Julius Peppers will be on WFNZ's Mac Attack tomorrow to talk about his status w/team

[Gman was right]

People for years have acted like jr is this perfect owner that will do anything to win. Couldn't be any further from the truth. He's a cheap ass owner who is more concerned with his wallet than winning

[GoreMetalJunkie]

..and that's really the only leverage he and Carey have...

The deadline to tag is Feb 25th...

Free Agency begins March 5th... which is also the day that the new provisions kick in should a new CBA not be reached...

This means Carey and Pep will have a week to try and wiggle their way around if they don't like the way the Panthers are doing things...

Also, I hope that people like Thomas Davis and Richard Marshall don't get lost in the shuffle...

I can't blame the Panthers not wanting to conduct business not knowing what is going to happen... I mean look around the rest of the league, not much happening there either...

I've never really blamed Pep either... The bad decisions on that end have, for the most part, been all Carey...

Exactly. But about TD or Richard Marshall.. I don't think they would try much with getting tagged, I believe they just want to play Panther football. I do however remember Marshall wanting a nice contract though and... I say he's worth it.

Yea he blows coverages but he's developing and he's a playmaker and a very psychical CB we should keep.

[Pimpdaddy]

I'll listen to the whole interview if I can when it is replayed in 30 mins, but one would think anyone here who heard it would have offered a brief overview, other than repeating the song lyric that they played on interview exit (which was a nice media twist, btw)...

Sorry dude, I needed to be ontime for a board meeting + I'm not quite the 'ana'lyst you are. I mean the guy has talked twice in 8 years, think everybody on this board will listen to the replay a few times. If you weren't working in the mailroom in some obscure part of a large building you could of picked up an AM signal.... buy you'r right, the Fleetwood Mac song was a nice touch...

[Samuel L. Jackson]

The interview in a nutshell....

Panthers sent vague texts to Carl after he came out during Pro Bowl week...

Pep has no idea what we're thinking or what's going on right now...

Pep turned off by silent treatment, is a man of few words himself, and takes the silent treatment as the Panthers not being sure they want him....

Pep feels the silence says a lot, but that last year was a different scenario... After the last game this past year, he expected to hear from us and our intentions, but didn't...

The silence says a lot, and it's a turnoff...

Pep feels better about the way he was used, and likes the changes we made the past season with Meeks... Seems to like Meeks a lot... It started rough, but they got a lot better and it was encouraging to Pep... Likes relationship he has with Brian Baker, and likes playing with "those guys" and felt the future was looking brighter at the end of the year....

We got better, we did some good things... It was a little late, but when you have a new system, it does take time... Pep felt that if things could be kept intact, good things could happen...

The highest-paid player deal is not something Pep said he wanted... The one they offered would make him the highest paid player, slightly... One reason he didn't want to sign it was that he didn't feel 2 and a half sacks warranted sincerity in a deal like that... He personally couldn't accept it because he didn't feel deserving at the time... He wanted us to save it until he proved he was worth it...

-interrupted at work-

He felt the application of the tag last year was done to send him off in a trade... He said that was "fine"... Jerry wanted to talk to him... Pep met him in Arizona... They weren't far apart in a long-term deal... but they couldn't agree... Pep said he was then content to just play under the tag and worry about it this offseason...

Pep doesn't have a preference on what happens to him... Either way he's fine with it... If he has to play under the tender, he's fine... If something else happens, he's fine... He wasn't gonna say that he wasn't fine playing for the Panthers... Last year, that was the option he wanted most (to not play for the Panthers) but this year it's not...

Pep isn't opposed to staying in NC... but it has been a factor in the past... He's fine with staying in NC, and it has no part in his decision...

Pep understands the fans that got upset, but wants them to understand it's a business and it last year he was trying to make a career decision... There was more behind it than him not wanting to be a Panther...

To the people saying he isn't trying hard... Pep appreciates support and welcomes the critics... Said Del Rio even questioned him on it... but with his style, it just looks like he isn't trying sometimes because of his frame and the way he moves... He feels like he does everything he is asked, and that you could isolate anyone on the field at some point and say that he wasn't trying hard...

Pep thinks people have some unfair expectations, and things that people criticise him about he's already on top of and deals with it personally...Pep takes it all as a compliment that people expect so much...

Pep has a lot of good memories including watching the young players like Beason come in and become a pro-bowler... He enjoys the locker room atmosphere, and loves all the guys and they love him...

[ElIngeniero]

Rough Transcript Below:

At the probowl you mentioned that you had not heard from the FO. Have you talked to them at all since then?

