Earlier this week, the New York Giants made the decision to trade former Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a pair of 2018 draft picks. It was a move that had no precursor to there being any rumblings about his future in New York being in jeopardy.

In fact, he had inked a four-year, $62 million deal with $40 million guaranteed to stay in the fold as a long-term piece to the puzzle. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the 29-year-old was caught completely off-guard by the move to the Buccaneers but is also excited about the opportunity that lies ahead of him.

“I got the call and I was like, ‘What?' ” Pierre-Paul said. “Obviously, I had to soak it in for a little bit. Everybody says it's a great move. I think it's a great move. My family is excited. I'm going to be close to my son.”

Beyond the opportunity to play closer to home, Pierre-Paul has a chance to step into a significant role with the Buccaneers next season. He has developed into a highly dependable pass-rusher over his career that seen him earn a pair of Pro Bowl selections, and First-Team All-Pro nod while piling up 58.0 sacks. Pierre-Paul is also coming off another productive campaign in 2017 where he notched 68 total tackles with 8.0 sacks and two forced fumbles.

His presence should significantly uplift Tampa Bay's pass rush that ranked last in the league last season with 22 total sacks. He could quickly form a formidable duo alongside All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy while becoming a cornerstone piece of the franchise in this next chapter of his career.

The shock of the trade should begin to wear off over the next few weeks as he goes through training camp in preparation for the 2018 campaign with his new team.