Could the Ravens be interested in JPP?

You down with JPP? Man, you know me!

As we recently covered, the Giants' defensive end Jason Pierre Paul got seriously injured during a fireworks accident on July 4th. The extent of his injuries aren't completely known publicly yet, the rumors are swirling that it isn't out of the realm of possibility that JPP could lose fingers or have serious nerve damage in that hand.

What makes matters even worse for both JPP and the Giants is that he never signed his franchise tender with the team, meaning that the Giants could rescind the offer at any time and likely would if they felt that he would not be available for the start of the season. The Giants have already pulled a reported $60 million deal off the table until they could figure out what is going on. During all this hysteria, the Ravens could swoop in.

Now keep in mind that this is purely hypothetical at this point and I doubt the Ravens would make a move right now regardless of what is going on. However, when you consider that JPP is only 26 years old and is a star pass rusher for the Giants, it is a move that would certainly bolster the Ravens pass rush for the next few years if healthy enough to return. Right now, the Giants are likely still trying to figure out all the information that they can, but the outlook is probably one where JPP won't be able to play a majority of this season. If he is still unwilling to sign a long-term deal that the Giants would be comfortable with, the Giants would be fools to give him $14 million for a partial season with the franchise tag. That would make him a free agent if they pull the franchise tag off of him.

We've seen the Ravens swoop in before as Elvis Dumervil became a free agent due to a fax snafu. The Ravens created the cap room to make a deal happen with Doom and could look to do the same thing here, but instead trade with the Giants in order to lock JPP down with them.

All of this would predicated on signing a long-term deal before the trade was official. The Ravens would understand that JPP would be out for the season as he rehabbed his hand and got back slowly, and Jason Pierre-Paul would understand that a winning organization has his back. That type of scenario has seen players come back at 100% and play lights out for their new team, much in the way that Dumervil turned it on for the Ravens.

Last season, our buddies at Big Blue View, took a look at some crazy trade scenarios. We'll use that as a guide for what the Giants would want for the injured player.

....My other idea here was to the Baltimore Ravens for Will Hill, Arthur Brown and a No. 1 pick

Obviously, the Ravens wouldn't give up 2 players and a first round pick at this point for JPP and probably wouldn't even if he was completely healthy. But the Ravens do always have a ton of draft picks each year and could dangle Arthur Brown out as trade bait. The Giants are notoriously weak at the linebacker position and Arthur Brown is a former second round pick that could start for the Giants cheaply. Add in a 4th or 5th round pick for good measure and I'm not entirely sure that the Giants wouldnt jump on that.

If you are the Ravens, it is a low risk deal. You get rid of a player that has been a borderline special teams player for you and lose a later round draft pick on a player that is an absolute star if healthy. If you could sign him to a long-term deal for relatively cheap over the next few seasons, or even a short-term trial deal with the understanding that there are question marks around him, it is something that could pay off exponentially. If he is unable to come back at all or back in the same way as his peak, then you have wasted very little. If he does come back completely, you now have a player that could be worthy of a first round pick if he were to be traded away or could eventually take over for Terrell Suggs once he retires as an outside linebacker in the Ravens scheme.

Is it crazy? Yeah absolutely. But it could very well be just crazy enough to work.