The Giants flaunt one of the highest-paid defensive lines in all of football. Can they live up to their contracts? Here's a closer look at what to expect...

Projected Starters: Jason Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison, Dalvin Tomlinson

Projected Backups: Robert Thomas, Romeo Okwara, Jay Bromley, Avery Moss, Kerry Wynn, Owa Odighizuwa

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Giants began the offseason with a heartbreaking playoff loss that left them with mixed feelings. They were crushed that they blew an 11-5 season and a terrific opportunity. But they were hopeful that they were on the verge of being a true contender again.

Everything they did this offseason was with that in mind. There's still a lot of work to be done when training camp opens on July 27, of course, and a lot can change between now and Opening Day on Sept. 10. But for now, here are five things we've learned about these Giants as their "offseason" officially comes to an end:

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Every NFL coach gives the same speech this time of year, as minicamp ends and the long, six-week wait until training camp begins. They beg their players to be careful, to stay safe and out of trouble.

Ben McAdoo's speech, though, couldn't possibly resonate as much as the example of what happened two years ago to Jason Pierre-Paul.

"I'm pretty sure they get the picture," the Giants defensive end said on Thursday, as the Giants officially concluded their three-day minicamp. "They understand the message. We had team meetings with a list of instructions with the better opportunities you are going to get. Trust me I am living proof of it. You know, two years ago … I probably wouldn't even be here."

Two years ago, JPP was about halfway through the six weeks between minicamp and training camp when a fireworks accident left him with a badly damaged right hand. He lost a finger and parts of several others. He said his life was in jeopardy at one point. And at the time, his career -- and any hope of a long-term contract he once seemed sure to land -- were in jeopardy.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive:

BAYONNE, N.J. - Justin Tuck was right there to witness the best of Jason Pierre-Paul -- his breakout, 16 1/2-sack season that was now six long years ago. JPP has been through a lot since then, including multiple surgeries on his hand, groin and back.

The injuries and time have undoubtedly taken a toll. But Tuck still believes his old teammate is even better than he was before.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv

In the last two full games Jason Pierre-Paul played last season, he was a monster. He forced two fumbles, he had 5 ½ sacks. He was everywhere on the field, as disruptive as he had been in years.

"I was just getting warmed up, man," JPP said on Thursday. "I was just starting to get on a roll."

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The Giants wanted to bring Johnathan Hankins back and they did all the right things to try to make that happen. They made him a generous offer. They patiently waited for his response. They didn't seriously pursue other defensive tackles or (for the most part) publicly pressure him to take their deal. They let their offer sit there and gave him all the space he needed until he decided to make up his mind.

In the end, he found his riches elsewhere. They always knew that was the risk.

Free agent DT Johnathan Hankins has agreed to a four-year deal with the Colts worth $30 million, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Hankins, who visited with the Colts on Tuesday, will get $14.5 million guaranteed.

The Giants' offer to Hankins was for $28 million over four years, according to Paul Schwartz of the NY Post.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv

PHOENIX - At the miserable end of the 2015 season, as the Giants were basically firing Tom Coughlin, John Mara wasn't willing to let his general manager completely off the hook. He officially put Jerry Reese on notice when he said "Jerry knows this is on him."

A $200 million spending spree, an 11-5 record, and a return to the playoffs later, it appears that Reese isn't on the Giants' hot seat anymore.

"There was a lot of heat on Jerry," Giants co-owner Steve Tisch said during the NFL Owners Meetings on Monday at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. "John Mara, my partner, made it very clear to Jerry that 'We're watching you and we have very high expectations, and it's really your time to deliver, Jerry.' So the moves he made last season, clearly in retrospect, were hugely significant and changed the whole defense of the team. 

University of Tennessee DE Derek Barnett will be the Giants' pick in this year's NFL draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. predicted in his third Mock Draft.

The Giants have the 23rd overall pick.

Kiper also had the Giants selecting Barnett in his second mock draft. He had New York selecting Wisconsin T Ryan Ramczyk in his first mock draft...

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It was just over 20 months ago that the first call was made to the Giants' offices with a scary report that lacked many important details. Their star defensive end had been involved in a fireworks accident, and no one could tell them how bad it really was.

