Carucci: Pats still interested in Peppers [merged]

[Deus Irae]

I hope it will be Wilfork and Peppers in the same defense.

Given the available options, and assuming the 'money issue' angle, I'd love to see something on defense like:

Wilfork
Warren
Someone.... God, please find someone in the draft who's capable of stopping the run as a 3-4 DE

TBC
Dansby
Mayo
Thomas or an upgrade/gamble. Chris Gocong is an RFA that might be worth a look, for example

Bodden
Carlos Rogers (to battle with Springs/Butler)
Meriweather
Sanders/McGowan/Chung camp battle winner

A couple of other players I wouldn't mind the team kicking the tires on, given that they should be relatively inexpensive due to age/injury:

J. Taylor
E. Hobbs

 

[Kontradiction]

Given the available options, and assuming the 'money issue' angle, I'd love to see something on defense like:

Wilfork
Warren
Someone.... God, please find someone in the draft who's capable of stopping the run as a 3-4 DE

TBC
Dansby
Mayo
Thomas or an upgrade/gamble. Chris Gocong is an RFA that might be worth a look, for example

Bodden
Carlos Rogers (to battle with Springs/Butler)
Meriweather
Sanders/McGowan/Chung camp battle winner

A couple of other players I wouldn't mind the team kicking the tires on, given that they should be relatively inexpensive due to age/injury:

J. Taylor
E. Hobbs

I was actually thinking about starting a thread the other day polling Patsfans on whether or not they thought Philly would cut Hobbs before 2010 and if they would take him back if Philly did. IMO, I would like to see a secondary of Hobbs, Bodden, and Butler. Speaking of Butler, I notice you have Rodgers in there to compete. Is this because you don't have faith in Butler taking the next step, or do you think the secondary just needs more competition as a whole?

 

[patsinthesnow]

Given the available options, and assuming the 'money issue' angle, I'd love to see something on defense like:

Wilfork
Warren
Someone.... God, please find someone in the draft who's capable of stopping the run as a 3-4 DE

TBC
Dansby
Mayo
Thomas or an upgrade/gamble. Chris Gocong is an RFA that might be worth a look, for example

Bodden
Carlos Rogers (to battle with Springs/Butler)
Meriweather
Sanders/McGowan/Chung camp battle winner

A couple of other players I wouldn't mind the team kicking the tires on, given that they should be relatively inexpensive due to age/injury:

J. Taylor
E. Hobbs

If they could find someone good to play DE, and the other rookies, that looks like a top 3 defense on paper.

 

[Deus Irae]

I was actually thinking about starting a thread the other day polling Patsfans on whether or not they thought Philly would cut Hobbs before 2010 and if they would take him back if Philly did. IMO, I would like to see a secondary of Hobbs, Bodden, and Butler. Speaking of Butler, I notice you have Rodgers in there to compete. Is this because you don't have faith in Butler taking the next step, or do you think the secondary just needs more competition as a whole?

Hobbs is a RFA, so it's really a question of whether Philly will spend for the tender after his neck injury. I don't think anyone would pay the money and the picks for a player 'at risk' following the neck surgery, even though he's expected to make a full recovery.

As for Butler, I don't want to rely on players to make the jump if it's not necessary to do so. I don't want what would basically be a repeat of last season's Wilhite experiment being done with another second year player, where you just throw him out there and pray he's ready. If someone like Rogers (or Hobbs) can be gotten for a fair wage, I'm all for the competition.

Training camp would be:

Rogers
Bodden
Butler
Springs
Wilhite
Wheatley
Arrington
Hobbs (?)

I'd be very happy with that sort of training camp competition.

 

[woolster22]

i'd have no problem with giving hobbs a go, as long as he isn't here to compete for the #1 one spot. We already saw how well that worked for us... however, if we manage to keep Bodden and bring him in I think he'd make a great nickelback once Butler steps it up. That would be one hell of a secondary if it all shakes out that way.

the big question if the D has both Vince and Peppers is whether or not we slap vince in the face by making him play under the tag for a season. That would make for one big grumpy dude. If that is the case, hopefully it gives him the spark to go absolutely nuts on the field as hed be playing for quite a payday if there is no lockout in 2011...

 

[Marqui]

I hope it will be Wilfork and Peppers in the same defense.

I would be in heaven if that happened.

 

[BritPat]

Just seen this pop up on Twitter, feel free to question the source all you like by the way:

nfldraftscout a source in New England tells us Julius Peppers is their #1 priority this offseason. Then Wilfork.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Just seen this pop up on Twitter, feel free to question the source all you like by the way:

Wow, however, how could they know the pats "top priority"? I hope other sources don't report this, it may piss Wilfork off. :bricks:

 

[slash83]

Just seen this pop up on Twitter, feel free to question the source all you like by the way:

I'm not really surprised peppers is their top priority, wilfork can be franchised and kept so if contract talks fail the franchise tag is their safety net. If this peppers to pats thing falls through with all the talk going on I'm gonna be dissapointed. But who knows how legit the source really is, guess will find out sooner rather than later.

