Latest On Giants, JPP
6:05pm: It’s a virtual guarantee that the Giants will put JPP on the non-football injury list to open training camp, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. The Giants are currently checking in on the details of the process.
5:10pm: There’s concern that Pierre-Paul could miss training camp and the start of regular season, a team source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). For now, the Giants are still awaiting more medical information.
4:48pm: Reports indicating that the Giants have rescinded their offer to Jason Pierre-Paul are “100% false,” a source very much in the know tells Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post (on Twitter). Earlier today, it was reported that the Giants withdrew their long-term contract offer to the star defensive end, a proposal that was said to be worth $60MM.
According to that same report from earlier, JPP was not planning on accepting the $60MM offer before next Wednesday’s deadline. Still, if he has a change of heart, it sounds like the proposal will still be there.
Earlier today, Luke Adams of PFR examined a few possibilities for how the situation between Pierre-Paul and the Giants could play out, noting that any scenario involving JPP becoming an unrestricted free agent seems unlikely. If the veteran pass rusher signs his one-year franchise tender, the club could ultimately elect to place him on the non-football injury list until he’s recovered. In that event, New York wouldn’t necessarily have to pay JPP his full salary.
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). However, he wasn’t all that consistent throughout the year as nine of those sacks came in the season’s last five games.
In a May poll, 58% of PFR readers said that Pierre-Paul would not ink a long-term pact prior to July 15th. Earlier today, a team spokesman told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that the club’s first concern is for JPP’s well-being.
Community Tailgate: 7/6/2015
We’re still more than two months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
The topic of the day in the NFL world has been the fallout from Jason Pierre-Paul‘s fireworks accident over the weekend, which resulted in a hand injury for the star defensive end. The severity of that injury isn’t yet known, though various reports have revealed a few details — JPP reportedly burned the flesh off his hand and fingertips, and has been in the hospital for two days. However, his injuries aren’t believed to be career-threatening, and he isn’t expected to lose any fingers.
The Giants know enough about the incident to have pulled a $60MM contract offer for Pierre-Paul off the table, according to a report today from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. While the injury clearly plays a significant part in that decision, the poor judgment Pierre-Paul showed in putting himself in such a position probably factored into the move as well.
With a long-term offer for JPP not currently on the table, it looks increasingly likely that he’ll have to accept his one-year franchise tender and play out the 2015 season on that deal. The 26-year-old may also forfeit some pay if he has to spend time on the non-football injury list. Earlier this afternoon, I laid out a few potential scenarios for Pierre-Paul and the Giants, with the July 15 deadline for a multiyear contract looming large.
Since we don’t have many definitive details on Pierre-Paul’s injury yet, it’s hard to definitively say one way or the other how the Giants should handle the situation. Still, let’s say what we’ve heard so far is accurate, and the injury isn’t career-threatening, but could force the pass rusher to miss some time this season.
How should the Giants handle Pierre-Paul’s contract situation? Do you think this is an opportunity for the team to buy low and pursue a multiyear extension at a reduced rate? Should they simply play it safe and let JPP sign his one-year tender? Or would you remove his $14.813MM franchise tag altogether, trying to re-sign him at a lesser rate while risking the possibility of losing him to another team?
Weigh in below with your thoughts and opinions in the comment section. We’re looking forward to hearing what you have to say!
Giants Withdraw $60MM Offer For JPP
1:46pm: Despite withdrawing their long-term contract offer, the Giants aren’t currently considering rescinding the franchise tag from JPP, a source tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Vacchiano acknowledges that stance could change within the next few days as more details of Pierre-Paul’s injury become known, but I’d be surprised if the team withdrew that tag, since it would allow the defensive end to sign anywhere.
Vacchiano also hears from a Giants source that there’s “no chance” the two sides will get a long-term deal done by the July 15 deadline.
1:00pm: According to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (via Twitter), about $30MM of the Giants’ offer would’ve been guaranteed. It’s not clear if that entire amount would’ve been fully guaranteed, or if a chunk of it would’ve been guaranteed for injury only.
12:28pm: In the wake of the hand injury suffered by Jason Pierre-Paul over the weekend, the Giants have withdrawn their long-term contract offer to the star defensive end, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, citing three sources informed of the situation. According to Rapoport, the proposal was worth $60MM.
Rapoport doesn’t specify how many years the Giants’ offer was for, but five years and $60MM sounds about right to me — I doubt the team would’ve gone as high as $60MM over four years with the deadline still weeks away. Six years is a possibility, but considering the franchise tag would’ve paid JPP nearly $15MM for one year, $10MM annually seems a little low. Of course, regardless of how many years the proposal was for, it’s possible it didn’t feature much guaranteed money or a player-friendly structure.
In any case, that $60MM offer is no longer on the table, according to Rapoport, who says that the Giants don’t believe a long-term offer is “in the best interest of those involved at this point,” given the timing of the incident and the apparent judgment displayed. Per Rapoport, the 26-year-old hadn’t been planning to accept the team’s offer prior to next Wednesday’s deadline anyway, so it appears likely that he’ll end up signing the club’s one-year, $14.813MM offer, unless it’s withdrawn as well.
Earlier today, I examined a few possibilities for how the situation between Pierre-Paul and the Giants could play out, noting that any scenario involving JPP becoming an unrestricted free agent seems unlikely. If the veteran pass rusher signs his one-year franchise tender, the club could ultimately elect to place him on the non-football injury list until he’s recovered. In that event, New York wouldn’t necessarily have to pay JPP his full salary.
The Giants are still looking into Pierre-Paul’s hand injury to determine the specifics and the possible short- and long-term effects. If the injury is determined to not be as serious as initially feared, it could change New York’s stance on a contract offer by July 15. One team spokesman tells Rapoport that the club’s first concern is for JPP’s well-being.
Pierre-Paul is one of four franchised players whose contract situations we’ll be watching over the next nine days. Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas, and Chiefs pass rusher Justin Houston also remain unsigned.
Scenarios For Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants
The Giants have yet to release an official statement on the injuries sustained by Jason Pierre-Paul over the weekend due to a fireworks mishap. Reports so far have indicated that Pierre-Paul’s career shouldn’t be in jeopardy, and he may still play this season. However, as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes, the hand injury is serious enough that JPP still remains in the hospital about 36 hours or so after the accident occurred.
Raanan notes in his piece that Pierre-Paul’s long-term health trumps the football aspect of the injury at this point, and the Giants are concentrating on their player’s health and mental well-being for now. Still, considering Pierre-Paul isn’t technically under contract at this point, the injury has the potential to have a significant impact on his upcoming deal, so the situation is worth a closer look. If the injury is determined not to be as serious as initially feared, it shouldn’t hugely reduce JPP’s potential earnings, but he certainly has less leverage today than he did last week.
Here’s where the contract situation currently stands: Pierre-Paul received the franchise tag from the Giants earlier this offseason, meaning the team automatically offered him a one-year, $14.813MM contract for 2015. Because the standout defensive end didn’t immediately sign that tender, he remains a free agent, and could sign an offer sheet with another team at any time. However, any interested club would have to part with two first-round picks to land him, so that possibility is minuscule. The most likely scenarios for Pierre-Paul, prior to the injury, were either playing out the 2015 season on his one-year franchise tag or reaching a multiyear contract agreement with the Giants by the July 15 deadline.
Before word of Pierre-Paul’s injury broke, I expected the two sides to ramp up negotiations in the next week or so before ultimately agreeing to terms on a long-term extension by next Wednesday. That could still happen, but the hand injury clouds the situation a little. Here are the various scenarios that we could see play out in the coming weeks:
- Pierre-Paul, Giants reach long-term contract agreement: As noted above, this remains a possible outcome. Perhaps JPP would have to accept a minor discount, but if his recovery timetable ends up being measured in weeks or months rather than years, his overall value shouldn’t be too diminished.
- Pierre-Paul signs franchise tender: As long as the franchise tender remains on the table, Pierre-Paul can sign it and assure himself a $14MM+ salary for 2015, perhaps electing to revisit discussions on a longer-team deal after the season. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes that, because of the injury, a clause in the CBA would allow the Giants to terminate JPP’s contract and avoid paying him any of that $14MM+ salary, but that would mean making him an unrestricted free agent, which the Giants likely won’t be eager to do.
- Giants withdraw franchise tender: If the Giants were to withdraw JPP’s franchise tender before he signed it, they could attempt to negotiate a new deal with him at a lesser rate. But withdrawing that franchise tag would also allow the 26-year-old the freedom to sign anywhere, so the Giants would be taking a huge risk. There are still plenty of teams with a healthy amount of cap room who would be very interested in pursuing this sort of player if he were an unrestricted free agent.
- Giants place Pierre-Paul on non-football injury list: Another scenario detailed by Florio, this looks to me like the most probable outcome, whether or not the veteran pass rusher and the team reach a multiyear agreement. Because JPP sustained the injury while he was away from the Giants, the club would have the option to place him on the non-football injury list and not pay him until he recovers. Pierre-Paul and the NFLPA could try to fight the move, but their case would require medical evidence to show that the former first-rounder is healthy, and based on what we’ve heard over the last couple days, it doesn’t sound like that hand will fully heal anytime soon.
We’ll have to wait for official word on Pierre-Paul’s injury to know exactly how important a factor it will be in contract negotiations between the Giants and their franchise-tagged player. But for now, it’s hard to imagine the team committing a huge chunk of guaranteed money to JPP.
Jason Pierre-Paul Injured In Fireworks Accident
7:32pm: While initial reports did not specify the severity of the injuries, only that they were serious, Pierre-Paul’s hand injury is not considered to be career-threatening. Chris Mortensen of ESPN writes that it may not be game- or season-threatening either, which should give Giants’ fans a little relief (via Twitter).
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post gave the most specific details to the injury, writing that flesh from JPP’s palm and fingertips had been burned off, but his fingers remain completely intact.
This clears up some of the more imaginative thoughts about Pierre-Paul, but does not give much clarity to whether or not the Giants would consider pulling the franchise tag or if this injury would provoke Pierre-Paul and his agent to sign it quickly to avoid an uncertain free agent market should the injury be more serious that a burn on his hand.
3:51 PM: Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul reportedly seriously injured his hand in a fireworks accident in South Florida last night, according to Andy Slater of 940AM-WINZ (via Twitter).
Slater tips his cap to Marc Eisenberg, who was the first to report the injury, before confirming which player it was (via Twitter). It was his initial tweet that described the unnamed player’s hand as “seriously damaged” (via Twitter). The Giants have not confirmed the injury officially yet, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter), but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report does confirm that Pierre-Paul suffered some sort of injury (via Twitter).
The Giants placed the franchise tag on Pierre-Paul earlier this offseason, but the player has not signed the tag yet so no contract has been officially agreed to, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). He notes that is this rumor is true it would be extremely bad for him and his value.
Fitzgerald clears up the unusual procedure of the injured player who hadn’t signed his franchise tag. He writes that a team can pull that tender at any time, which would result in Pierre-Paul immediately becoming an unrestricted free agent (via Twitter). He notes that even if he had signed, the Giants would have had recourse due to the non-football injury aspect anyway (via Twitter). The team could have voided the contract or asked for better terms.
East Notes: Bradford, JPP, Gachkar, Jets
After years of being proactive with their quarterbacks in the post-Donovan McNabb era, the Eagles are still at a crossroads with their projected starter.
Philadelphia extended Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick in the late Andy Reid years before re-signing Mark Sanchez this offseason. But Sam Bradford still sits in a walk year despite changing teams, and Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com analyzes the risks both sides take by standing pat and the benefits possible for each party.
Brandt estimates Bradford, with the huge caveat of whether the 27-year-old signal-caller makes it through the season unscathed, could be somewhat of a prize next offseason for a quarterback-needy franchise considering a market that as of now houses Russell Wilson, Philip Rivers and Eli Manning could be left with only Bradford with the cost of inking QBs on a perpetual rise. But despite Bradford having already earned a preposterous $65.1MM as the last No. 1 overall pick of the old CBA, the sixth-year veteran could be worth next to nothing with another season-ending malady, increasing the urgency to negotiate a deal with the Eagles before the season begins.
Although traded for 2013-14 starter Nick Foles, who has won almost as many games (14) in three seasons than Bradford has in five (18), Brandt notes there remains a remote trade possibility, and Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com writes a Week 1 starting lineup featuring Sanchez is not beyond the realm of possibility. On the books for $12.99MM cap number, Bradford’s still in a solid position, with what could be a scant quarterback derby next March and the possibility of the position’s franchise tag skyrocketing to around $20MM next season, per Kulp.
Let’s look at some additional Eastern items this afternoon.
- Jason Pierre-Paul intends to play this season at around 265 pounds, notes the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz. Weight’s served as a bit of an issue for Pierre-Paul since his dominant 2011 showing. The 2010 first-round pick hasn’t signed his franchise tender worth $14.8MM yet and hasn’t showed at the Giants‘ facilities for OTAs or minicamp, instead opting to train in his native Florida. Schwartz adds only a “remote” chance exists JPP and the Giants agree on a long-term deal by July 15.
- Special teams coach Rich Bisaccia and linebackers boss Matt Eberflus influenced Andrew Gachkar to sign with the Cowboys, along with Texas’ absence of a state tax, reports Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Gachkar said his primary position will likely be strongside linebacker while playing under his former instructors at Missouri and with the Chargers, respectively.
- At the moment, the Jets‘ starting tight end is sixth-year veteran Jeff Cumberland, as Jace Amaro is listed as the H-back under Todd Bowles. But the Jets won’t wait around for the inconsistent Cumberland, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Although the 28-year-old hasn’t exactly had proficient quarterbacks throwing to him, Cumberland rated as the worst tight end last season among players who garnered at least 25% of their team’s snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
- The Dolphins are likely to deploy Jeff Linkenbach as their starting right guard, offers James Walker of ESPN.com. Walker predicts the former Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts cog will beat out Billy Turner for the position. Possibly the most reported Evan Mathis suitor, Miami would be giving snaps to a sub-par guard in Linkenbach in this scenario. The sixth-year veteran’s last full season as a starter — 2011 in Indianapolis — produced some ghastly results, according to PFF (subscription required). Linkenbach hasn’t started more than eight games since.
Dez, Houston, JPP Won’t Be At Minicamp
When the Broncos held their mandatory June minicamp last week, franchised wide receiver Demaryius Thomas wasn’t in attendance. Thomas is one of four players who received the franchise tag but have yet to sign their tenders, and the other three appears set to follow his lead this week. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Dez Bryant, Justin Houston, and Jason Pierre-Paul won’t report to their respective clubs’ minicamp on Tuesday.
Houston’s anticipated absence from the Chiefs’ minicamp is perhaps the least surprising of the three. Head coach Andy Reid indicated last week that the NFL’s reigning sack leader “probably” wouldn’t be in attendance this week. After Ndamukong Suh signed a record-setting deal with the Dolphins in March, Houston’s asking price likely increased, and there’s no indication yet that he and the Chiefs are anywhere close to an agreement.
Bryant, meanwhile, made a brief cameo at the Cowboys’ OTAs, a hint that perhaps he’d report sooner rather than later. However, a Friday report suggested that he was shifting to a more hard-line negotiating stance, threatening to sit out Dallas’ regular season opener if he and the club haven’t agreed to a multiyear extension by that point.
As for Pierre-Paul, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin had stressed in recent weeks that he expected the veteran pass rusher to attend the team’s June minicamp, but it looks like Coughlin’s prediction won’t come to fruition. The fact that JPP – like Thomas, Houston, and Bryant – has yet to sign his franchise tender means he isn’t subject to fines for missing this week’s supposedly “mandatory” minicamp, since he isn’t technically under contract.
All four franchise-tag players have a month to work out long-term extensions with their respective teams. If a franchised player doesn’t have a multiyear deal in place by July 15, he’ll have to play the 2015 season on a one-year contract, if he plays at all.
East Notes: Welker, Eagles, Boykin, JPP
As Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, free agent wideout Wes Welker told Toucher and Rich of 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston that he wants to continue his playing career, and wouldn’t be opposed to rejoining the Patriots.
Examining potential fits for Welker, Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) agrees that perhaps New England could be a match, though he gets the sense that it’s unlikely to happen. Yates also identifies the Ravens and Texans as potential landing spots for the veteran receiver.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions….
- Two Eagles players who were the subject of trade rumors in Philadelphia this offseason addressed those rumors recently. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the quotes from defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, while Mark Eckel of NJ.com passes along linebacker Mychal Kendricks‘ thoughts on the matter. Kendricks said he expects to still be on Philadelphia’s roster by the time the season gets underway, but admitted there haven’t been any extension talks with the team.
- Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin is expecting to continue to play in the slot this season rather than getting a chance to start on the outside, and says that story is “getting real old,” writes McLane in a separate Inquirer piece. As Zach Berman of the Inquirer tweets, Boykin says if he plays well in his contract year, he expects he’ll get the chance to play a bigger role when free agency hits.
- Cameron Jordan and Jason Pierre-Paul aren’t entirely comparable, but Jordan’s new five-year, $55MM contract (worth up to $60MM) could have an impact on JPP’s negotiations with the Giants, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
Poll: Will JPP Sign Long-Term Extension?
A year ago, the only franchise-tagged player who remained unsigned at this point in the offseason was Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, who was in the midst of arguing that he should get a wide receiver’s salary rather than a tight end’s. Graham lost that battle and ultimately signed a long-term contract with the Saints just before the annual July 15 deadline.
