The New York Giants don't have a lot of young building blocks to hang their hats on. That's why free agency will be so important for this team.
New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul hasn't been able to duplicate his sophomore season that saw him record 16.5 sacks. But he is a talented player at an important position, and at only 25 he's still young enough to see some improvement in his game. But as a pending unrestricted free agent, it remains to be seen if his future is in New York.
"He has had a very strong year, being an elite run defender," ESPN Insider Adam Schefter wrote. "There aren't many, if any, defensive ends who have stopped the run as well as he has. And for that, he is going to want to be rewarded. My sense is that Jason Pierre-Paul will be looking for the big payday that he believes he deserves, and as much as he would like to stay with the Giants, he will make a business decision that is best for him and his family. The Giants would like to keep him, but at the right price. And when Pierre-Paul gets to the open market, with the salary cap going up, there's a greater risk they'll lose him."
That's too bad for Giants fans. As much as JPP's run stopping abilities have been noticed this season, it's not as if he has completely fallen off the map as a pass rusher. Pierre-Paul has 9.5 sacks with two games left on the season. Sure, his 18 total sacks since his breakout 2011 campaign is slightly disappointing. But much of that can be attributed to back injuries that hampered him in 2013. He is still a young and talented player that should fetch a nicely sized deal on the open market.
