Jason Pierre-Paul is sticking by the side of fellow defensive end Osi Umenyiora when it comes to his most recent contract dispute with management.
Pierre-Paul, who took over the starting right defensive end position after Umenyiora missed the first three games of 2011, believes that the veteran deserves a new deal from the Giants.
“You know, if you look at his resume, he has put up numbers,” Pierre-Paul told The Post at an Axe SportsBlast Combine House event with Kate Upton at SPiN NYC.
“In the NFL, as a football player you have to put up numbers, that’s all that counts,” Pierre-Paul said. “He has helped us win big games and if I was in his predicament I would want the same thing.”
OSI LOSING SLEEP OVER GIANTS FUTURE
Umenyiora is entering the final year of a seven-year $41.38 million deal. Umenyiora has not reported for the Giants’ offseason program and claimed he is losing sleep due to his current situation.
“I’m resigned to whatever is going to happen,’’ Umenyiora said Wednesday. “Whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I’m trying my best not to really think about it too much. It keeps me up at night. I haven’t really had a good night’s sleep in these past two weeks because I never really know what’s going to happen. So, we’ll see.’’
Pierre-Paul admitted that the Giants would miss Umenyiora if he is traded from the team, but believes the slack can be picked up.
“[Osi leaving] would mean we have got to pick up the loose ends,” Pierre-Paul said. “I have to step up bigtime, also Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka and even the guys in the middle have got to step up. We’re all really flexible, we’ll be hurting but we’d only be hurting a little bit.”
In Umenyiora’s absence, Pierre-Paul stepped up in a big way last season, only his second in the NFL, recording 16.5 sacks and being named to the AP All-Pro team. The 6’5 defensive monster did not put a number on how many sacks he will collect in 2012.
“I expect myself to get more sacks,” Pierre-Paul said. “I don’t put a limit on my sacks or how many numbers of sacks I’ll get, because then I’m cheating myself, setting myself up for failure. Hopefully I’ll pass 16.5.”
The Giants struck gold when they selected Pierre-Paul in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. When asked if he had a specific position he would like the Giants to fill in Thursday’s draft, Pierre-Paul had just one requirement.
“[I want the team to pick] anybody that’s going to come to the New York Giants, play their heart out and help us get to another Super Bowl,” Pierre-Paul said. “That’s all I care about.”
With Paul Schwartz