Peppers, the draft, Delhomme...Oh my!

[Highlandfire]

Just some post draft thoughts. As for as peppers goes, until he signs that offer we as a team can't talk to anyone about a trade. That is why he hasn't signed it and most likely wont until July for training camp. He wants to go where he wants to go, not signing is the only leverage he has in that regard. So what to do now? Well Pat Kirwin from Sirius this last week addressed what he has thought/ heard and that is we will play him this year, then franchise him again for 19 mill next year. Pat being a former GM for the Jets has a ton of friends still in the game and talks with GM's constantly and from what he has heard...we are going to hold him till we get what we want or just can't anymore (you can only franchise a player twice I think?)

The draft. I loved it. for not having a 1st rounder I thought we did really well. I was a huge fan of Brown's coming into this draft. Hell I thought Buffalo might take him at #11. This guy reminds me so damn much of Dwight Freeney esp with that spin move of his. I think we will see some great plays out of him this year opposite peppers, and then in 2010 when he is up to say 255-260 this guy is really going to reak havok. As for as height, having coached DL before I can tell you, this can work to the kids advantage. Being 6'1" he has that natural low base so when he dips it is tough for a 6'5" OT to get his hands on him properly. I just love this pick!

Duke Robinson. You guys know by now, and by my avatar, I am a huge OU fan. Having been a HS coach I have attended clinics down there as recently as 2007 so I have met him, phil Loadholt etc. I can tell you honestly the pick is a good one for where we got him, but he comes with two huge red flags. first, he is lazy. His work ethic is questionable at best. He can take plays off, lose track mentally and hasn't, even at OU, pushed himself to be the best he can. Secondly, he is been a penalty machine. He cost us dearly in the National championship with a couple penalties including that personal foul on a huge gain against Florida which all but killed a drive for us. Does he have talent? Hell yes. He is the next Larry Allen if he can get his stuff together. But will he? That waits to be seen.

Lastly Jake Delhomme. guys this was coming. they weren't going to can a guy that got us to a superbowl, helped get us to 12-4 because of one horriffic game. One note, again from pat kirwin, it is my understanding our staff is partially to blame for his bad game? From what I understand they wouldnt' let him throw during the bye week, thinking it would help his repaired elbow. Instead it blew up on them, because the elbow severely stiffened and he wasn't able to fully get it loose by our playoff game with Arizona. Not making to big of an excuse but if that is the case, we gotta cut Jake some slack. also keep in mind this is a 2 year surgery to come back from. I wouldnt' be suprised to see him throwing the ball much better this year.

Anyway, thanks again for having this board to talk panthers ball!!!

[rayzor]

interesting insights. thanks.

re: pep...we can tag him as long as we want. it just keeps getting more expensive every year.

re: the draft, i agree. especially about brown. size does matter...how you use that size will be the difference between it being an advantage or a disadvantage.

re: robinson....i think there is some risk. hopefully the bad stuff (laziness) can be coached out but i like the nastiness. it will bite us in the butt every once in a while but overall it will work to our/his advantage.

re: jake....hadn't heard about them putting restrictions on his throwing during that bye week before. do you have a link? that surely could account for some of the reason he was so off on that game. i do expect him to throw better next year, though. he'd better anyway.

[Highlandfire]

Rayzor, sorry man no link. I was listening to Sirius and Pat Kirwin was on talking about jakes new contract last week. That is when Pat said he was told they wouldn't let him throw to rest the elbow. Instead it tightened up on him.

[Jangler]

we gotta cut Jake some slack. also keep in mind this is a 2 year surgery to come back from. I wouldnt' be suprised to see him throwing the ball much better this year.

Been saying that since before last season, that it would be 2 years before he would be completely ready. This wasn't his knee, and even those take awhile to come back from. This was his throwing arm, and it seamed like some people had unrealistic expectations of his arm. That's why with his arm, 3WRs,the running game and a defense to back it up?...this is going to be a very special year for the Panther Nation! :hurray: COOKIES FOR ALL!

[Squirrel]

Been saying that since before last season, that it would be 2 years before he would be completely ready. This wasn't his knee, and even those take awhile to come back from. This was his throwing arm, and it seamed like some people had unrealistic expectations of his arm. That's why with his arm, 3WRs,the running game and a defense to back it up?...this is going to be a very special year for the Panther Nation! :hurray: COOKIES FOR ALL!

puff puff pass. man this is some good stuff. :sifone:

[Jangler]

Thanks Dolphin fan. Or is that player fan? sometimes I get those confused...