In the days that followed, as they struggled to get information, the anger inside their offices grew. By the time the extent of the damage to Jason Pierre-Paul's right hand was clear, his NFL future was in doubt. And if he had one, it sure looked like his bridge back to the Giants had been burned.

Less than two years later, JPP's miracle return is complete. He's not just an NFL player, he's again one of the NFL's premier pass rushers, and a key cog in the Giants' defense. He's also once again a big part of the Giants' future, which they secured on Friday when they signed him to a massive, four-year, $62 million deal...

The Giants have agreed with DE Jason Pierre-Paul on a four-year deal, a source confirmed to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.

The deal has a base of $62 million and can be worth up to $66 million, according to Vacchiano. $40 million is guaranteed.

The Giants placed the nearly $17 million franchise tag on Pierre-Paul earlier this offseason, but did so with the hope that they'd be able to reach a long-term deal before the deadline, Vacchiano reported on March 3.

"We're going to create history," Pierre-Paul said in a statement released by the team. "We made it to the playoffs, but unfortunately I wasn't there to play. But I'm looking to get back to the playoffs this year with that great defensive line that we have, and the great defense that coach Spags (coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) is going to put out there."

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.TV:

Players always talk about the non-financial intangibles when they enter free agency, about their desire to find the right situation and play for a winner. But the truth about free agency often is this: Money talks.

Still, the real top players in the market sometimes have choices to make when the money is close, and that's where things could get interesting for Mike Maccagnan and the New York Jets. He's got the money to spend to begin the makeover his roster (approximately $37 million in cap space and maybe more to come). But if his top targets end up with multiple, lucrative options, does the Jets GM have the rest of the package to lure those players to New York?

It could be an interesting question right off the bat with a report already emerging that the Chicago Bears are ready to battle the Jets for free-agent quarterback Mike Glennon. Not that the Bears are in great shape -- they're coming off a 3-13 season and have missed the playoffs the last six seasons just like the Jets. Maybe Glennon, or any player, could make the argument that the Jets are the more attractive spot between the two.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.TV:

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ben McAdoo was thrilled to learn that Jason Pierre-Paul would be back with the Giants and he was unconcerned with the nearly $17 million cost. And never mind that the cost is more than half of the Giants' available cap space.

McAdoo believes that won't hinder the Giants as they go about their offseason business at all.

The Giants got a big jump on their offseason business when they slapped the "franchise tag" on Jason Pierre-Paul on Monday, but that's likely to only be the start. They have a lot more work to do as they try to load up for one more Eli Manning-led Super Bowl run.

The NFL scouting combine gives them their first look at who they might draft with the 23^rd overall pick, though there are many other things they can accomplish at what is essentially the NFL's annual convention this week. They have some of their own players to try to take care of before the start of free agency, so they can have the salary cap space to get some of the offensive help they need.

So, with Giants coach Ben McAdoo set to talk to the media on Wednesday - and with GM Jerry Reese declining to speak at the combine this year, for the first time since he took over in 2007 - here are five questions the Giants are going to be trying to answer this week:

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv

The New York Giants want to keep their rejuvenated defense together, and they're willing to pay the price to do it. They proved that on Tuesday when they officially slapped the franchise tag on DE Jason Pierre-Paul.

That move all but guarantees the 28-year-old defensive end will play at least one more season with the Giants, though both sides seem to be hoping they'll soon strike a long-term deal that will keep him with the Giants for much longer. The tag, which is expected to be worth more than $17 million, will become official on Tuesday, an NFL source confirmed. But the source added the two sides will likely continue to talk in the hopes of agreeing to a new contract before free agency opens on March 9.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv

The New York Giants' decision to use their franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul probably won't sit well with either him or his agent. Pierre-Paul didn't want it. And if he doesn't end up with a long-term contract, he surely won't be happy.

The decision also tied up a dangerous amount of cap space into one position on the Giants' roster. They currently have $44 million (26 percent) tied up in three-fourths of their defensive line, with the fourth member (Johnathan Hankins) looking to cash in for himself when free agency starts.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv

If Jason Pierre-Paul doesn't sign a long-term contract before the start of the free-agent signing period on March 9, he will count for approximately $17 million against the New York Giants' salary cap. That would be more than 10 percent of the projected $168 million cap, and the second-highest number on the team.

