New York Giants Rumors: Jason Pierre-Paul Shedding The Club Cast?

New York Giants Rumors: Could we see the old Jason Pierre-Paul on the field for the Giants in 2016, as he plans to shed the club cast?

New York Giants rumors continue to swirl as NFL Free Agency is in full swing. The Giants had a busy first day of free agency, spending over $200 million to upgrade their defense. One of the players that they used some of that money on was their own free agent, Jason Pierre-Paul.

The Giants and Pierre-Paul agreed to a one-year deal on the outset of free agency, as Pierre-Paul looks to rehab his market value and the Giants were not interested in working out a long term deal because of the uncertainty surrounding Pierre-Paul. A Fourth of July fireworks incident last season left Pierre-Paul with a mangled right hand, severely limiting what he could do on the football field.

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Pierre-Paul was able to play in the last eight games of the season for the Giants, but was not as productive as he had been in the past. It was not for a lack of effort or pressure, but instead the protective measures that Pierre-Paul took with his hand. Not wanting to damage it any further, and wanting to feel comfortable with it on the field, Pierre-Paul played with a massive club like cast on the right hand.

While his elusiveness and athleticism did not wane despite being away from the team so long, the effectiveness was not the same. With the club on the hand and an inability to grip, Pierre-Paul struggled to break way from offensive lineman blocking him. If he was able to shed a block, he then struggled to finish off plays, as he was unable to wrap up and tackle.

It resulted in career-lows across the board for Pierre-Paul, as he registered only one sack and 26 tackles. He did record six passes defended, but without the ability to make tackles Pierre-Paul was a liability despite the pressure he caused. But, could we see those limitations become less of a problem during the 2016 season?

Shortly after the season ended, Pierre-Paul underwent another surgery to try and regain more use of his right hand. He seems confident that the hand has continued improving and that it will not be a problem, as he announced on Sirius XM NFL Radio that he will not be playing with a club in 2016.

That would greatly increase his effectiveness if he is able to shed the club. It held him back last season, and if he is confident enough in the hand that he plans on shedding the club we could start to see the old Pierre-Paul on the field in 2016 that is more reminiscent of the version we saw in 2014.

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If Pierre-Paul is able to bounce back from the hand injury and provide solid production in 2016, expect him to hit the market at this time next year with the intentions to land a long-term contract that he has been seeking for well over a year now.