Giants Taking an Expensive but Necessary Step by Tagging Jason Pierre-Paul

To understand why the New York Giants chose to use their franchise tag on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, as first reported by Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports, we have to take a journey back to 2013.

As you step out of the time-travel vessel, focus on the words of Pierre-Paul to the Associated Press just prior to the beginning of training camp that season.

He was in pain, and not just during the physically demanding act of rushing the passer. Anything that required sitting for a long time—like driving a car for 30 minutes—was painful. But so was standing up straight for an extended period. And getting into his stance as a 4-3 defensive end? That also wasn’t enjoyable.

“It was a constant pain when I got down in my stance,” he told the Associated Press in July 2013.

That increasing pain was the result of a herniated disc, a severe injury Pierre-Paul played through in 2012 which eventually required surgery. He was never functioning at full capacity during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, once telling Conor Orr of NJ Advance Media that his best estimate was 80 percent health.

Pierre-Paul became a limping, feeble version of himself, recording only 8.5 sacks over that two-year stretch. The decline was swift for a menacing pass-rusher who was named an All-Pro in 2011 after finishing with 16.5 sacks during a championship season.

Now let’s jump back to the present.

In 2014, a different Pierre-Paul showed up. You’ll recognize him as the thrashing, fast and quarterback-smothering Pierre-Paul who logged 60 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus (10th at his position).

Most of all, you’ll recognize him as a healthy Pierre-Paul.

The Giants and general manager Jerry Reese have made the same simple observation, coming to the conclusion that a healthy Pierre-Paul is a guy you want on your team, and not any other team.

Caution is needed, however, even with one of the most athletically gifted young pass-rushers in football. A wise and forward-thinking front office doesn’t let the memories of two injury-plagued seasons fade after one booming year. Especially when even a mended Pierre-Paul was wildly inconsistent, with only 3.5 sacks over the first 11 games in 2014, then nine over the final five weeks.

Swallowing a short-term financial risk can often be the much-preferred path over taking on the burden of a long one. That’s why Pierre-Paul was tagged, even if it meant sacrificing over 10 percent of the Giants' salary-cap space.

Pierre-Paul will now be tendered a one-year contract worth $14.8 million, according to the franchise tag values reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Negotiations will surely continue toward a longer deal that spreads out the money Pierre-Paul is owed and, more importantly for the Giants, the cap hit he accounts for annually.

But right now, the message being communicated is one sprinkled with equal doses of optimism and hesitation.

The Giants are saying a 26-year-old who hasn’t quite reached his pass-rushing prime is someone who needs to stay in New York and anchor a defensive front. They’re also saying Pierre-Paul has value, enough that for one season he’s worth a significant investment.

But has he earned a commitment and a similar paycheck every season? Not yet, and in 2015 he’ll get his chance.

Pierre-Paul reportedly wants a top-of-the-market contract, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.

If we set aside his injury history, it would certainly be reasonable for him to expect the sort of money that was dumped on St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn. He’s only a year younger than Pierre-Paul, and early in the 2014 season Quinn was given a contract extension that pays him an average of $14.3 million annually, with $15.6 million guaranteed, per OverTheCap.com. Quinn is now earning the second-most of all 4-3 defensive ends, behind only Buffalo's Mario Williams.

Of course, blocking out Pierre-Paul’s battle with a back injury in the not-so distant past would be reckless. While it was encouraging to see him somewhat return to his Pro Bowl form in 2014, the previous season when Pierre-Paul was only physically present is still fresh.

Year	Sacks	Tackles	Total pressures	Defensive stops
2013	2	27	31	18
2014	12.5	77	60	49

Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports that although long-term negotiations will indeed continue, the Giants aren’t afraid to let Pierre-Paul play out the entire 2015 season under his franchise-tag contract.

That’s who Pierre-Paul is right now: a justifiable risk at a high-end price, but only if the term is short. He’ll need to make 2013 a truly fuzzy memory with one more season of durability and productivity.

Combined, those two things will lead to trust, the last key needed in Pierre-Paul’s quest for access to the NFL’s vast money pits.