The Giants said goodbye to one of their best pass rushers Thursday, possibly clearing the way for them to draft their next great pass rusher.
The team traded defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to the Buccaneers in exchange for a third-round pick (No. 69 overall). The teams also swapped fourth-round picks. The Giants moved down six spots from No. 102 overall to No. 108.
The move is a possible signal the Giants are thinking of taking North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb with the No. 2 overall pick. Chubb is viewed as the best pass rusher in this draft and would be a better fit than Pierre-Paul in the 3-4 the Giants are moving to under new defensive coordinator James Bettcher.
Giants general manager Dave Gettleman continues to remake the team’s roster. Pierre-Paul, 29, was the longest-tenured defensive player on the Giants and the last defensive player remaining from the team’s 2011 Super Bowl team.
“We appreciate everything Jason has done for the Giants,” Gettleman told the team’s website. “He was a fine player for us, and he helped our franchise win Super Bowl XLVI. We wish him well in the future.”
The 2010 first-round pick had 58.5 sacks during his eight seasons, including 16.5 in that 2011 championship season.
Pierre-Paul will be best remembered, though, for the fireworks accident on July 4, 2015, that cost him part of his right hand and his subsequent return from the injury. The Giants signed him to a four-year, $62 million in March 2017.
“Today is a bittersweet day,” Pierre-Paul said in an Instagram post. “I have been blessed to be part of a world class organization and fans for the last 8 years. As I look back at my career with the NY Giants, I am filled with gratitude and appreciation for each and every moment I had with NYG. As of now I’m starting a new chapter in my life as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, I will always value the time I had here in NY CITY. Thank you for the great 8 years! 90PC”
By trading him, the Giants save $2.5 million in salary-cap space, but he will still carry a dead-money charge of $15 million for them. They will save the cash of paying him his $11.2 million salary this year.
The Giants now have no players left from their 2008-13 draft classes.
In this year’s draft, the Giants could be closing in on Chubb with that No. 2 pick. The Post’s Paul Schwartz reported this week that the Giants view Chubb as standing alone as the best all-around defensive end in this draft and the drop-off is much greater from him to the next best at his position than at guard with Quenton Nelson and the next best guard.
The Giants now have six picks in the draft. They have a pick in the first round, one in the second round, two in the third round, a fourth-rounder and a fifth-rounder. They have four picks in the top 69 of the draft.
Pierre-Paul will now play closer to his home in Florida, and the Buccaneers get a pass rusher.
“Jason is an elite-level edge rusher who will make an immediate impact on our defense,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht told the team’s website. “We are adding a two-time Pro Bowler who is passionate about the game and has established himself as one of the league’s premier defensive ends. Jason is an incredibly hard-working playmaker on the defensive front with a unique skill set that allows him to stay on the field in both rushing and passing situations.”