Palladino: Franchise Tag Could Work Against Giants And JPP
By Ernie Palladino
» More Ernie Palladino Columns
The news that Jason Pierre-Paul's rookie contract voided out Friday was no news at all. One way or the other, he was going to become an impending free agent.
The real news will come in the coming weeks as the Giants figure out what to do with their top pass rusher. Their answer will have wide-ranging effects on their offseason plans, and could even impact on their personal relationship with their best defender.
The fact is, the much-dreaded franchise tag looms as a distinct possibility. Starting Feb. 16, teams will have until March 2 to slap a player with a franchise tag. It's a one-year deal, straight salary, which in Pierre-Paul's case would count somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 million against a salary cap estimated to come in at $140 million.
That in itself represents a good chunk of cap space. But considering the Giants go into free agency with just $16 million of space according to OverTheCap.com, it's easy to see why the Giants might want to avoid a hit like that in favor of a long-term contract.
Those are just finances, though. For the player, the franchise tag has become a punishment of sorts. It forces them to stick with their team, albeit for a pretty good payout that still doesn't approach the dough a long-term deal's signing bonus and base salary would bring in. Plus, the player risks injury and a potential loss of value when his free agent shot comes around again in 2016.
Nobody wants a ticked-off player. Many teams try to avoid the franchise tag at all costs. The Giants did until they slapped it on punter Steve Weatherford in 2012. At least Weatherford took it well, as it helped spur talks for a longer deal with a team the punter wanted to stick with, anyway.
Weatherford eventually signed a five-year deal for $12.75 million which included a $3.25 million signing bonus. He's since had the deal restructured, but as of now he's still a Giant.
Given his enthusiasm for the New York area, Weatherford probably didn't mind involuntarily leaving a few potential free agent bucks on the table. But Pierre-Paul is a different case, having stated during the season his distaste for the so-called hometown discount. Tagging him, which by definition would deprive him of seeking out more lucrative pastures in the open market, would not sit well with him at all. It might even hinder long-term negotiations.
The Giants may have to franchise him, though, simply because losing JPP to another team will limit their draft options. It really doesn't matter that nine of his team-leading 12 ½ sacks came in the final five games, or that for the two years and 11 games before that he had compiled just 12 sacks. He's still the Giants' best hope for a pass rush. If he goes elsewhere, they'll have to replace him one way or another.
Replacing the 16 ½-sack monster of 2011 would become the No. 1 priority of the offseason. And since top veterans like Carolina's Greg Hardy and Detroit's pass-rushing DT Ndamukong Suh carry as big a personal valise as price tag, they'd probably do it with a high-round draft pick.
That would limit their draft day options, especially considering the offensive line, secondary and linebackers need attention.
Besides that, there is no telling whether JPP is on the downswing. He does have recurring back problems, so a long-term deal would be a risk. So would saddling a new coach with him if Tom Coughlin leaves after next season.
General manager Jerry Reese will be weighing all those factors in the coming weeks, plus the cost management of getting into what could become a spirited bidding war for him once the signing period starts March 10.
Reese still has some time to decide on the franchise tag.
In the meantime, Pierre-Paul can rest easy in the knowledge that, one way or another, a nice payday awaits him.
It's a matter of how much the Giants want to risk for him.
