Julius Peppers signs franchise tender with the Panthers

Deus Irae said:

Look, you could be 100% accurate. You could be 100% wrong.

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Or he could be making it up of whole cloth in some desperate cry for attention, which may or may not be related to his ham handed way of yarn spinning.

Although it's my fault I'm still contributing to it, this thread needs to be locked or die. Most of you guys have moved on, but some of you on this board are becoming insane with this Peppers talk. He's going to make 17m this year and there isn't any reason to think he would take less to play for the Pats. Look, it would be great to have Peppers because he can play both DE and LB positions but the Pats best bet is to wait until 2010. If the Pats don't get anybody this season or Crable/Woods don't emerge, I can guarantee you that the Pats will get a premier pass rusher in 2010 free agency. For the people that think Peppers wouldn't be able to transition to LB, take a look at Greg Ellis and Calvin Pace. They couldn't hold Pepper's jock strap in terms of athleticism. If those guys can do it, Peppers can do it.

Most people on this board believe that the addition of Brace was just to add depth. While I agree with this, I also believe that if Brace shows any ability Wilfork displayed as a rookie, I think the Pats will let Wilfork walk and focus their attention on Ware, Peppers, or Merriman. Think about it, as long as the Pats have their prolific offense, what's the point of signing a NT to a mega deal if opposing teams hardly run the ball? I know I'm going to get a lot of crap for saying this but it's the truth. I know injuries do happen (Tom Brady), but in 2007, the Pats had the least run attempts against them. In the end, I'd rather have a cheap NT that can get the job done along with having a premier pass rusher instead of having Wilfork getting top dollar and no pass rushers.

Pats67 said:

Or he could be making it up of whole cloth in some desperate cry for attention, which may or may not be related to his ham handed way of yarn spinning.

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That's right. I'm just Rumpelstiltskin. I scanned your last two months of posts and not one of them had been team related (ok just one, June 10th but just barely because you were actually trying to be condescending to the previous post) - you're just observing and evaluating other peoples posts, discerning their worth. Are you the man that calls the shots? Because if you are I've got some other gripes with you.

- when I was in third grade I pulled the chair of a classmate away before he sat down, heaven or hell?

- 86 year old women keep running over little kids - can you stop this?

- what did we do for you to switch our weather pattern with Seattle's?

- Patriots Fans stop "fulfilling their marital duty" because they're spending 600 posts of their life on the computer - can you help them?

Now please...
let us talk some Willie McG

FebruaryThirdOhTwo said:

That's right. I'm just Rumpelstiltskin. I scanned your last two months of posts and not one of them had been team related (ok just one, June 10th but just barely because you were actually trying to be condescending to the previous post) - you're just observing and evaluating other peoples posts, discerning their worth.

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Most of my time is spent here as a reader, which I have enjoyed for several years now. Though occasionally, as you point out, I do stumble on something so odious that I feel compelled to offer a contrary opinion. I've been on the receiving end as well, and to that I say that's the message board business. Comes with the territory. If you were looking for a back rub in exchange for your ridiculous fabrications, you may be disappointed.

In terms of 'team related' thoughts, try clicking my sig link if you're looking to scan something. Granted, its no nameless, faceless Twitter account, but we do our best, since 2003, as opposed to last Tuesday.

It's funny that you should point to my very relatively recent posts as a means of deflecting attention away from your own performance to date. Don't talk to me about respecting others and contributing to the discussion when your contributions to date have consisted of some awfully bad fiction followed up by a couple of "remember who told yas!" and a pitch to follow your Twittering.

I don't see that as particularly respectful of the membership here, now that you mention it.

FebruaryThirdOhTwo said:

Now please...
let us talk some Willie McG

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I think all we can go on is what we have seen since the last weekend in February.

Through free agency and the draft, the Pats opted to focus on developing areas other than the outside linebacker spot across from Thomas. We can speculate all we want about this name player or that name player, but the facts to date seem to indicate the Patriots have quite different thoughts on the matter.

Those being, I think, that they intend to sink or swim with the players they already have. I think the draft of all things proved this. They believe they can compete for a championship with some combination of (most predominantly) Pierre Woods and Shawn Crable, and perhaps others, playing that position. Maybe they'll take TBC for another spin as a situation guy.

Yes, recent reports seem to indicate they tried to deal for Derrick Burgess as a situational pass rusher. To me, this is not inconsistent with the idea that they're standing pat; first, because even those of us who think this Peppers talk has been a giant waste of time recognize that any team worth its salt is always open to improving themselves, and second, because I don't think a transitioning DE would be an every down player at OLB anyway.

I was a big McGinest fan. I felt during the big run that no player aside from Brady and Vinatieri made more big plays at big times. We could fill this thread with them. That said, I don't see any logic in pining for his return to "fill" the perceived void caused by Vrabel's departure. Like Vrabel, McGinest has reached the end of his career, and has long since passed the point where he's any better gamble than a rotation of Woods, Crable, et. al.

And the upside is a damn sight better with the young guys.