JP I have not--they sent a few text message to Carey since then. Nothing really though. As far as I'm concerned, I haven't heard anything from them. I can take that as they don't want to say anything. I have no idea what's going on with them

I talked to Carl last week off the air, the impression I got was that you guys are turned off by the silent treatment and this may be the deciding factor whether you want to sign with them or not'

I'm a man of very few words, I understand very well what the silent treatment is. For a person to be silent with me, I understand exactly what you're trying to say. If somebody asked me if I wanted to stay in carolina and play with the panthers next year, it's like "why would I wanted to stay somewhere when the team doesn't acknowledge they want to keep me.

Do you feel like you don't want to be here?

"Well, like I said, the silent says alot without saying anything. After the last game we played, I came out and said things have changed. At that time I was open, and expected to hear from them. I wanted to at least hear something. We expected to hear something. After that, things have changed on my end because again, the silence says a lot without saying anything and that is a turnoff."

We're talking to pepp trying to figure out if he will be back. At the end of the season, you seemed to feel better about the way you were used and feel like you wanted to be here. Temporarily, what happened and how were you used that you enjoyed?

Well first of all, change is usually good. Meeks came in with a new attitude and changed things up. I was happy with that and it encouraged me. Playing with meeks and brian baker, my position coach, I felt good about developing a future relationship with those guys and I enjoyed that. The things we were able to accomplish and the future was looking brighter.

You guys were playing like a really good unit at the end of the year. The defense looks like it's ready for next year if you all stay together

Yeah, like I said, we were doing good things. Things take time so at the beginning it wasn't great. Things take time to gel. I feel the same way you do. If everybody stays together and I think great things will happen'

The panthers offered you a deal to make you the highest paid defensive player after coming off your 2.5 sack season. What did you not like about the offer then?

'First of all, I never came out an said I wanted to be the highest paid defensive player. People made assumptions. The panthers know me, after a two an a half sack season, it was a personal thing for me. They offered me to be the highest paid defensive player, I'm not deserving of that when my performance was nowhere even close to that level. It was about my own pride and I just wanted to wait a year and see what I'm capable of.

That's an interesting way to look at it. I look back at that and see the Panthers FO trying to show faith in you.

"I don't know their intentions behind that deal. But from my standpoint, I think they should save that, let me prove that I'm worth this kind of contract next year.'

We're talking to JP, lets jump to the next year. You wanted out of there after a great season.

My stats were better. We as a unit, declined. At the end of that season, things were not getting better for that defense. I didn't see us getting any better on that side of the ball so I felt like it was time to change. Things change. Thats why I wanted out. But then they brought in new people.'

You met with JR, you picked up the big cat and took him out. You seemed dissapointed in the offer.

"Before that, the thing about, okay, after the public comments came out last year about me not wanting to be there, they applied the franchise tag. In my opinion, I never felt that they applied it with the intent to keep me here. They did that to send me off to somewhere else to get draft picks. First of all, that's what was going on with that. I've got pretty good knowledge about what's going on in the situation so I feel I was right with that. I interrupted my training because JR wanted to talk with me. Yeah, we were dissapointed in the initial offer but we weren't that far apart. I was fine playing under the tag. I told him that I'd play the season out and then we'd talk again.

Now to the present--last year you guys came out and said these are the four teams you wanted. You have the opinion now that they've rubbed you the wrong way with the silent treatment. What's your take now? What's your ideal situation, the franchise tag or longterm?

I really don't have a preference, I'm in a great position. Either way they go, I'm fine. I feel llike I'm in a great position and I'm fine.

It sounds like a longterm deal with the panthers doesn't sound fine.

"I'm not going to come out and say that. Last year that was the option I wanted least, now it's not."

Are you coming on here to say goodbye.

"it could be, it very well possibly could be. I've been aorund here for about 8 years. This is one of the few times I've ever talked here. If this is it, I do want to thank the fans for their great support around this is. If this is it, maybe.

Shoot this down if it's not true, One of the thoughts wants to leave here not because he wants to leave this scheme, but because you've spent your life here and you wanted to spend some time somewhere else.

At times that has been a factor in my decision making. But now I can easily go elsewhere. At times, I can say that that was a factor but now it's not a part of my decision-making.

What would you say to fans who got upset last year with you.

Well the thing about that is that it was a career decision. People make those deicisons all the time. Whether it be sports or any other career. I didn't really think it was that big of a deal. There was more to it than me not wanting to be a panther.

When you hear people say "JP is a great player but I don't think he's trying hard all the time". Whats your response to that?

