Patriots Make Offer To Julius Peppers (2 UPDATES)

There have been rumors going around since last year that the Patriots are going to make a run at Julius Peppers. Well today NFL Network's Jason La Canfora is reporting via Twitter that the Patriots and Eagles have put in offers to Julius Peppers and his agent Carl Carey.

So, why is this happening all of a sudden?

Because Peppers is flying as we speak to go meet with the Bears. I have to admit I am really not buying that the Patriots will make a serious offer. Rumors are suggesting that the Bears are willing to pay him between $12-14MM to sign with them, and I just don't see the Patriots offering anything over $10MM. Maybe I am wrong, but you just never know if these stories are true, or just an agents way of getting more money out of the Bears. Chicago radio stations are reporting that it's all but a done deal for Peppers to sign with the Bears, so we will just have to wait and see.


***UPDATE***

Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers signing with the Chicago Bears is imminent, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday, citing an unnamed source. The paper also said the Bears will hold a news conference later Friday to announce the singing of Peppers, running back Chester Taylor and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna (CBS Sports).

Well I guess Cutler will have no excuses now. Rumor is the Bears are going hard after these guys, because if they don't do really well this upcoming season their coach and GM are gone.


***UPDATE 2***

The Bears and Julius Peppers finalized a six-year deal to bring the top free agent in 2010 to Chicago, according to a source. Peppers was looking for at least $12 million a year in the early part of the contract. The agreement could be worth $40 million over the first three years (espn).

Panthers Won't Franchise Peppers

With the Panthers deciding not to franchise Peppers he will not become a free agent. If the Panthers were to have done it, it would have cost them around $21MM, which is just insane. Peppers is said to be looking for at least $15MM a year, but most people think that in this market is he likely only to get $10MM.

I know a lot of people think he is coming to the Patriots, but I don't believe it unless they work something out with Wilfork. If the Patriots were to go out and sign Peppers for lets say $12MM, Wilfork would literally go rip Belichick in half. Plus, that is a lot of money for a guy who is now 30 years old, and really isn't known for giving effort all the time. Don't get me wrong, for the right price I would love to see him here, but I just don't see that happening. Someone will overpay for him (Browns, KC, 49ers, ect)...

Peppers Tells The Panthers To Fuck Off

Julius Peppers no longer wants a long-term contract with Carolina Panthers. His reasoning is that the Panthers have ignored him all offseason, which is kind of funny since the Super Bowl just ended this weekend, but whatever. He has wanted out for 2 years now, and the Panthers are in a really tough spot. They can franchise him again, but he might not show up this time, plus the price tag is crazy. I was really on board for the Patriots going after him, but I don't think it is worth it (and that is saying something since I am a huge Peppers fan). My reasoning? Well look at this quote...

"That deal was to make me the highest-paid defensive player, but slightly, very slightly," Peppers said. "I didn't really feel the sincerity behind that deal."

The Panthers offered him to the be highest paid defensive player in the NFL after a 2007 season in which he only had 2 1/2 sacks. I'm sorry Peppers, but you are asking for too much. I also question whether he will be one of those guys that gets his money and then takes it easy. I don't know what will happen with him, but I don't think he will be with the Panthers or the Patriots next season.

Steve Smith To IR

"Panthers WR Steve Smith will go on injured reserve this week after undergoing surgery to repair a broken left forearm suffered in Week 16 at the Giants. "He's a pretty tough individual," said coach John Fox. "The ball was taken more inside to the safety, and I think he got his arm up to (brace himself) for protection. It looked like he took the blow with the helmet. His finish on the touchdown was pretty unbelievable considering that he had a broken radius (CBSSports)."

Carolina is out of the playoff picture, so this doesn't matter much, yet I think Carolina needs to sit back and think about their future. Is Moore their QB of the future? I don't think so, but they seem to want him starting next year. I think Carolina needs a complete overhaul. They could turn this around in a couple of years, but I think the first they need to get rid of some guys. First, trade Peppers for some nice draft picks. This would allow them to quickly restock some talent, and I wouldn't stop there. I would trade Steve Smith too. He still has a lot of value. The Panthers have had a lot of problems with him, and I think it would be best if they both got a fresh start. Then of course I would cut Jake Delhomme, to free up some cap space down the road.

Peppers To Patriots Rumors Heating Up Again

"He's a great player, I mean, he's one of the best players in the league," Bill Belichick said in a conference call with Carolina reporters on Wednesday, per the Rock Hill Herald. "I have no problems saying that."