It would also mean the Giants will have $33 million in cap space (or about 20 percent of the projected cap) tied up in their two starting defensive ends, and a total of about $44 million (26 percent) tied up in three-fourths of their defensive line -- with the fourth member (defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins) looking to cash in for himself when free agency starts.

The Giants are still projected to have around $15-17 million to spend in free agency, assuming the cap is set at $168 million. They can also clear more room by cutting some players in the next 10 days or restructuring some of their biggest deals.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv

There was a time when the Giants didn't value defensive tackles nearly as much as they do defensive ends. They wanted a rotation of outside pass rushers and they were willing to spend money and picks to get it. Inside, they were content with a bunch of big bodies clogging up the running lanes - preferably players they developed themselves.

Of course, that hasn't been the same since Jerry Reese took over as general manager. He once made a big offer to Albert Haynesworth in 2009 and he pondered a big-money run at Ndamukong Suh in 2015. Five times in his 10 drafts he's taken a defensive tackle in the first three rounds. And last March he gave Damon Harrison a five-year, $46.25 million contract with $24 million guaranteed.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY:

Adrian Peterson sent the hearts of Giants fans fluttering earlier this month when he sent out the Tweet heard 'round the tri-state area. "The Giants been making some interesting moves," he wrote. And all of a sudden, many pictured him running through the Meadowlands, wearing blue.

Even though Peterson is suddenly available, and even if he's willing to come to the Giants at a reasonable price, is it smart for a Giants team with so many needs to invest anything at all in a soon-to-be 32-year-old back who played all of three games last season (and rushed just 37 times for 72 yards) because he needed surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee?

Yes, the Giants are going to try desperately to win another Super Bowl in the next three years before Eli Manning's contract expires. And yes, their running game last season was a mess. But that had as much to do -- and maybe more to do -- with their poor offensive line than with the play of their running backs.

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Two years ago the Giants hit Jason Pierre-Paul with the "franchise tag" with the hopes that it would only be a place-holder until he agreed to a long-term deal. It almost happened, too, with talks that continued well into the summer - right up until his infamous fireworks accident on the 4th of July.

Then last year the Giants didn't use the tag on him when he was still recovering from his hand injuries and his value was obviously low, and it worked out when they lured him back for just $10 million and one year.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY:

The NFL offseason may be off to a slow start, but things are surely about to pick up with cuts and contract restructures on their way, and with the scouting combine just two weeks away.

With that in mind, here is our weekly look at some of the biggest questions facing the Giants, what's new about them, where they stand on finding an answer, and if any of the issues have changed.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv

Each week, SNY will put a current player, a position, or perhaps a draft or free agent target of the Giants in the spotlight as part of our regular offseason coverage. This week we begin with the intriguing figure that may hold the key to all of the Giants' offseason plans:

DE Jason Pierre-Paul.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY:

The Super Bowl is over and the offseason has begun, meaning the Giants can start reshaping their roster in the hopes they can make a run at Super Bowl LII. And even though they went 11-5 and returned to the playoffs last season, there's a lot of work to be done.

So here are some of the biggest questions the Giants must answer this offseason. We'll check back in each week to see how the Giants are doing, whether any of the questions have been answered, and whether any have changed:

1.) How are they going to fix their offensive line?

Considering how their poor offense dragged them down this season, this is the Giants' most important question. They have a franchise quarterback in Eli Manning and one of the biggest weapons in the game in Odell Beckham, Jr.. If Manning could get better protection and a few holes could be open in the running game, maybe the offense could live up to the expectations.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY:

It was eight years ago today, Friday, that the Giants pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history and knocked off the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Then, four years and two days later in Super Bowl XLVI, the Giants did it to the Patriots again.

The Patriots are now in their seventh Super Bowl in the 16 seasons of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady Era of dominance. They've won four of their first six. Their only two losses have come to the Giants. And while those two Giants teams were very different, despite having the same coach (Tom Coughlin) and quarterback (Eli Manning) the gameplan they used each time was largely the same.

Equally important was this: Both times the Giants went in completely unafraid...

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY:

Rebuilding the New York Giants' defense cost them a ton of money last offseason, and keeping it from falling apart again might cost a little more.

