Pep to New England *rumor*

[ashehudson]

For some reason, I have a feeling that Peppers would (not saying he's going to) take a discount to play for the Pats which would void out all those reasons.

The problem seems to be with Pepper's agent who wants to get paid as well.

[Fireball77]

And early Monday news report...

Patriots | To make run at Peppers?

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:55:48 -0800

John Tomase, of the Boston Herald, reports the New England Patriots could attempt to make a run at Carolina Panthers DL Julius Peppers with the cap money they saved and the draft pick acquired in the trade of QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Pats fans hate Tomase the liar more than Cats fans hate any media person in the world...ever. No way he has any inside info.

IMO, there won't be a first rounder involved if Pep is changing positions at the age of 29 unless the new team is CRAZY AS BEDBUGS or maybe if Pep agrees to a really reasonable contract AS AN OLB.

[monstercat]

Second, Peppers would have to be willing to ignore the seven-year, $100 million contract with $41 million guaranteed that Albert Haynesworth received from the Redskins

It's entirely possible that Peppers would be willing to do just that. If it was just about the money for him, there is no reason why he wouldn't have already signed a long term deal with the Panthers, since they had already offered to make him the highest paid DE in the league, even before the Haynesworth deal.

[Montsta]

Quote:

First, the Pats don’t shell out huge deals to many players, especially not to players who have never played a down for the Patriots.

Second, Peppers would have to be willing to ignore the seven-year, $100 million contract with $41 million guaranteed that Albert Haynesworth received from the Redskins

Third, Peppers has blossomed of late into a pain in the butt, trying to use the media to force his way out of Carolina

Fourth, Belichick rarely gets worked up about players from other teams unless those guys have given Belichick fits

i.e. Wes Welker...

[toadman]

If Peppers goes to New England, playing NE at NE 2009 just got more interesting.

[Murph]

Patriots | Moss' contract restructured

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:19:12 -0800

Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports the New England Patriots restructured the contract of WR Randy Moss to gain some salary cap space. The Patriots took $1.5 million that Moss was to earn in 2009 and turned it into a bonus, which saved the team about $750,000 in salary cap space.

More fodder to add to the specualtion pile.

IT'S THE SUPSENSE THAT'S KILLING ME!!

[Fireball77]

This may have been brought up somewhere in one of the endless Pep threads but NE has a shitton of FAs after 2009. Some of it may be to try to lock those guys up.

[Fox007]

This may have been brought up somewhere in one of the endless Pep threads but NE has a sh*tton of FAs after 2009. Some of it may be to try to lock those guys up.

Definitely possible, but the prospect of always making the playoffs, having a winning record, and a good shot at a SB certainly won't hurt in the resignings either.

[Fireball77]

Well I agree to an extent...but sometimes when a player has had team success, it becomes all about the Benjamins..and I mean ALL (Asante Samuel, Deion Branch, etc). Nothing wrong with it though if they leave in FA, it's their right.

[Sam Mills Fan]

Bob Ryan just said that he believed that the Patriots are trying to make a play for Peppers.

I think it's obvious now that the teams are trying to work something out right now. It should be done by Draft Day and Peppers will be a Patriot.

[Fox007]

I think something else that may have gone un-noticed about the Patriots is that they have 1 first and 3 2nd round picks, yes 3 second round picks.(4 of the top 47 picks)

They have the money and picks to feasibly get Peppers in one years worth of draft picks.

I could easily see them trying to send a 1st and 2nd for Pep, all the while still keeping 2 second round picks.

And since you know their smug/arrogantness they are perfectly confident in their skills to use those picks.

For that same reason I could see them hanging onto all four picks and really do some damage.

Then again if they don't feel they can get the impact from the draft with the two picks they send for Peppers, then they would have no problem sending those picks over.

Also no matter what happens, the Patriots will likely have Peppers or four picks within the top 47 . Either scenario just makes the Patriots that much better.(which sucks haha)

[carpanfan96]

Bob Ryan just said that he believed that the Patriots are trying to make a play for Peppers.

I think it's obvious now that the teams are trying to work something out right now. It should be done by Draft Day and Peppers will be a Patriot.

The teams aren't doing anything, we can't talk to any other club about peppers or it's a NFLPA violation. Peppers and his agent might be talking to the pats, but we aren't and can't until he signs his tender.

That being said when you see him sign the tender, expect a trade with in a week or two.

[monstercat]

Well, I hope this rumor turns out to be true, and we get a couple more draft picks. Then again, I wouldn't complain if Peppers signed a long term deal with the Panthers either. More importantly, I don't think his teammates will hold it against him now matter which way this goes.

And for the record...I'm a Peppers fan, but I also think it's a bunch of BS when people say that the Panthers didn't know how to coach him. As far as I'm concerned, he had a legitimate chance to beat the man across from him on every play. The problem is that too many people expect him to win every single battle on every single play, and that's just not gonna happen no matter where he ends up. Even Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White got blocked more often than they got sacks.

[BlindSite]

I agree, he was a great defensive end for us and whatever happens I just want the team to be a success and for him to be happy.

I stand by my guns about his effort and the type of player he was for us. I just wish the whole mess would get resolved so the franchise can move on.