Panthers are on the clock

Julius Peppers has made it clear he doesn't want to be a Panther. The only question remaining is what, if anything, the team will get for him.

The Panthers have until 4 p.m. Thursday to apply the franchise tag. That's 31 hours from the time this was posted.

I think they'll sign Jordan Gross and apply the tag to Julius Peppers. I've thought that since Peppers announced he no longer wanted to play for the Panthers.

 If the Panthers sign Peppers and trade him, however, there is a risk. There are certain teams to which Carolina won't trade Peppers. You wouldn't expect to see him, for example, wearing the uniform of Atlanta, Tampa Bay or New Orleans.

And there are certain teams to which Peppers would veto a trade. Say what you want about him, but this is about more than money, or he would have accepted Carolina's contract offer before the 2008 season. Remember, he was coming off his worst season and the Panthers were offering to make him the highest paid defensive player in NFL history. And still Peppers said no.

Trades crumble all the time. And if the Panthers apply the tag, and can't make the trade, they retain Peppers for one season. They pay $17 million for a player who might show up, or might not, and does not want to be in Carolina.

Despite what college basketball and racing fans contend, the most popular sport in Charlotte is the NFL. The second most popular sport , at the moment, is the NFL off-season.

Comments

[wahoo]

Peppers = Green Bay

[AParker]

Actually Peppers going to Green Bay is a reasonable thought. However, with a player like Peppers capabilities, whom ever he goes to will end up giving away two first round draft picks plus second and third picks as well.

[k]

I see no reason why Peppers would land in Green Bay. We play them too often. The Panthers will do whatever possible to toss him to the AFC.

[Phil]

Peppers with Trgovac again? Nah, Pep can't be that dumb, can he?

[gradyhog]

Go Marty go! Tag him, bag him and ship him to the highest AFC bidder (Denver is looking good). If he doesn't like it then he can sit with no pay for a year. Don't worry about Gross, he'll be back. If you let Pepper's walk with no compensation, you lose your job-period. You don't let a player of his caliber just leave. Gross has said he wants to be back. I honestly don't think he's worth the money but what do I know. Just don't let Peppers walk!

[dogear]

He's gonna be a Bronco. Perfect fit. They're switching to a 3-4 and he's already got the horse mouth.

[Nebcatfan]

the nfl experts have been mentioning cleveland and gb as possible homes for #90.
I doubt the browns would give up a 1st round #5 pick, not would the pac give up #9.
SD ar #16, detroit at 20, baltimore at 23 or tennessee at 30 seem much more likely. if #90 veto's such a trade....what is he going to do sit for a year. Highly doubtful....should #90 veto a trade, it would be costly but given that possibility, it is possible he may either have to sit and blow the yr. or play one more yr with the panthers. just cannot seeing the panthers giving him up for nothing short of a someones #1 pick...perhaps there is a team that was two high second round picks????

[Nebcatfan]

Cleveland has also been mentioned by some of the nfl experts....cannot see the browns giving up the #5 or the pac giving up the #9 (great point phil) think it is more likely to be sd at #16, detroit at 20, baltimore at 26 or tennessee at 30. if #90 veto's such a trade....what will he do...sit out a season....no way. if trade veto's are possible than it is not totally out of the realm of possibilites #90 plays again in carolina...just cannot get myself to believe he would sit and burn a year of his career....he knows he only has a few left....thats why he does not fit into the top 10 draft #1 category. Interesting....is there a team that has two number two picks...I could see that happening as opposd to shelling out 17m

[wahoo]

It will be --- GB, Denver, or Houston.

1) He liked Turdinvac, and in GB he can take plays off, stand like a frozen statue and no one will know the difference, blaming it on the cold.

2) In Denver, he can always blame the thin air for standing around and taking plays off. And yes, he does already have a horse mouth. Rumor has it, he loves sugar cubes and carrot sticks too.

3) In Houston, Mario will take the lead and he can take plays off. Houston has many sissy bars and would allow him the opportunity to 'come out'.....as a sensitive person of course.