In a not so subtle way, Belichick seems to be recruiting Julius Peppers in case he becomes a free agent for 2010. You'll remember the hot rumors this past offseason that had the DE "approving" four different teams to which he'd accept a trade, one of which was the Patriots. At the time, no trade could be consummated because Peppers refused to sign his franchise tender.

There's a debate raging as to whether the Panthers will use the tag on Peppers again for 2010. It would be laughably expensive, but a long-term deal seems unlikely. If they do tag him and he decides to sign the tender in quicker fashion, then perhaps the Pats would be interested again, since the New England defense has been affected by a terrible lack of a pass rush this season (ESPN)."

Obviously, I would love this since Peppers is one of my favorite players. If they were somehow able to get their hands on this guy it could finally give the Patriots the pass rush they have been missing. The only question with Peppers is his effort, but you would think a team like the Patriots would be able to get on him enough to get him to reach his potential. Still, I just don't see this getting done. He just costs too damn much.

Patriots Still Interested In Peppers?

"The New England Patriots have missed Richard Seymour through the first two games this season, even though having a very high draft pick in 2011 is a nice thing to think about at the end of the day. There have been rumors flying since the beginning of the offseason that the team was interested in Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, and they've persisted in spite of repeated debunkings. While NFL Insider Adam Schefter doesn't directly condemn these rumors, he does tell Pats fans to take the team's defensive transition in stride, especially given the absence of "defensive quarterback" Jerod Mayo (ESPN)."

I was pumped in the offseason when I heard the Patriots were making a run at this guy, but it really didn't make sense since they were paying Seymour so much money. Now that Seymour is gone this trade I think makes a lot of sense for both sides. The Patriots have the cap space, they have the need to replace Seymour/get more pressure on the QB, Carolina is terrible and really needs to rebuild, and the Patriots have a surplus of draft picks. Though I doubt it will happen I think it is something the Patriots should seriously consider.

Peppers and Carolina Can't Agree On Long Term Deal

"The deadline for the Carolina Panthers to strike a long-term deal with franchise defensive end Julius Peppers passed Wednesday without an agreement. Peppers will now play under a one-year contract worth at least $16.7 million, creating the prospect for another offseason of uncertainty next year (Sportsline)."

Damn that is a lot of money for 1 player. Peppers wanted out of Carolina, but with a pay day like that I don't think he minds sticking around for another year. Peppers, when motivated, is one of the best players in the NFL, but he can disappear at times and I would worry about signing him long term (even though he is one of my favorite players from his days at UNC). It will be interesting to see where he will end up after this season, but at least now Carolina can focus on their season instead of trying to trade/sign Peppers...

Peppers Ends Holdout

"Julius Peppers' long stalemate with the Carolina Panthers is over. The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end signed his one-year, $16.7 million tender under the franchise tag Wednesday, ending the chances that Peppers could hold out at the start of training camp (Sportsline)."

Peppers demanded to be traded, and the Panthers entertained offers, but were not able to move him. Instead of letting this bleed into the start of camp the Panthers have given up a lot of money so that Peppers will be "happy" for the upcoming season. I still think they will be looking to move him, but it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to keep Peppers, especially if he is in a "contract year".

Peppers A No Show At Camp

"Disgruntled defensive end Julius Peppers was a no-show at the start of the Carolina Panthers' three-day minicamp (Sportsline)."

Peppers wants to be traded. He was pissed when they franchised him, and refuses to sign the contract, which is actually kind of stupid. If he signed the contract the Panthers might actually be able to trade him, but for right now any trade that comes through actually has to go through Pepper's agent instead. I hoped earlier that the patriots could find a way to get their hands on him, but they have come out and stated that they do not negotiate trades with agents, so until he backs down and signs the contract he is not coming here. Some how they will get fixed by the time the season starts. Peppers said he wants to go to a 3-4 defense, so don't rule out a team like the 49ers figuring out a way to get him.

Peppers To Patriots Unlikely

The more I read into the story about the Patriots trading for one of my favorite players, the more I notice that this deal is very unlikely to happen. Here is why...

- Peppers would cost 16.8 million against the cap for 2009. The Patriots were 18 million under the cap after the Cassel and Vrabel deal, but after the signings of Shawn Springs, James Sanders, Leigh Bodden, and Mike Wright (along with others) the Patriots are only like 8 million under the cap. That would mean the Pats would have to give him a new contract, which leads me to....

- The Patriots have almost no chance of resigning this guy since he is looking for about 13 million a year. The Pats have a lot of guys they need to resign (Wilfork, Seymour, Mankins, Hobbs, ect), and I just don't see Peppers taking under 10 million. Plus if the Patriots did sign him you would think that Wilfork is going to be pissed off. Belichick called Wilfork "the best player he has ever coached", so you would think he would want to avoid that.