 

[slash83]

Fantasy Football, Baseball and Basketball - draft guide, news, projections, cheatsheets, depth charts and more. Rotoworld.com

Here is a little bit of interesting info regarding Peppers and the Pats, sounds like per the source Pats are legitimately interested in signing Peppers but not for top dollar, which sounds like what Peppers may just be asking for.


"If he's going for the big money, Peppers never signs with the Patriots," the source said. "If it's about winning and he's willing to take less to play in New England, maybe he ends up there. But he doesn't sound...willing to take the discount."

 

[RobertWeathers]

Fantasy Football, Baseball and Basketball - draft guide, news, projections, cheatsheets, depth charts and more. Rotoworld.com

Here is a little bit of interesting info regarding Peppers and the Pats, sounds like per the source Pats are legitimately interested in signing Peppers but not for top dollar, which sounds like what Peppers may just be asking for.


"If he's going for the big money, Peppers never signs with the Patriots," the source said. "If it's about winning and he's willing to take less to play in New England, maybe he ends up there. But he doesn't sound...willing to take the discount."

Good work digging but doing nothing but stating the obvious IMO..

 

[slash83]

Good work digging but doing nothing but stating the obvious IMO..

Yeah if that report is accurate I cant see the Pats paying top dollar for him, maybe Dansby since he is younger but I dunno...

 

[SB39]

I would like to see Peppers here, but I just don't think it happens. Julius Peppers seems to me to be a guy who is looking for a big payday. That's not meant to be criticism, just an observation. And guys that are looking for a big payday generally don't find it in New England.

 

[woolster22]

Who else out there would be in the market for him with the resources to offer a crazy contract? Washington comes to mind, but with their offensive woes and all the money tied up in haynesworth already I was counting them out. I'm sure jerry Jones would love to get his hands on him but is handicapped by the final 8 rules. KC? I'd expect them to be one of the teams dumping salary with the floor disappearing, and at the same time letting the studs go to work in the deep draft. I'd say Pitt but they are all set in the LB department, although that D is certainly not getting any younger. If Merriman is done in SD I would expect them to take a look, especially if they dump Cromartie's salary and set LT's corpse aflame and push that boat out to sea. I don't know. It is a weird off season, that's for sure. Hopefully they get that done.

As soon as VW gets word of this i have a feeling he is going to be APESH*T. If Peppers is their #1 priority they are playing on a very slippery slope. That could very easily blow up in their face, and we'd be looking at a year of an unhappy Vince, or we have to trade his rights off for a pick. In that scenario I don't see us getting anything more than a late 1st early 2nd. Wish I could fast forward the tape a month or two!

 

[Kontradiction]

Fantasy Football, Baseball and Basketball - draft guide, news, projections, cheatsheets, depth charts and more. Rotoworld.com

Here is a little bit of interesting info regarding Peppers and the Pats, sounds like per the source Pats are legitimately interested in signing Peppers but not for top dollar, which sounds like what Peppers may just be asking for.


"If he's going for the big money, Peppers never signs with the Patriots," the source said. "If it's about winning and he's willing to take less to play in New England, maybe he ends up there. But he doesn't sound...willing to take the discount."

Why should he be willing to take a discount? There are other teams out there that are just as close to a Super Bowl berth, if not more, as the Pats are that will pay him more to play on their team. The Eagles bringing him in should all but assure them an NFC East championship (and possibly an NFC championship) next season, provided their general health holds up.

 

[slash83]

Why should he be willing to take a discount? There are other teams out there that are just as close to a Super Bowl berth, if not more, as the Pats are that will pay him more to play on their team. The Eagles bringing him in should all but assure them an NFC East championship (and possibly an NFC championship) next season, provided their general health holds up.

First and foremost I never said anything about him where he should take a discount to play for the Pats. Second, this isnt the same Pats team that is either in the super bowl or one or two games away on a yearly basis, they arent as attractive to free agents as they were before so that thought of players taking discounts should be thrown out the door.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: Reiss: Peppers chatter persists

Sorry for the confusion. I meant to put "tight end or tackle" instead "tackle or guard". Regardless, if Peppers is brought in, teams would most likely line up a TE to his side assigned to block him.

I don't think there's a tight end in the NFL who could block Peppers 1 on 1. That is, when he's trying. Some have questioned his motor.

 

[makoute]

Re: Reiss: Peppers chatter persists

I don't think there's a tight end in the NFL who could block Peppers 1 on 1. That is, when he's trying. Some have questioned his motor.

I don't know how many times they faced each other after that super bowl, but Graham did a pretty darn good job against him.

 

[muzz]

Re: Reiss: Peppers chatter persists

I don't know how many times they faced each other after that super bowl, but Graham did a pretty darn good job against him.

That's the 1 player I hated(still do) seeing get away.

 

[Kontradiction]

First and foremost I never said anything about him where he should take a discount to play for the Pats. Second, this isnt the same Pats team that is either in the super bowl or one or two games away on a yearly basis, they arent as attractive to free agents as they were before so that thought of players taking discounts should be thrown out the door.

Sorry if it came off as if I was trying to put words in your mouth. I wasn't. I was just responding to the quote in your post. And I do agree with your stance. By all means, if a player is willing to take the discount then get him. However, he shouldn't be burned at the stake if he isn't.