The NY Giants are coming into the offseason after missing the playoffs for the third straight year and the top concern is free agent Jason Pierre-Paul and the Giants may use the franchise tag on him so he stays in New York and this comes as Tom Coughlin is getting a new extension and some other targets for Jerry Reese could be bringing back Antrel Rolle and releasing Matthias Kiwanuka.
The Giants went just 6-10 last season and now they are looking at a top 10 pick and a solid schedule for the 2015 slate. The team expects to be back in the playoffs and Coughlin could be under the gun again if that doesn't happen. According to Pro Football Talk, the Giants are working on an extension with Coughlin, as he is heading into the final year of his contract. Dan Graziano at ESPN.com writes that this is mostly a formality for optics, as Coughlin will be evaluated at the end of the season if the Giants don't make the playoffs again.
The New York Daily News reported that the two sides are working on a deal and it could take Coughlin through the 2016 season. The Giants have other pressing matters along with Coughlin, as JPP is hitting free agency and he is the top concern. The team also has players like Antrel Rolle and Walter Thurmond hitting the market, but Pierre-Paul is the most talented player going into free agency. The team has expressed interest in keeping Pierre-Paul, but ESPN New York reports that if a long term deal doesn't get done, they could use the franchise tag on him.
Pierre-Paul is coming off of a bounce back season after two disappointing years. JPP had 12.5 sacks last season and that came after he had just eight in the previous two combined while dealing with nagging injuries. Last season he played a full schedule and had 77 total tackles and now the team has to decide what he is worth. As of last week the team and JPP had not started talks, but the team is expected to pick up on that after the combine. It looks like the franchise tag is likely, as the team may need more time to work out a long term deal.
The team has not used the franchise tag since back in 2012 and JPP looks like a good candidate for it. With the cap rising and the Giants coming in with a projected $20 million in space, there is a good chance they look at making cuts. Dan Graziano at ESPN.com writes that JD Walton, Jon Beason and Mathias Kiwanuka are all options to get cut. Kiwanuka is most likely, as he is counting $7.45 million on the cap and is turning 32 next month. Beason has a $7.367 million cap hit and has dealt with injuries, while Walton could save the team over $2 million.
Graziano added some notes about potential free agency targets and he mentioned CJ Spiller, Shane Vereen and Reggie Bush as options. The Giants lost their pass catching/explosive RB option when David Wilson retired and one of those players could fill the void. Bush is likely getting released from the Lions to help save the team some money and he could come in cheap on the market.
