Johnathan Hankins

Giants would like to keep the band together on defense

The New York Giants are "genuinely trying to keep the defense intact," reports ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

What It Means:

Raanan previously said the Giants may use the franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul, but bringing back both him and Johnathan Hankins would mean investing a significant amount of cap space into a defensive line that already ponied up for Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison last offseason. However, JPP and Hankins are both worth the price, and the Giants' defensive success is always built off the strength of their front four.

The Giants finished second-best in opponent-adjusted Defensive Net Expected Points allowed per play last season.