smith lacks respect within the Jets organization and may have been on his way to losing the starting job even before his injury. The quarterback underwent surgery today and had plates and screws put in, though his jaw won’t be wired shut, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link).
- Don’t blame Jets coach Todd Bowles for the Smith-Enemkpali smackdown and the recent Sheldon Richardson transgressions, but start judging him now, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. How Bowles handles the team’s latest road bumps will determine what type of coach he becomes for the Jets.
- Undrafted center David Andrews out of Georgia is a top candidate among the Patriots‘ four UDFAs to land a roster spot, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: McKay, Bears, JPP, Rodgers
Falcons president Rich McKay, who received a suspension from the NFL as part of the team’s penalty for pumping fake crowd noise into the Georgia Dome, is set to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials about reinstatement to the competition committee, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Owner Arthur Blank says he’s “optimistic” McKay will be reinstated.
“We’ve had some discussions with the league,” Blank said. “Rich is scheduled to go up there in a few weeks and meet with the commissioner and others. Rich certainly has my support. He was a very valued member of the committee for 22 years and was mentioned [Saturday] night by Bill Polian, who was an inductee into the Hall of Fame, as somebody who was important that he worked with for a number of years.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Bears, having traded guard Ryan Groy to the Patriots, have been keeping an eye out for potential offensive line additions during camp. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the club worked out veteran free agent Lucas Nix last week. Nix, 25, started 10 games for the Raiders in 2013.
- Despite Jason Pierre-Paul‘s absence from the Giants‘ training camp, co-owner John Mara says the team still has “a good relationship” with the defensive end, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. However, Mara added that JPP won’t rejoin the Giants “until he’s ready to come do some [physical] therapy.”
- Speaking to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks he’s got another eight years in him. Of course, since Rodgers is still just 31 years old, it’s impossible to predict what his health or his NFL future will look like seven or eight years down the road. For what it’s worth, the two-time MVP also said two years ago that he hoped to play eight more seasons.
- The Rams‘ new two-year extension with quarterback Nick Foles is a smart deal for both sides, opines Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- The Seahawks recently worked out several defensive linemen, including former Colorado State Pueblo pass rusher Darius Allen, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
NFC Notes: JPP, Eagles, Saints
Giants coach Tom Coughlin revealed Saturday that he got in touch with injured defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and the two had a “good conversation.” Co-owner Steve Tisch hasn’t been able to get in contact with Pierre-Paul, however, and is irked that the 26-year-old hasn’t responded to his overtures.
“It’s been very frustrating,” Tisch told the team’s website, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I’ve reached out to Jason. I’ve not heard back from Jason. I’m not going to hold that against him. I understand his situation is difficult, complicated, and I’m sure very confusing to him personally.’’
Pierre-Paul, who led the Giants with 12.5 sacks last year, injured his hand in a fireworks accident in July and still hasn’t signed his $14.8MM franchise tender for 2015.
“My message to him is get better, we cheer for you,” said Tisch. “[Senior vice president of medical services] Ronnie [Barnes] and our doctors have access to the best doctors, if not in New York City and the country, possibly in the world. He should take advantage of that.
“Let us see you sooner than later. You’re not going to be judged, you’re going to be helped.”
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Eagles cornerback JaCorey Shepherd hurt his right knee Sunday and there’s concern it could be an ACL injury, reports Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Shepherd, a sixth-round rookie who has been getting first-team nickel corner reps during training camp, will have an MRI on Monday.
- Saints general manager Mickey Loomis told SiriusXM NFL Radio that the team focused on adding talent and, more importantly, leadership during the offseason. He noted that the defense was especially lacking in leadership. The defense lost talent but arguably improved in the leadership department last month when it released pass-rushing linebacker Junior Galette, whose on-field success (22 sacks from 2013-14) was overshadowed by poor behavior off the field.
- In other Saints news, offensive lineman Andrus Peat, the 13th pick in this year’s draft, has impressed head coach Sean Payton with his ability to play both tackle and guard. “I do see him as a tackle and yet he’s athletic enough to play inside,” said Payton, Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com tweeted. “We’ll keep moving him around,” Payton added (Twitter link).
Latest On Jason Pierre-Paul
Speaking to reporters earlier today, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin revealed that he had finally gotten in touch with defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, adding that the two had a “good conversation,” according to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. JPP, of course, hasn’t been with the club since injuring his hand in a fireworks incident a month ago, one that ultimately led to the amputation of his right index finger.
“He’s looking forward to coming,” Coughlin said. “He’s anxious to be here. But he’s not going to come until he feels like he’s ready to be able to play.”
It’s unclear when exactly that will be, obviously, as there has been little word as to the actual extent of Pierre-Paul’s injury and recovery. But recent reports have indicated that he is in good spirits and is confident that he will play at some point during the season — but again, whether that means he’ll be ready for Week 1, or at some point further down the road, is unknown.