But it's the price they have to pay if they want to win another championship in the Eli Manning era. And that's why between now and the start of free agency in March, the Giants have to do their best to re-sign Johnathan Hankins and Jason Pierre-Paul.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY:

Even after an 11-5 season there are so many questions about the Giants and their offseason plans that I had to split them into several SNY Twitter mailbags. Part I ran on Wednesday. Part II ran on Thursday.

Here, as promised, is Part III … with a IVth still to come:

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY:

Even though the Giants are coming off their most successful regular season since 2008 and their first playoff berth since 2011, their season-ending, 38-13 loss in Green Bay in the wild-card round left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. It also left the Giants heading into the offseason with plenty of difficult questions.

You asked them, so I'll answer as many as I can in four installments of the first offseason edition of my SNY Giants Twitter mailbag. Here is Part I:

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY:

The Giants could have somewhere near $40 million in salary cap space to play with this offseason if the cap rises all the way to $168 million, as some in the NFL project. They might even end up with more, depending on what contracts they restructure and which players they decide to cut.

And while that may not be enough to turn them into big spenders in free agency the way they were a year ago, it certainly is enough for them to re-sign some of their own unrestricted free agents. They have 17 UFAs to deal with, and several other free agents who are restricted. And a few of them could demand and command big money from someone -- particularly the two free agents on the Giants' defensive line.

Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul wants to return to the Giants but isn't open to signing another one-year deal, he told reporters Monday.

"I've done proved it," Pierre-Paul said. "There's not a guy like me doing it with seven and a half fingers."

Pierre-Paul added that while he'd "love" to return to the Giants, it will be a "business decision."

Giants GM Jerry Reese discussed a variety of topics while speaking with reporters Monday.

The highlights...

• Odell Beckham, Jr. needs to "think about what he does," look in the mirror and take responsibility for his actions. "He's a smart guy but sometimes he doesn't do smart things."
• The team is doing its own investigation into the allegations that Beckham punched a hole in the Lambeau Field wall after Sunday's loss.

The Giants released their injury report on Friday...

The following player is OUT for Sunday's game against Green Bay:

• DE Jason PIerre-Paul (core muscle)

The following player is DOUBTFUL for Sunday's game:

• DE Owa Odigizuwa (hamstring)

The Giants released their injury report on Thursday...

The following player did not participate in practice:

• DE Jason PIerre-Paul (core muscle)

The following players were limited during practice:

• TE Jerell Adams (shoulder)
• S Nat Berhe (concussion)
• CB Janoris Jenkins (back)
• DE Owa Odigizuwa (hamstring)
• CB Coty Sensabaugh (ankle)

The Giants released their injury report on Wednesday...

The following player did not participate in practice:

• DE Jason PIerre-Paul (core muscle)

The following players were limited during practice:

• TE Jerell Adams (shoulder)
• S Nat Berhe (concussion)
• CB Janoris Jenkins (back)
• DE Owa Odigizuwa (hamstring)
• CB Coty Sensabaugh (ankle)

Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after intercepting a pair of passes and picking up the second sack of his career in the Giants' 19-10 win over the Redskins on Sunday.

He is the first cornerback to win Defensive Player of the Week honors for three different teams (Giants, Broncos, Cardinals) since Deion Sanders. 

Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul, who had surgery in early-December to repair a sports hernia and groin injury, wouldn't rule out returning to the field for the potential Divisional round of the playoffs.

"Maybe before," Pierre-Paul told Mark Cannizzaro of the NY Post when asked if his targeted return date was the NFC Championship game.

"The deeper they get, the more likely I'm coming back,'' Pierre-Paul said. "The guys want me to come back and that makes me want to come back even harder than I did before. I'm doing the best I can to get back and hopefully I can get back before the last game.''

Giants head coach Ben McAdoo said on Dec. 28 that Pierre-Paul was getting better.

The Giants released their injury report on Friday.

The following players are OUT for Sunday's game against the Redskins:

• DE Jason Pierre-Paul (core muscle)
• S Nat Berhe (concussion)

The following players are QUESTIONABLE for Sunday's game:

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY:

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Jason Pierre-Paul is "getting better" three weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia and a groin injury, according to Giants coach Ben McAdoo. But he's still not healthy enough to rejoin the Giants at practice.

