Are you really that naive...Nobody here makes more than Brady...it's written in the system manuel, as well it should be. And he's supposed to give up a couple of million to boot, and he always has. Nobody gets to be the highest paid player at his position, not even Brady or Seymour. He got his interim concession when he cried and finally got $10/per but only on a 3 year extension that could be prorated over 4 that included the last year of his rookie deal...so the average value of his deal dropped to $8 over 4 years.
We have an even more special circumstance here. It's called "the system". It's underpinnings are founded on sacrifice and discipline and a slotted salary scale. Players are asked to wait their turn, take a little less, respect the fact that we can't make exceptions for a players specialness because everyone who does his job is valued here...and in order to pay fair market value across a roster with sufficient talent and depth they can win championships with elite talent that talent is asked to lead by example.
Peppers wants to play a 3-4 OLB here. Well, that player tops out here at $8M. That player is asked to take a split signing/option bonus here (as are most who require $20M or more). Peppers wants to make the move predicated on increasing his sacks...not gonna happen here. It's not about his sacks, it's about doing what is asked of him - something he apparently bristled about in Carolina where they won't change their system or scheme to suit him. It's hard to compile the eye popping stats that land you pro bowl nods and put you on the HOF fast track here even as you appear in every other superbowl contested. Peppers didn't even play the want a ring card...because apparently self fulfillment is higher on his list of wants.
He had his best season in 2006, not 2008, and in 2007 people were questioning his value compared to other top tier DE. Imagine how he'd deal with the fanboy and mediot finger pointing if he struggled here. Think he could take a year of criticism while he was taught the system intracacies as AD was??? He was apparently disappointed that Carolina after winning it's division got bounced in the first round of the playoffs in a game where he was essentially MIA. He's been on the market for 3 months and no one has brought his agent the kind of deal he can wave in Carolina's face and say make this happen. There has to be a reason or two for that.
I'm sure Bill admires his talent. I'm sure Bill would be interested in at least exploring the possibility of bringing him here. But Peppers hasn't done anything over the last 3 months to facilitate even that happening. Everyone now says Carolina is hamstrung by his tag - no, they chose to hamstring themselves in March by tagging a player they had previously been unable to sign to a long term extension. They could do that because the guy they tagged last year when they couldn't get him extended (Gross) finally agreed to one himself. And for some reason they still want to retain a player who is the face of their franchise and the anchor of their defense even as he apparently doesn't want to be retained. Southern expansion team fan bases are a lot more forgiving than old school passionate NE sports fans... If he were pulling his just want a change crap here the same people who want him so desperately would be calling him a useless overpaid POS and pointing to his seasonal inconsistencies and calling for Bill to package his ass IN a trade.
The FA ship has sailed for 2009. There is little or nothing left to be gained by Carolina trading him now unless it's for a top 5 pick or similar value (like what Denver got for Cutler) that might enable them to replace his value on the roster over the next couple of seasons. He's not worth that to this franchise.
And as for Kraft, he didn't get where he is by opening up his wallet, he got there by making sound disciplined financial choices. He has a lot of players to deal with come the uncapped year. And a lot of long term impact decisions to factor in including negotiating for a new CBA. He's not going to morph into Dan Snyder for a season because he doesn't have his revenue stream and he knows the long term impact (on future negotiations here) would be impossible to manage. People forget he's the guy who said on national television on the very night we won our 3rd superbowl that while he hoped to get Brady extended it would NOT HAPPEN if he wanted Manning money...
People here need to remember that sometimes when things sound too good to be true (like Peppers on the cheap in contract and compensation) it's because they aren't true. While other times when reality sounds too difficult to be overcome, that's because as Bill would say it is what it is...