The case of Julius Peppers and the Carolina Panthers continues to get more and more interesting as time goes on. Peppers sounded off in a radio interview on Charlotte radio station WFNZ this morning effectively attempting to distance himself from the franchise he has played his entire career with.
Essentially Peppers is saying he no longer desires a long term deal with the Panthers as they have yet to contact him about a long term contract to keep in him Charlotte. He went on to claim that he did not want to sign with a team that he was not even sure they wanted him around.
Peppers is such a hard nut to crack. On one hand he says he is not sure they want him around, yet, they offered him a contract following the 2007 season in which he had 2.5 sacks that would have made him the highest paid defensive player in the league. He says he turned it down because at the time he did not deserve such a deal following such a poor season.
Interestingly enough he bounced back and had a career year in 2008, his contract season, recording a personal best of 14.5 sacks and forcing five fumbles. After the season he went public with his desire to play elsewhere. He pleaded with the Panthers to trade him if they were not going to let him go via free agency. Peppers made it known that he preferred to play in a team that featured the 3-4 where he could line up and rush the passer off the edge a-la DeMarcus Ware and Terrell Suggs. He feels the 3-4 would allow him to better showcase his athletic ability.
The Panthers went ahead and slapped the franchise tag on him anyway forcing Peppers to sign a one year tender at roughly $16 million for the past season. Peppers appeared to be simply going through the motions at the start of the season until Jon Beason called him out on a local radio show. After that Peppers started playing like the All Pro defensive end Panthers fans had come to know and love. By the end of the season he was even expressing a desire to remain with the Panthers.
Effort, or lack thereof, has always been a huge question mark with Peppers. Some might even call him the defensive version of Randy Moss. He is arguably the most talented defensive lineman/pass rusher to come along in years and has the talent to dominate every game. There has always been that cloud hanging over him from day one as to whether he gives 100% every play of every game. There are times when he seems to take plays and/or games off and does not look as though he is interested. Then there are other times when he flat out dominates a game.
The big question now is what do the Panthers do with Julius Peppers? Do they slap the franchise tag on him again this winter meaning they will have to pay $20 million to keep the brooding star around another season. Will they franchise him with the idea of trading him and getting something of value in return? Peppers will easily command a first round pick in exchange for his rights. The catch there will be that Peppers will need a long term deal in hand before agreeing to being dealt elsewhere.
At the age of 30 is Peppers worth rolling the dice on a long term deal? On the plus side Peppers stays in phenomenal shape and has never missed significant time due to injury. But, one wonders what is motivating Peppers to do this.
Is it about the money or is he serious about the whole wanting to be with a team that wants him bit? Will he be happy no matter who is willing to give him $85 to $100 million? Is Peppers worth that kind of jack given how flighty he can be at times? Will he be happy simply getting a four or five year deal worth $10 to $15 million on a team with a fan base that welcomes him with open arms?
The ultimate question could be if not the Panthers then where does he end up next season? One the thing to keep in mind, though, is if he does become a free agent the final eight teams in the playoffs will not be able to sign him unless they lose a player via free agency. This is due to the stipulations put into the collective bargaining agreement as it relates to a potential uncapped season in 2010.
The Eagles and Patriots are reportedly expressing the most interest right now. One has to think playing for Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville would appeal to Peppers. The Pats and Eagles have the cash to spend on a guy like Peppers and would likely be willing to give the Panthers the draft picks needed to make a deal happen. The Jags seems like a long shot given the dismal ticket sales they had last season. It seems unlikely they would have the cash to be able to afford a long term deal with a guy like Peppers.
There are several other teams out there that would love to get their hands on Peppers, but, one wonders whether they have the cash to throw on a player like Peppers when they have so many other needs to fill.
The Eagles would love to pair Peppers with budding star Trent Cole. Peppers is a similar to a guy they had recently in Jevon Kearse and the Eagles are looking for another pass rushing threat to add to the defense.
The Patriots have been rumored to covet Peppers but they could never feasibly fit him under the salary cap last season. Without a cap to worry about next year will they be willing to pony up the dough knowing they are going to have to fork out another $15 to $20 million per year on Tom Brady in the very near future? Will they worry about potential salary cap issues if one gets re-implemented after the 2010 season? It would be hard to have $30 to $40 million invested in two players in a salary cap season. Just ask the Cowboys and 49ers how that ultimately turned out for them.
The Eagles potentially have more long term cap flexibility as they ride it out with McNabb right now. He represents a significant portion of their salary structure right now, but, he is also coming up on the end of his contract and the team already has his potential replacement in place. So, if they opt to bring Peppers on board and the salary cap makes its return they can simply opt to dump McNabb’s large salary and decide it is time to give Kevin Kolb the reins for a fraction of the salary.
Logistically speaking, of the teams being mentioned for Peppers the Eagles have the most flexibility, ability, and willingness to pull it off. Whether or not Peppers is open to playing in Philly and whether or not the Eagles pull the trigger remains to be seen.
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