And it appears any shot at a return to action for the defensive end is still several weeks away.

The following players appeared on the Giants' injury report on Wednesday...

Did not participate in practice:

• DE Jason Pierre-Paul (core muscle)

Limited during practice:

Giants P Brad Wing has won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second straight week, the NFL announced Wednesday morning. 

Wing becomes the first player in Giants history to win Special Teams Player of the Week in consecutive weeks.

The 25-year old punted the ball seven times during New York's 17-6 victory over the Lions on Sunday, and finished with an average of 42.6 yards per punt with two landing inside the 20-yard line and his longest punt going 57 yards. The Lions averaged just 2.8 yards on four returns. 

The following players appeared on the Giants' pre-practice injury report on Wednesday...

• CB Nat Berhe (concussion)
• LB B.J. Goodson (concussion)
• CB Janoris Jenkins (back)
• DE Jason Pierre-Paul (core muscle)
• TE Will Tye (illness)

John Fennelly, SNY.TV

As last season drew to an end, the Giants were facing another football-less January. They finished 6-10 for the second straight time and missed the playoffs for the fourth consectutive season.

The defense, decimated by injuries, was the league's worst and not befitting of wearing the Giants' vaunted blue.
Ownership had head coach Tom Coughlin fall on his sword rather than fire him and decided to give GM Jerry Reese one final chance to get his roster right -- starting with the defense.

Reese responded by getting aggressive in free agency, re-signing DE Jason Pierre-Paul and then the top DT, DE and CB available in Damon Harrison, Olivier Vernon, and Janoris Jenkins respectively. He also inked veteran LBs Keenan Robinson and Kelvin Sheppard. In the draft, he landed Ohio State CB Eli Apple in the first round and took safety Damian Thompson of Boise State in Round Three.

The Giants released their injury report on Wednesday...

The following players are OUT for Thursday night's game against the Eagles:

• DE Jason Pierre-Paul (core muscle)
• S Nat Berhe (concussion)

The following players are QUESTIONABLE for Thursday night's game:

The following players appeared on the Giants' injury report on Monday...

Did not participate in practice:

• DE Jason Pierre-Paul (core muscle)
• OT Will Beatty (lower leg)
• LB Jonathan Casillas (knee)
• CB Janoris Jenkins (back)
• OT Marshall Newhouse (shoulder)
• RB Shane Vereen (triceps)
• QB Ryan Nassib (elbow)

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.TV:

THE GAME: The Detroit Lions (9-4) at the Giants (9-4) at the Meadowlands on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. ET

THE WEATHER: It will be rainy and windy, but at least it will be warm. The temperatures are expected to be in the mid-to-upper 50s, but it's still going to feel gross anyway.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Giants could actually clinch a playoff berth with a win, as long as the Redskins, Vikings and Packers all lose too. Even if that doesn't happen, a 10th win should virtually guarantee the Giants an NFC wild-card berth. Also if the Bucs beat the Dallas Cowboys and the Giants win, the Giants will be just one game back in the NFC East race with two games to go. It's a longshot, but anything is possible.

The following players appeared on the Giants' injury report on Friday...

Did not participate in practice:

• DE Jason Pierre-Paul (core muscle)

The following players appeared on the Giants' injury report on Thursday...

Did not participate in practice:

• DE Jason Pierre-Paul (core muscle)
• LB Keenan Robinson (shoulder)

Limited participation in practice:

The following players appeared on the Giants' injury report on Wednesday...

Did not participate in practice:

• DE Jason Pierre-Paul (core muscle)
• LB Keenan Robinson (shoulder)

Limited participation in practice:

Giants P Brad Wing has been named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance during New York's 10-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, the league announced Wednesday morning.

Wing had nine punts against Dallas and finished the game with a 43.2-yard gross average and a 42.9-yard net average. His longest punt went for 57 yards, and five of his kicks were downed inside the 20-yard line. The Cowboys managed just three total yards on three punt returns.

This is the sixth Player of the Week award won by the Giants this year, and the second one on special teams; Janoris Jenkins was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 2. Odell Beckham Jr. was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 6, while the Giants have won three defensive awards -- Landon Collins in Weeks 7 and 9, and Jason Pierre-Paul in Week 12.