My response to that is, in terms of my fan base and the support I get, I appreciate it. I also need the critics because you cant always have people telling you that you're great. Jack del Rio, my rookie defensive coordinator, and I talked about that. He said 'you don't seem like you try hard when you're running'. I told him I'm trying just as hard as everyone else. I'm always trying hard but it doesn't always seem that way because they don't understand what play or what we're trying to do. Watching tape, you can see every player on the field seemingly take plays off. I'm my toughest critic by far. My own expectations of myself are higher than anyone elses.

Yeah I would compare you to Tiger woods in that regard, you expect a lot of yourself. Last question: give me, if this is you saying goodbye to the fans, what is the best memory or game here?

JP: I have too many memories to pick just one. The comradery in the locker room is awesome. I don't say a lot but in the locker room we talk a lot. I love everybody in there. Watching a player like beason develop into a pro-bowl player, those types of things are what I'll remember most.

Thank JP. We appreciate you coming on. I hope you come back here. Maybe the panthers will hear you now and feel compelled to get you back.

[Samuel L. Jackson]

Sorry dude, I needed to be ontime for a board meeting + I'm not quite the 'ana'lyst you are. I mean the guy has talked twice in 8 years, think everybody on this board will listen to the replay a few times. If you weren't working in the mailroom in some obscure part of a large building you could of picked up an AM signal.... buy you'r right, the Fleetwood Mac song was a nice touch...

okay, moron...

FWIW, I don't have to work... I've got enough in the bank to pay your salary for several years, and you can kiss my ass if you don't like the way I called out your obvious hate...

step your game up, playa...

[scpanther22]

Deep down, Pep wants to work it all out... The Panthers just have to show him they are willing to talk...

I'm starting to think Jerry is an even bigger player than we know in the negotiations between the NFLPA and the Owners... I'm starting to think less of the Big Cat as of late, but hopefully he'll change that...

You hear that Jerry? Your fans are losing faith in you...

I think deep down peppers wants money.Thats to be expected.But I think both sides would do better with a change.

[Guest]

He said he wanted a long term deal more than anything last year, at the same time that he said he wanted a change and he listed the four teams that he wanted to play for....how is that supposed to work? That interview was complete BS.

[Samuel L. Jackson]

He said he wanted a long term deal more than anything last year, at the same time that he said he wanted a change and he listed the four teams that he wanted to play for....how is that supposed to work? That interview was complete BS.

It's double talk... That's what happens when you don't have a bargaining leg in negotiations, or don't really know what will happen...

Blame Carey for that, but the Panthers and Pep both share some blame...

[grateflday]

The part from Peppers that he didnt sign a long term deal after his 2.5 sack season because he didnt earn it and all the other crap he said was such B.S. Come on Peppers how about one of the reasons the Panthers wanted to sign you long term was because they didnt want to go through this crap for two offseasons.

[CBDellinger]

Oh I agree with pretty much all you said...

I'm still losing faith in him in that he seems to be putting the rest of the league ahead of his own team... That's my opinion, sure...

By him being so involved in that, we could lose a good day or two that other teams will be using to their advantage...

I can't say I blame him though, because it's looking more and more like there won't be any football at all in 2011, and if he's trying to fix that, good for him...

Jerry is certainly playing a big role in the new CBA negotiations. It is def having an impact on our moves this offseason.

[TheSaint]

'First of all, I never came out an said I wanted to be the highest paid defensive player. People made assumptions. The panthers know me, after a two an a half sack season, it was a personal thing for me. They offered me to be the highest paid defensive player, I'm not deserving of that when my performance was nowhere even close to that level. It was about my own pride and I just wanted to wait a year and see what I'm capable of.

So basically what he said is that they tried to pay him too much and thats why he wouldnt sign. NICE...bwhahaha

[Samuel L. Jackson]

The biggest thing that stands out to me, if a deal doesn't get done, is that it's kind of put the teams in a bad position for having to use their tags BEFORE they even know for certain if next season will be uncapped...

Think about it... Pep knows if it is uncapped, he could make more elsewhere, or a lot under the tag for us... We know that if it is uncapped, we could save a lot in the long run by simply tagging Pep OR signing him longterm... We have the better two options and ultimate control, but it sucks that our hands are kind of tied until after the tag deadline passes...

That's why, at this point, I think we end up tagging him just to ensure he doesn't hit the market after it opens up with or without a cap, and then try to work out a long term deal afterwards... It could very well be last year all over again, but we did it to ourselves in a way...

[Guest]

So basically what he said is that they tried to pay him too much and thats why he wouldnt sign. NICE...bwhahaha