- On top of all of that the Patriots would be giving all this money to a guy who has never played OLB. There is no guarantee that he could do it (though I think he can), and that is a awful lot to banking on.

It was nice to dream, but I just don't think there is anyway they can get it done, unless Peppers wants to take a huge pay cut to make a run at a championship. A lot of writers still seem to think he is coming here, but the facts seem to be against them.

Patriots Target Peppers

The Patriots are primed to acquire defensive end Julius Peppers from the Carolina Panthers, according to a report today on NFL.com.

From NFL.com's Vic Carucci:

"The trade that sent Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs appears to be only the first phase of some major wheeling and dealing by the New England Patriots this offseason.
"The second phase, NFL sources say, is likely to involve a trade that would send Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers to the Patriots in exchange for the second-round pick (34th overall) they received from the Chiefs on Feb. 28.

"According to league sources, the Patriots and Panthers are hoping to complete the deal at some point between the March 22-25 NFL owners meetings and the start of the draft on April 25.

"Peppers, on whom the Panthers have placed a franchise tag that assures him of a one-year contract worth $16.68 million, would be converted to outside linebacker in New England's 3-4 defense."

Holy shit. I would be so pumped if Peppers was on the Patriots. He is somewhat of an underachiever at times, but I think with Belichick and Co. on his ass he would be unstoppable. It would be very interesting to see how he does at an OLB, but he is so damn athletic that I think he can do it. Peppers was on my favorite UNC team of all-time that had Ed Cota, Jamison, Haywood, and Carter. I will most likely have a heart attack if the Patriots actually get him.

Peppers Picks 4 Teams and Is Franchised

"Julius Peppers still wants out of Carolina, but he'll only agree to be traded to four teams, further complicating the Panthers' efforts to get compensation for the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end. On the eve of the deadline to place the franchise tag on Peppers, a person close to the player said Wednesday that the impending free agent wants to play for Dallas or three other unnamed teams, two of them in the NFC (Sportsline)."

The best option for the Panthers is to franchise Peppers and then trade him (like KC did last year with Allen). This would buy them more time, and if somehow they were not able to complete a deal that would still control him. Peppers is a hell of a player, but needs to be kept on a short leash, because he has a tendency to slack. The Cowboys just can't be a good fit, unless they clear some cap space (cutting TO would help), and I don't think that Peppers would do real well in that crazy locker room. It will be real interesting to see who the other 3 teams are.

In the end, he will eventually get dealt, because he will probably hold out if he doesn't. You would think he will go for a lot, but maybe not since he is forcing this trade so much.

**UPDATE** Panthers franchised Peppers right after they locked up Jordan Gross to a six-year deal. All this really does is keep Peppers under Panthers control long enough so they can trade them. The only update on the 4 team trade list is that it is rumored that the Packers may be one of those teams.

Peppers Wants Out Of Carolina

Julius Peppers wants out of Carolina, so he will not sign any kind of long term deal with the Panthers. He says he wants to reach his full potential by playing in a 3-4 defense. I have loved Peppers since he was at UNC playing basketball, on my favorite team (Carter, Haywood, Jamison, Cota, ect), and I would love nothing more than the Patriots to cut Seymour and sign Peppers. That will not happen because he is going to want to much money. The Panthers could franchise him, but they would have to pay him over 16 million, and he still could hold out. Part of my thinks that he is just trying to extort more money out of Carolina, but I'll take him at his word.

Prediction- He goes to the 49ers

-BMack

BC underrated or just over achieving?

Is it a shock that BC is once again in the ACC championship or just by default? To be quite honest BC is a roster full of no names on offense but the defense is where they excel. Personally, Ive never been a fan of the Eagles, and I have no idea who is good on the offensive end besides O-linemen whose names are really irrelevant to me as a fan. But my ignorance of anything BC football is really a testament to the coaching in Chestnut Hill. Whether it be Crane or Davis under center they seem to just get it done. What has stuck out to me the last few times I have watched this team is their D, which should be no surprise because they continuously are year in and year out are among the top in the country. Regardless, are they that good or does the ACC just suck. Its not obvious to see that the ACC isnt as prominent as it once was amongst college football. The U sucks, and probably will never amount to anything other than creating stud defensive prospects who dont win anything but a large pay check after their less than spectacular team performance in college. VA Tech is always intriguing because of their system is so well run. Virgina tends to have the nack for the occasional upset, usually at the expense of the Hookies. UNC has become a nice surprise, eventually they would get some recognition other than producing Julius Peppers and Micheal Curry. Every other team isnt worth mentioning because frankly who cares about Duke or Wake Forest?