Re-signing Jason Pierre-Paul isn’t quite as simple as bringing back a dynamic talent. The New York Giants must weigh the cost against the benefits.
From a pure talent and execution perspective, it’s easy to argue that the New York Giants should re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul. He’s one of the Top 15 edge defenders in the NFL and a cornerstone of the Giants’ elite defense.
If general manager Jerry Reese is going to re-sign Pierre-Paul, however, the cost simply cannot be ignored.
The basics of the cost is what the Giants would have to pay Pierre-Paul directly. Even at this relatively early juncture, that much is somewhat understood by both the front office and the masses.
The true measure of the cost, however, is the amount of money New York would be paying between two defensive ends.
Reese signed 2016 free agent Olivier Vernon to a five-year contract worth $85 million. That nets Vernon an average of $17 million, with cap hits of $16 million in 2017, $17 million in 2018, and $19.5 million in both 2019 and 2020.
That’s a hefty sum to pay any one player, but it could be half the price of the duo if Pierre-Paul gets the money he’s looking for.
It was reported in January that Pierre-Paul wants the same contract that Vernon received. That would net him $85 million, including $52.5 million guaranteed, and could be structured in a similar way.
In turn, the Giants would be paying an average of $34 million per season and $105 million guaranteed overall to the two defensive ends on the roster.
The reason to believe that New York should get the deal done is fair to be stated. The Giants were elite on defense in 2016, and the combination of Pierre-Paul and Vernon played a definitive role in the team’s success.
Both players were ranked in the Top 15 at their position by Pro Football Focus and both did an outstanding job of pressuring the quarterback.
Having said that, it’s undeniably risky for the Giants to let two defensive ends consume $34 million in cap space. That’s especially true when one considers the talent that could be found for a more affordable cost in free agency and the 2017 NFL Draft.
In the draft, both Takkarist McKinley of the UCLA Bruins and Tim Williams of the Alabama Crimson Tide could both be available to the Giants at No. 23 overall.
Regardless of what decision Jerry Reese comes to, there will be risk involved. Letting Pierre-Paul walk would force the Giants to replace a Top 15 edge defender, and re-signing him would handcuff it from a salary cap perspective.
The question is: did the decisions to cut Victor Cruz and Rashad Jennings create enough space for Reese to re-sign Pierre-Paul without hurting New York long-term?
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In the coming weeks, an answer will arrive.