Pats67 - apologies - I have been a bit of a bully since my first post and I have read this forum for at least 5 years now, so I recall reading your name attached to some thoughtful, well-worded posts. I understand everyone's skepticism due to the topic matter and the lack of track record on my behalf, but my initial post was just passing on the good word to my fellow Patriot fans. The twitter venture arose out of the Peppers discussion - the Pats are notorious for being tight lipped within the organization, and we rarely ever hear word one until it's right on top of us (moss). If the econ background taught me anything, I'd be stupid to limit the supply of information when the demand for it is clearly sky high considering the only news coming from the Patriots is about the 2010 draft. A function of social networking sites is that we DO get to be faceless, as the presuppositions that usually are encountered in face-to-face discourse are removed from the equation and the populace's voice can be evaluated on the substance of their ideas alone. I look forward to more riveting discussion in the future as a member of this board and hope I can bring some fire and brimstone to our complacent fandom after 3 titles.loved the eloquent argument today, 67. Lock this one up and any future information I get, I'll be happy to pass on.
And on crable - I think we all love what we saw last preseason - the question is will he be durable enough in that frame to sustain a full season at will or sam - and that's probably BB's concern as well.

Well this discussion has taken a turn for the best.

Deus Irae said:

How to put this..... Ok, here goes.


Look, you could be 100% accurate. You could be 100% wrong. We don't have a track record from you. We do have track records with others in the past who've posted the "my friend heard/saw..." stuff, and it's not been good. I've seen in happen on board after board, and it usually ends up being a false rumor. It's just the way it breaks down.

So, please, rather than getting upset if you haven't gotten the sort of responses you hoped for, just understand that people will be skeptical until you've proven yourself accurate often enough to overcome the various levels of reticence that are here on Patsfans.com. In the meantime, welcome to the board and feel free to join us in our discussions and debates.

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Personally, I would LOVE to come in here and eat some crow a couple of weeks from now. I just don't think that I will...

KontradictioN said:

Personally, I would LOVE to come in here and eat some crow a couple of weeks from now. I just don't think that I will...

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Same here and if they should "aquire" JP, that is still going to be one very expensive dinner anyway you cook it.

From June 25th

FebruaryThirdOhTwo said:

In terms of that being my first post and also in terms of "oh this my buddy told me rumor blah blah" - I have to say that my friend telling me Peppers was at Logan Monday ... You can interpret that information however you want and ask how we're going to clear 17M but that doesn't change the facts or the chronology. I was just reporting what I was told because at that point yesterday, it clearly seemed like the two events were related. I'm not backing down from my comment either, so if Julius Peppers is not a New England Patriot within the next week you can rescind my membership.

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Uh, oh. Not an auspicious start, but what the hey.

Let's see what happens....I WIll keep my eyes on that twitter...

Doesn't look like anything happened on either side (Panthers or Peppers) with regards to his franchise tender deadline today.

FebruaryThirdOhTwo said:

In terms of that being my first post and also in terms of "oh this my buddy told me rumor blah blah" - I have to say that my friend telling me Peppers was at Logan Monday had little effect on me at that point in time. Do I believe him and his dad? hell yeah. why would someone call you on a Monday in the middle of the day to tell you a bunch of bull**** unrelated to anything relevant to current news (which at the time, we were unaware of Peppers signing his tender Wednesday). The information itself would make no sense without knowing the other shoe did indeed drop. I took it with a grain of salt at the moment, but yesterday, after Peppers going MONTHS AND MONTHS without signing the franchise tender, finally signs it, of course I felt like this was something I should share at that point because the proximity of the two events seemed suggestive. You can interpret that information however you want and ask how we're going to clear 17M but that doesn't change the facts or the chronology. I was just reporting what I was told because at that point yesterday, it clearly seemed like the two events were related. I'm not backing down from my comment either, so if Julius Peppers is not a New England Patriot within the next week you can rescind my membership.

Yeah I'm lookin' at you flyboy. I didn't post it Monday because I didn't have an account and I didn't want to post something with my first post I didn't have more information to validate. All of a sudden the dude signs the tender and the information Monday now carries some clout. You must be spending too much time in that thin air - I heard oxygen is necessary for proper brain function. Douche.

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Time to pull the plug.....

Deus Irae said:

Time to pull the plug.....

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I'd rather see him eat his hat, but whatevs.

Not a bad deal for Peppers.

He plays one year for $17mm, and becomes a free agent during the potentially uncapped season. If the Panthers decide to franchise him again, the fee goes to about $20mm for one year, after which he would again become a free agent. Financially, very little downside - even if he suffers a career-ending injury, which is relatively rare, he still has $17mm guaranteed. His upside is a lot more. And, it probably becomes somewhat easier to accept less money with a team he would rather play for in the future once he has that $17mm in the bank.

Not to suggest that the Patriots could easily pick him up next season -- they would have to lose a player earning the same amount or more than Peppers signs for, so we shouldn't get our hopes way up. That scenario works out basically if Wilfork or Seymour exit, so it would be a gain balanced by a loss.

Urgent said:

Not a bad deal for Peppers.

He plays one year for $17mm, and becomes a free agent during the potentially uncapped season. If the Panthers decide to franchise him again, the fee goes to about $20mm for one year, after which he would again become a free agent. Financially, very little downside - even if he suffers a career-ending injury, which is relatively rare, he still has $17mm guaranteed. His upside is a lot more. And, it probably becomes somewhat easier to accept less money with a team he would rather play for in the future once he has that $17mm in the bank.

Not to suggest that the Patriots could easily pick him up next season -- they would have to lose a player earning the same amount or more than Peppers signs for, so we shouldn't get our hopes way up. That scenario works out basically if Wilfork or Seymour exit, so it would be a gain balanced by a loss.

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I think you missed the point of the bump. Our latest entrant in the message board version of I got a scoop and mock me now but you'll see I was right...has bombed out.

MoLewisrocks said:

I think you missed the point of the bump. Our latest entrant in the message board version of I got a scoop and mock me now but you'll see I was right...has bombed out.

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Oh the humanity!