Rob0729

BTW, I still think the chances are still decent that Peppers gets traded this year. I don't think the chances of him being a Patriot is all that great anymore, but I think the Panthers are hoping for a team to get desperate around the start of training camp like the Redskins were with Jason Taylor last year.

Box_O_Rocks

The Arrowhead Pride forum had an article on this, they noted how (relating to KC reports) there was a certain timeline to Lombardi's reports:
- Lombardi would report something.
- KC would deny it.
- In time the deal would occur and be announced.

Lombardi did not announce that a deal had been signed with Cassel, he stated an agreement in general had been reached. He expects KC and Cassel's agent will take a few more weeks to work out the details and it will be announced in June.

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VJCPatriot

There are some other possibilities that I can think of:

A) Peppers wants to play 1 year for 17M but he wants to wait until after mandatory camp is over before signing.

B) Peppers is waiting out the Panthers because he wants them to agree not to franchise him again if he signes the tender this year. This way he gets his guaranteed money and will be a free and clear free agent in the uncapped 2010 year.

C) Peppers still wants to be traded but the choices look to be unappetizing to him because the teams he really wants to goto don't have the cap space for him.

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klinefan

The smartest thing he could do is sign his tender and guarantee himself 17M. Otherwise they might pull it. "But then they don't get anything for him!". Other than a 3rd comp...but they get rid of a 17M albatross and a disgruntled player.

Realistically, no one will trade for a guy and pay him 17M for one year if he doesn't want to even be there. They'd get a lackluster effort at a very high price.

JoeSixPat

Can't argue with that - especially the cap numbers. I had no idea those teams had cut so many players to get so far below the cap.

If that's the case then signing the tender puts him in the same category as Cassel - potentially traded to a team for a year whether he agrees to a long term contract or not.

The only thing still accurate about my post is the notion that if Peppers truly didn't want to play for the Panthers he WOULD sign the tender.... but again he'd have little say in where he went.

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KDPPatsfan85

I think that Carolina will release the Tag and Peppers will be a Free Agent and he will sign with the Patriots. Thats the only way i see him coming now!!

TriplecHamp

I highly doubt they do that because they could just lower the price on him and receive a second.

MoLewisrocks

Carolina gains nothing by rescinding the tag on Peppers. They are several million under the cap after the Delhomme extension. There is no FA on the market who can replace Peppers in their defense going forward in 2009. There is not another draft for 12 months. There is no cap in 2010 so if they end the season $20M under the cap that money is essentially lost. They were a playoff team with Peppers in 2008. Their window is closing for Fox and Hurney. They know Peppers well and believe he will not hold out or present a problem playing for them in 2009. His own agent said much the same months ago. What he may or may not prefer and what is available for him in 2009 are not necessarily one in the same. His agent has had 3 months to probe his market and has yet to identify a team willing to both trade for and sign him - at least one he's interested in playing for.

spacecrime

?????

He has total control over what his compensation would be.

Once he signs the tender, it will be $17 mil unless he decides otherwise.

He could be traded to where ever, no control over that, but total control of money.

Until he signs the tender, he could actually end up making nothing. He gets into a serious auto accident or gets arrested for DUI or gun charge or something and that tender will be pulled so fast ...

Rob0729

And Peppers could die the day he signs the tender before they cut him the check and he would get nothing then too. I think the odds of Peppers getting nothing is significantly low. In fact if his end game is more to get out of Carolina, him getting the tender offer rescinded would he ideal for him.

He loses control of money he would get in a scenario where multiple teams are interested in him. Right now he can force the Panthers to take the deal from the team who is going to give him the best contract if he chooses since the Panthers can't trade him without his consent. But with a signed tender if two teams want him and a team like say the Eagles who have well over $20 million under the cap are willing to give up a higher draft pick and are willing to roll the dice on getting Peppers and then working out a deal with Peppers like the Cassel situation and other team is willing to give Haynesworth money but a lower draft pick, Peppers has no way to block a trade to the Eagles. A team like the Eagles might feel they are a Peppers away from a Super Bowl and with plenty of cap room not worried about carrying a $17 million cap hit for one year and even lose Peppers next offseason.

People laughed at me when I said that a team might trade for Cassel without a new deal in place. Cassel's cap hit isn't significantly lower than Peppers (less than $3 million). If the Chiefs are willing to roll the dice on a QB that might be a one year wonder at $14.65 million, why is is it crazy to believe that a team might do the same with a proven pass rusher like Peppers at $16.68 million? It isn't 5 years ago where teams are hurting for cap space and carrying a cap hit like that is all that ridiculous. If Carolina is willing to take a second for him, it wouldn't be all that stupid for a team who is a pass rusher away from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender to rent Peppers for a year if they have the cap room. They can always franchise and trade him away next year. The odds of the situation like this is not the highest, but it is a realistic scenario.