What is known is that JPP has no intention of signing his franchise tag tender until he is physically able to contribute — as soon as he signs the offer, the Giants have the right to place him on the non-football injury list, which allows them to withhold his pay. As Dan Graziano of ESPN.com writes, the mostly likely outcome involves Pierre-Paul and the team agreeing to a new contract altogether — one that would presumably pay him something close to the franchise tag figure, but probably a bit lower — at which point JPP will report to camp.
But for now, the entire situation remains clouded with uncertainty. “It could be whatever amount of time,” said Couglin when asked when he thought JPP might return. “I’m not even going to speculate.”
“There’ve been many people talking to him,” Coughlin continued. “He’s little by little tried to make his contacts. That is a positive thing. I was glad to hear his voice. He sounded good. He sounded interested, that he wanted to get back here.”
East Notes: Bills, Vick, Cowboys, Milliner
The Bills have yet to name a starting quarterback, and it may be several more weeks until they do so. Matt Cassel, E.J. Manuel, and Tyrod Taylor are currently vying for the job, and head coach Rex Ryan admitted today on PFT Live that he and the Bills also considered Michael Vick (Twitter link). However, Ryan had concerns about Vick playing in bad weather in Buffalo. Vick, of course, played for Ryan in New York last year, but it doesn’t appear that his old coach will bring him in for a look this year.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- The Cowboys worked out several players today, bringing in the following players for auditions, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link): Offensive tackle Cody Clay, running backs Tim Cornett and Demitrius Bronson, and linebackers Jerrell Harris and Alex Singleton.
- Shortly after learning that Antonio Allen had torn his Achilles and waiving the injured safety, the Jets saw another one of their defensive backs go down with an injury. According to a team release, cornerback Dee Milliner, who missed most of last season with an Achilles injury of his own, is undergoing surgery today to repair a torn tendon in his wrist, and will likely be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
- Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn said today that he has been in contact with Jason Pierre-Paul throughout the offseason, both before and after JPP’s fireworks accident, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. “When I’ve talked to him, we’ve talked more about where he is from a mental standpoint, just texted back and forth to let him know we’re here for him, whatever he needs,” Nunn said. “And his response has been, ‘Coach, I’m good. I want to get myself right and I’ll be back.'”
NFC East Notes: JPP, Giants, Galette
Giants GM Jerry Reese wouldn’t say much about his conversation with Jason Pierre-Paul, but Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears from a source that nothing has changed with his status. JPP still won’t sign a tender or report to the Giants until he can pass a physical. One person who has spoken with JPP described him (link) as being in good spirits. That source is confident that he’ll play this season, though he’s unsure of when that’ll happen. Here’s more from the NFC East..
- Giants coach Tom Coughlin still hasn’t spoken with JPP but he’s encouraged that he’s still talking to Reese and others in the building, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter).
- By signing troubled linebacker Junior Galette, Washington has shown that nothing matters more than winning, Zac Boyer of The Washington Times writes.
- Washington coach Jay Gruden revealed Monday that rookie cornerback Tevin Mitchel needs surgery for a torn labrum and is likely to miss the entire season, as JP Finlay of CSNWashington.com writes.
- David Moore of The Dallas Morning News wonders if the Cowboys are setting a dangerous precedent that will encourage more players to holdout. Orlando Scandrick, Brandon Carr, and Jeremy Mincey all stared the Cowboys down this offseason and won when it came to their contractual disputes.
- Giants GM Jerry Reese needs his draft picks to start paying off now, Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News writes.
Giants Notes: JPP, Reese, Mara
Giants GM Jerry Reese told WFAN that he spoke with Jason Pierre-Paul on Sunday, but wouldn’t elaborate on the conversation (via Graziano on Twitter). “[It was] a personal conversation. I want to keep it private,” the GM said. He did say, however, that there’s no timetable for the defensive end’s return (link).
- Reese says that the Giants’ defense can be really strong, even without Pierre-Paul in the lineup, as Tom Canavan of The Associated Press writes. “I think we’ll be really good defensively,” Reese said. “I think we’re going to surprise people. I think we have five defensive ends that we feel like can play and play at a high level at that position. I do think our defense is going to be a better unit than it was last year. I’m excited to see them out there playing.”
- The Giants are trying to build a dominant pass-rusher from the ground up with third-round pick Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com writes. Still, he’s green and has a long way to go before he can start replicating the production of someone like JPP. Odighizuwa was a 3-4 defensive end at UCLA and wasn’t asked to develop pass-rush moves or get after the quarterback in that scheme so he has a lot to learn.
- Giants owner John Mara told WFAN that he believes the NFL will return to Los Angeles with two teams by 2016, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets.