Jason Pierre-Paul: Latest News, Rumors and Speculation Surrounding Free-Agent DE

Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is likely to be one of the hottest targets on the NFL free-agency market this summer after a strong 2014 season sure to draw him interest from around the league, but the Giants reportedly have used the franchise tag to retain his services .

Continue for updates. 

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Giants Reportedly Used Franchise Tag on Pierre-Paul

Monday, Mar. 2

Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports reported that the Giants have decided to use the franchise tag on Pierre-Paul.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Feb. 23 that the Giants would franchise Pierre-Paul if they couldn't reach a long-term deal.

On Feb. 21, Giants general manager Jerry Reese talked about the team possibly using the franchise tag on Pierre-Paul, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

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“We’re just going to keep our options open with respect to that,” Reese said on tagging Pierre-Paul. “I think we are in pretty good health. We’re headed in the right direction with respect to the cap.”

In the past, the Giants have used the franchise tag in order to buy time to work on a long-term contract solution.

“I think we’ll be able to do what we need to do,” Reese said. “I think we’ll have enough money to do what we need to do for the offseason.”

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Reese Discusses Pierre-Paul; Falcons Reportedly Interested

Saturday, Feb. 21

"We are talking, but that’s all that I’m going to say about that. It’s really not appropriate to talk about where we are with respect to that," Reese said, per Ledbetter.

Ledbetter also noted that if the defensive end were allowed to enter free agency, he'd likely be a top target for the Falcons.

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Giants, Pierre-Paul Still Yet to Talk As Combine Kicks Off

Friday, Feb. 20

Jordan Raanan of NJ.com reported that the Giants haven't started negotiations with Pierre-Paul, noting that it was another sign the defensive end was heading for a franchise tag. 

On Feb. 17, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com) reported that while the Giants still haven't started negotiations with Pierre-Paul, he remains a likely candidate to receive the franchise tag.

Wesseling also passed along comments from Giants co-owner John Mara, who told reporters after the season that he would be "very surprised" if the defensive end wasn't in New York next season.

On Feb. 9, Chris Simms of Bleacher Report broke down whether or not the Giants should use the franchise tag on Pierre-Paul in the following video:

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Coughlin Comments on Pierre-Paul 

Thursday, Feb. 19

Giants coach Tom Coughlin made it sound as though the Giants are doing their best to ensure Pierre-Paul is with the team in 2015, per Nick Powell of NJ.com:

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"Well we are convinced that we want [Pierre-Paul] back, without a doubt, and there's been a lot of different discussions, hopefully he's going to remain a Giant," Coughlin said.

The Giants have the option of placing the franchise tag on Pierre-Paul as a precursor to working out a long-term contract. Coughlin did not specify whether that is a route they might take, but said that the ultimate goal is to lock him up to a deal that would ensure he could potentially finish his career with the team.

"The goal is for him to be a Giant and play as a Giant forever, and retire as a Giant," Coughlin said. "How that works out is another issue."

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Is Pierre-Paul a Fit With Bears?

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Simms weighed in on Pierre-Paul as a potential fit with the Bears:

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Giants, Pierre-Paul Yet to Talk Following Super Bowl

Saturday, Feb. 7

According to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News, the Giants have yet to initiate talks with Pierre-Paul about a new deal: 

In late December, New York Giants owner John Mara talked about the possibility of using the franchise tag on JPP, via ESPN.com's Dan Graziano:

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That is certainly one of our options, but we really haven't fully discussed that yet. I have no idea what his agent is going to do. Actually, I do have a pretty good idea of what his agent is going to be asking for. And whether we want to do that or franchise him is something we will have to fully discuss.

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When Pierre-Paul is at his best, he's a special talent with freakish athleticism. He tallied 16.5 sacks during the New York Giants' 2011 Super Bowl campaign, and in 2014, he graded out as Pro Football Focus' seventh-best 4-3 defensive end, per Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon. 

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

However, there are also concerns, and chief among those is inconsistency. 

During injury-riddled 2012 and '13 seasons, he tallied just 8.5 sacks in 27 games. It seemed he was well on his way to another low total in 2014, recording just 3.5 through the team's first 11 games, but he caught fire down the stretch against an array of mediocre teams. 

As Nick Powell of NJ.com pointed out, only 3.5 of Pierre-Paul's sacks in 2014 came against teams with a record of .500 or better. Moreover, he graded just 21st in Pro Football Focus' pass-rushing productivity, per Gagnon. 

To sink $15 million—the expected franchise number for defensive ends, according to Graziano—into Pierre-Paul would be a decidedly risky move by the Giants, forcing them to cut back elsewhere on the roster. 

Ultimately, though, this is a player who is coming off a double-digit sack season, played very well against the run (77 total tackles, three forced fumbles) and still has room for improvement at four years south of 30 years old. 

The allure is obvious, and even if there are risks involved, it's going to take a significant investment by the Giants—or any other team—to secure his services for the future.