3-Wide: Should the Giants rescind the franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul?
3-Wide is a weekly feature in which theScore's NFL editors debate the hot topics around the league. Grab a cold towel and brace for hot takes.
Should the Giants rescind the franchise tag for Jason Pierre-Paul?
Arun Srinivasan: Pierre-Paul was either highly irresponsible, or the victim of a freak accident, in the fireworks incident that led to the amputation of his finger, but the Giants shouldn't rescind the franchise tag. It would be poor asset management to allow the 26-year-old defensive end to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Pierre-Paul and the Giants appear to have a tenuous relationship as it stands, and rescinding the tender would only add to a needless feud. If he plays as well as he did during the final five games of 2014, when he recorded eight sacks, the Giants should reach a long-term deal with him at the end of the year.
Michael Amato: No. They were right to pull the contract extension offer, but giving up on him entirely at this point seems premature. The Giants can't use the $14 million they committed to him with the tag on any valuable free agents now anyway. They may as well see what he brings to the table this season. If he regains his dominant form, which was never consistent to begin with, then they can re-evaluate their options regarding an extension.
Dan Wilkins: With Pierre-Paul expected to play this season, and seemingly having an opportunity to be ready for Week 1, the Giants rescinding the tag would be a mistake. He's easily the most talented player on that defense, and although the one-year tender carries a sizable guaranteed salary, the team would be hard-pressed to find someone else to spend that money on at this point in the offseason. New York should have Pierre-Paul play out the year and look to readdress his contract situation if he continues to perform at a high level.
Was it wise for the Rams to use a supplemental pick on Isaiah Battle?
Amato: Battle may be better than some of the other offensive tackles on the depth chart, but it's still a bizarre decision. The Rams spent two other draft picks on offensive tackles and then took another two offensive linemen for good measure. Where are all these guys going to play? Improving your depth is all well and good, but wasting that many draft picks on players that are destined for the bench is foolhardy. The NFL is a win-now league.
Wilkins: With the Rams seeing Battle as an early-round prospect, surrendering a 2016 fifth-round pick to bring him aboard is a value move. Though the club has already declared the upcoming season as a redshirt year for the Clemson product, this is a selection made with a long-term outlook in mind. Battle likely would've been taken long before the fifth round of the 2016 draft had he returned to school, and the Rams getting him into their program a year early can be considered a positive factor in his development.
Srinivasan: It was an unwise decision for the club to select Battle. The Rams stated immediately that they don't plan to use him in 2015, and could find a way to upgrade at offensive tackle within the calendar year. Unless the Rams believe that 2014 second overall pick Greg Robinson is a sunk cost, Battle's selection was somewhat puzzling considering the other options at hand.
Which country should be the next to host a regular-season NFL game?
Wilkins: Why not Brazil? Finding a suitable venue among the several stadiums used for the 2014 FIFA World Cup wouldn't be an issue, and the local interest in the sport could see the game sell out quite easily. The impact on the product level is also a key factor in the decision-making process, and a game played in South America would save teams the taxing time zone changes involved with trips elsewhere around the world.
Srinivasan: China should be the next country to host a NFL regular-season game. Already owning a significant portion of America's debt, getting the country involved in America's most prized export would be a brilliant business move for the league. An untapped market of over one billion people, China is the most logical option for a league that values ascending revenue over everything else. Reuters reported that China is interested in the NFL, and playing games overseas would be the best way to build a new, promising extension of the league brand.
Amato: Germany seems like a logical answer here. NFL Europe had some moderate success there and the game remains popular with Germans today. Currently, Germany boasts a youth flag football league, and about 500 total teams in the country are playing American football. It also just recently hosted the Eurobowl, which is the most important game on the continent in the sport. An NFL game would certainly draw well.