This time around, four franchised players are still unsigned, and earlier this week, when I asked whether Justin Houston and Dez Bryant would sign multiyear deals with their respective teams by July 15, the majority of you voted that it won’t happen.
Today, we’ll shift our attention to a third franchised player, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Out of the four players who have yet to sign their tender, I would have expected JPP to be the most likely to have done so by now. After all, his one-year salary ($14.813MM) would be the highest of the bunch, and he’s arguably coming off the least productive season of the group.
That’s not to say Pierre-Paul didn’t have a strong 2014 campaign — he finished 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). Still, nine of those sacks came in the season’s last five games, and JPP wasn’t quite the destructive defensive force that a player like Houston was.
In my view, JPP’s high franchise salary, along with his modest career production, makes him the franchise-tagged player most likely to reach an accord with his team and avoid playing the season on a one-year deal. There’s been no sense of animosity between the two sides, and I doubt Pierre-Paul’s contract demands will be quite as significant as what some of the other franchised players may request. Conversely, the Giants may be more open to working out a multiyear contract than some other teams would be, since they’re already budgeting nearly $15MM for JPP in 2015.
What do you think? Do you agree that Pierre-Paul is more likely to sign a long-term deal by July 15, or do you think he – or the team – will drive a hard bargain, ultimately leading to JPP playing out his one-year tender?
Will Jason Pierre-Paul sign a long-term extension by July 15?
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No 58% (184)
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Yes 42% (132)
Total votes: 316
Update On Franchise-Tagged Players
Pro Football Rumors’ list of current free agents features a number of interesting names, including veteran players like Steven Jackson, Wes Welker, and Reggie Wayne. But the most intriguing free agents remaining on the list are a handful of players with an “(F)” following their names — Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Justin Houston, and Jason Pierre-Paul.
Of course, if these players were truly unrestricted free agents, they would’ve been snapped up about two minutes after free agency opened back in March. That “F” signals that they’ve been franchised by their respective clubs, with the non-exclusive tag. They’re still technically free agents, since they have yet to sign their one-year tenders, but their free agency is restricted — any team wanting to sign one of these players would have to submit an offer sheet, and surrender two first-round picks if their offer isn’t matched by the player’s current club.
That’s a steep price to pay for any team, which is likely why we haven’t heard of any potential suitors trying to make a run for any of these players. You could make an argument that a team with cap flexibility that expects to pick late in the first round in the next couple years – the Packers, Bengals, or Chargers, for instance – should consider making a run at a star pass rusher like Houston. However, spending time negotiating with a franchised player and attempting to craft an offer that his team won’t match takes a lot of time and effort. And when the alternative to simply wasting time is losing two first-round picks and committing upwards of $15MM annually to a free agent, it makes sense that teams would be wary.
In all likelihood then, these four “free agents” will simply return to their current teams. So far though, none of the four have reported to their respective clubs’ offseason programs.
Asked about Pierre-Paul’s potential attendance at next month’s mandatory minicamp, Giants coach Tom Coughlin told Newsday’s Tom Rock, “I expect him to be there.” That’s a sentiment I imagine head coaches Jason Garrett, Gary Kubiak, and Andy Reid would echo for their own franchised players.
Because these four players have yet to sign their tenders though, they’re under no obligation to attend a so-called “mandatory” minicamp or even July’s training camp. Those camps are only mandatory for players under contract, and Bryant, Thomas, Houston, and Pierre-Paul aren’t under contract for now.
So what’s the next step for these players? That next step could still be a couple months away. July 15 represents a key deadline, since it’s the last day a franchised player can sign a multiyear extension with his team. If no long-term deal is in place by then, the player will likely have to simply sign his one-year tender (though not necessarily right away) and play out the 2015 season before potentially hitting unrestricted free agency in 2016.
The Cowboys, Broncos, Chiefs, and Giants are all believed to have discussed long-term contracts with their franchised players at some point, whether that happened recently or as far back as last fall. While those talks may not have been fruitful up until now, deadlines tend to spur action, so over the next two months, it will be worth keeping an eye on these four players to see how many of them bridge the gaps and reach agreements on multiyear extensions, avoiding the uncertainty of a one-year deal for 2015.
For what it’s worth, the only player whose franchise tender remained unsigned as training camp approached last year was Jimmy Graham — Graham and the Saints ultimately struck a deal on – you guessed it – July 15.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.