Jeff Zgonina, the Giants' new assistant defensive line coach, watched Jason Pierre-Paul from afar last season. And as the defensive end returned to the field in the second half of the season after his infamous summertime fireworks accident, Zgonina was surprised at just how effective Pierre-Paul was, despite being forced to wear a bulky club on his damaged right hand.

"I've had my fingers broken, and I know just how hard it is to use them," Zgonina, a 17-year NFL veteran at defensive tackle, told NJ Advance Media. "I needed my hands. I couldn't imagine being out there with one hand, basically.

"I was shocked (how well Pierre-Paul played). He made a lot of plays, and he was still really disruptive with that big club."

Pierre-Paul finished the season with 26 tackles and a sack, giving the Giants' moribund pass rush a lift in the last eight games. But while he performed admirably with the club, there were clear limitations brought on by the equipment, specifically struggles wrapping up and tackling.

But Pierre-Paul has vowed he will no longer need the club after offseason surgery to further attend to his hand. And if that's the case, Zgonina is optimistic about what Pierre-Paul can provide in 2016.

"Oh yeah, the sky's the limit now," Zgonina said.

Former Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn had perhaps the best quote about Pierre-Paul's situation, from the Fourth of July accident, to the nearly four-month standoff between player and team, to Pierre-Paul's return to the team.

"This thing did not come with a set of instructions," Nunn said at the start of the Giants' bye week this past November.

No, it did not. But the Giants hope the worst is past them. Pierre-Paul, who signed a one-year, prove-it deal right before the start of free agency, is losing the club and will be part of the offseason program (he did not participate in 2015 after receiving the franchise tag). He will also have a full offseason to train, and to train understanding he needs to master the skill of playing with his hand as it is.

And it is up to new head defensive line coach Patrick Graham and Zgonina to get the most out of Pierre-Paul.

"I'm not really worried about [the injury] stuff," said Graham, who coached the Patriots' linebackers last year. "We're just worried about 2016, and getting a chance to work with him.

"As a coach in this league, I think you end up seeing who the good players are. He's somebody who has definitely caught my eye. Last year and the years before, I know he's been a disruptive player in this league. I'm looking forward to working with him."

James Kratch can be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find and like NJ.com Giants on Facebook.