[easy]

I want him to go to Detroit because I want thta 'juicy' 1st round draft pick this year!

[Pantherfancier]

There is no option but to sign Gross, franchise Peppers, and work the best trade you can get for him. Gross and Peppers know they have Carolina over a barrel, as do all 31 other teams and general managers. We are no less over the barrel when trying to work out a trade. Clearly, Peppers is worth last years price of a 1 and two 3s, but I doubt we'll see that offered by anyone. With the Panthers schedule and a long history of doing well one year and so-so the next, there well could be a major coaching change next year. Peppers should have played this last year in the 4-3 and lobbied the Richardsons for a 3-4 coach in the next evolution of Panthers football.

[justin from kannapolis]

Trade him to sandiego, get the 16th pick and be done with it. It's the afc, west coast, and we don't have to worry about playing him very much

[Panther Super Fans]

Pantherfancier is right. The Panthers only option is to sign Gross, franchise Peppers, and get the best trade possible for him. Having Peppers back would only hinder the team next season. Peppers has no heart and would more than likely play half speed all season. We don't need 17 million invested to someone who is only going through the motions out there. Gross is a good fit here and even if we let him walk, he may resign or he go. If he does, where does that leave the offense next season? Overpayed or not, he's a solid LT, in his prime, and he's good with the community. Losing Gross and keeping an unhappy Peppers with no first round pick doesn't make the offseason looking to rosy.

[Dan]

Allowing Peppers to simply walk will turn away more fans, than losing Gross. Regardless without Peppers the defense will be in a major rebuilding mold and next year schedule (AFC East, NFC east, along with NFC division #1) will be the toughest schedule in the league. Thus allowing him to walk away without any compensation will set the team rebuilding efforts back for years.

Somebody at the Panthers must have a backbone and tell Peppers, that the team will not be pushed around. The team is going to Franchise him and he will be allowed to pursue a trade in the marketplace but the Panthers will not accept anything less than 2 first rounders from NFC south teams.

[GooseCreek]

Detroit has a #20 pick and a #33 pick to give if they want Peppers.

[CRAIG]

PEP TO THE JETS FOR THE 17TH PICK IN THE DRAFT AND JERRICO (THE FORMER NC STATE WR)

[Dave]

Sitting on the bench for a year may well be the end of his career. At 29 he is not getting any younger in football terms and taking a year off won't help is visibility nor conditioning. Playing poorly will not accomplish much either - unless he simply wants to work for fewer dollars. He may not like it but he really needs to play somewhere.

[Frozenbomb]

i would love to tag him and trade his sorry butt to Buffalo -- they are desparate for a defensive end and have i think the 7th pick in the draft...he can sit up there and FREEZE...

[Slambo]

If you were Peppers, where would you want to go ?
My guess is NE.
They play a 3/4 D and are a consistent Super Bowl threat.
It's a no-brainer to me.

[wahoo]

I hope I run into Peppers at a restaurant. I swear I will kick his tail

[JULIUS PEPPERS]

I SUCK

[wahoo]

I wish Big Cat was healthy. He'd set Horseface Peppers straight.

[Jessman]

I agree tag him and bag him. He wants to do something different instead of trying to win a SuperBowl. Where was he when the Cardinals dumped 33 points on us in our house. He was quite the disruptive force when we needed him. Maybe he will show up consistently on another team because its something different. I guess its all about Julius and not the team. He doesnt want to regret trying something new for HIMSELF instead of trying to be part of a possible Superbowl team. Good luck Julius.

[K7Roger]

Who really cares if we trade Peppers to a team we play often? He will sleep for half the game and the other half he will only give 50% if it's not too hot or too cold.

[Jon in DC]

It's too bad the Carolina boy met a hunnie in the Big D...he will go to the Cowboys and punish the Panthers because that's what players do to their former teams...the most we can hope for is that it's not on our way to the Super Bowl.
J Jones has the dollars to spend and he's got to figure a way to fill that multi million dollar stadium EVERY game