[Show_dog_NC]

So with Pep not signing his tender, he will not have to report to the offseason camps?

[carpanfan96]

We could have talked to teams like KC did last year.............. Using Carey as a middle man to talk to the other teams about a trade..... You might still see Peppers with all the Defense changes and such sign that contract for 90 Million + in a couple of weeks.

Also on the two year injury, I've been saying that and defending jake this whole off season and not a single person on here has listened to it.

[carpanfan96]

So with Pep not signing his tender, he will not have to report to the offseason camps?

No he doesn't have to report for anything, he can just wait it out and sign the tender after the camps and everything and play out the season or decide to hold out.

[Highlandfire]

No he doesn't have to report for anything, he can just wait it out and sign the tender after the camps and everything and play out the season or decide to hold out.

Any player can hold out till the last 6 games of the season and still get a full year of credit toward being a free agent. Joey Gallaway did it with Seattle. Problem is that really downgrades his value to other teams.

[monstercat]

Very interesting information about Delhomme. I haven't heard anything about them not letting him throw during the bye week, but that doesn't surprise me at all. Hell, none of us had any idea that Delhomme had been playing with that elbow injury all during the 06 season until he finally had to have the surgery and talked about it for the first time in 07.

This does beg the question though...why in the hell didn't they pull Jake out of that play off game if they knew his elbow had stiffened up on him?

Also, why didn't John Fox step up and take at least some of the blame off of his QB?

[Fireball77]

Lastly Jake Delhomme. guys this was coming. they weren't going to can a guy that got us to a superbowl, helped get us to 12-4 because of one horriffic game. One note, again from pat kirwin, it is my understanding our staff is partially to blame for his bad game? From what I understand they wouldnt' let him throw during the bye week, thinking it would help his repaired elbow. Instead it blew up on them, because the elbow severely stiffened and he wasn't able to fully get it loose by our playoff game with Arizona. Not making to big of an excuse but if that is the case, we gotta cut Jake some slack. also keep in mind this is a 2 year surgery to come back from. I wouldnt' be suprised to see him throwing the ball much better this year.

Anyway, thanks again for having this board to talk panthers ball!!!

Interesting. Wonder if they did the same thing during the regular season bye week? He looked just as off vs Oakland. I can't get too upset at the staff if they did the opposite then so figured they would change it up this past time. And honestly, no one has ever come back form this so there isn't a precedent. I agree with Jangler as well. At times he was so off that there's no way it wasn't affecting him last year. A new ligament needs time to break in. Having had wrist surgery, I know that 1 year isn't even close to what it took for me to feel semi normal range of motion wise.

It's nice to have opinions from guys who coached, whatever the level. Thanks for the insight on Robinson too. I don't mind too much their taking a flyer on that type of guy late since he supposedly has 2nd round talent. It seems like a lot of guys dropped this year as opposed to other years, doesn't it?

I actually think they should let Pep walk after this year. It gags me to think of paying him 19 mill (17 mill gags me also, but I digress...). He'll be over 30 by then. Let some other team take him on.

[Section 505]

re: pep...we can tag him as long as we want. it just keeps getting more expensive every year.

He's at $16.683M this year (20% higher than his 2008 slary of $13.9025M), because that number is greater than the franchise tag for defensive ends of $8.99M. So for 2010 it would be 20% above that, $20.0196M

BUT

In the third consecutive year of franchise tagging, your number is compared to the highest tag number at any position (read: QB $14.65 in 2009) or 120% of your position ($8.99M x 1.2= $10.79M), OR 144% of your current salary, whichever is greater. That number for Pepp in 2011 would be $28.828M !

I know it sounds crazy, but think about this: if the CBA isn't redone next March of 2010, then there is no Salary Cap in 2010, and Pepp's $20M tag does not hamper the team. In that scenario I could easily see Pepp being tagged again in 2010.

But there is no way they pay him $28M in 2011. Is there? Even with no salary cap?

[Highlandfire]

I just don't see the owners not having a salary cap. And now both owners and veterans want a rookie cap as well. Can't have that without a CBA. Now that the NFLPA actually has a prez, I can see this getting done in the next 6-9 months.