The New York Giants are going to have to pay big bucks to keep Jason Pierre-Paul around, and early indications are that they are willing to do that.
Ralph Vacchiano of SNY said this week that the Giants are planning to be “aggressive” in trying to sign Pierre-Paul to an extension. However, they may run into some issues with the salary cap, as they already have two defensive linemen in Damon Harrison, who signed a five-year, $46.25 million contract last offseason, and Olivier Vernon, who set the market last year with a five-year, $85 million deal that includes $52 million guaranteed.
So how can the Giants afford to pay top dollar to yet another member of their front seven?
That’s likely where the “aggressive” part comes in. Pierre-Paul has already said he has no intention of signing another short-term deal, but the Giants could get him for slightly less if they are able to come to an agreement before the start of free agency next month. Even if he is not planning to sign another one-year deal, perhaps JPP will show some loyalty to a team that stuck with him through a horrific accident.
One option for the Giants could be the franchise tag, but that would take up about half of the $35 million in cap space they currently have heading into 2017. The ideal scenario for New York is to get Pierre-Paul to sign a long-term extension before testing the market.
