The New York Giants reportedly are parting ways with a longtime face of the franchise.
The Giants are trading defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a deal involving multiple 2018 NFL Draft picks, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday. New York and Tampa Bay reportedly will swap fourth-round picks, while the Giants also will acquire a third-round pick.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport confirmed the trade Thursday and added a few details about Pierre-Paul’s contract, which reportedly will pay the 29-year-old north of $11 million for the 2018 season.
The Bucs apparently have prioritized adding a pass rusher this offseason, as Schefter also said Thursday that Tampa Bay tried to acquire Robert Quinn before the Los Angeles Rams traded him to the Miami Dolphins earlier this month.
With the Giants trading away Pierre-Paul, a two-time Pro Bowl pick who recorded a team-high 8.5 sacks last season, it’s fair to wonder whether New York will target a pass rusher in the draft. Bradley Chubb is ranked high on many draft boards, so perhaps the Giants will pass on a quarterback and Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, among others, to select the North Carolina State defensive end with the No. 2 overall pick.
Either way, it’s been a very successful run in the Big Apple for JPP, hand-mangling fireworks accident notwithstanding. The former first-round pick recorded 58.5 sacks over eight seasons, including a career-high 16.5 in 2011, and won two Super Bowl titles with the Giants.
