Removing the franchise tag from Julius Peppers is the best option.

[Fiz]

I think he will play hard the whole season since it is a contract year,

just like 2008 right

[d-run]

just like 2008 right

14.5 sacks and an all pro year

[Fiz]

14.5 sacks and an all pro year

sacks sacks sacks sacks sacks sacks sacks sacks

[d-run]

he also led the team in forced turnovers with 5 FF, and lead the d-line in tackles

[Nu Guns]

Sign Jake to an extension and let Peppers walk...yes the fans would then really be in love with the FO.

If Peppers decides to sit out, that would not help his career one bit. He is not the first player to get tagged. His highest value is right now coming off a 14.5 sack season.

If he sits out he loses money, respect and stats.

Assuming we do not trade him and he comes back to play we are fine with him on the field.

The issue most of us have with him is that he tends to take plays off, and does not give 100% on every down. If he does that crap next year, bench him for a couple of series.

Every time he plays half ass, bench him. Peppers creditability will go down, the media will be all over it and it puts Peppers in a bad spot were the only solution for him is to play his ass off.

[SCpanther]

Peppers had a great year. As far as sacks it was his best. But yeah, he's not an elite DE anymore.

[zebrainz]

An option not discussed so far (that I've seen, I didn't read the whole thread) is a contract that forbids the Panthers from placing that franchise tag on him next year. Several players have had to play through a year like that (usually dependent on meeting incentive qualifiers, you know, like showing up, performing at a semi respectable level, etc.) to get free of the franchise tag. If he would accept signing for 1/2 to 3/4 of the franchise tag money to be free of the tag next year, I would be perfectly happy with that. He would still be just as motivated if he means what he says about wanting to play elsewhere and not being motivated by the money (yeah, right). Win/win. Pep goes free in the uncapped year, we get a little cap space for the inevitable emergencies that crop up and our young DEs get another year of development. I don't really want the guy here after this year anyway. I don't care what propaganda is presented to the media, after awhile these shenanigans are going to start having an effect on the locker room, platitudes be damned. If they haven't already.

That's what I think we should do. Like it or not, I think management has drawn their line in the sand and won't budge unless some extremely exceptional (and highly unlikely) circumstances crop up.

[carolinarolls]

An option not discussed so far (that I've seen, I didn't read the whole thread) is a contract that forbids the Panthers from placing that franchise tag on him next year. Several players have had to play through a year like that (usually dependent on meeting incentive qualifiers, you know, like showing up, performing at a semi respectable level, etc.) to get free of the franchise tag. If he would accept signing for 1/2 to 3/4 of the franchise tag money to be free of the tag next year, I would be perfectly happy with that. He would still be just as motivated if he means what he says about wanting to play elsewhere and not being motivated by the money (yeah, right). Win/win. Pep goes free in the uncapped year, we get a little cap space for the inevitable emergencies that crop up and our young DEs get another year of development. I don't really want the guy here after this year anyway. I don't care what propaganda is presented to the media, after awhile these shenanigans are going to start having an effect on the locker room, platitudes be damned. If they haven't already.

That's what I think we should do. Like it or not, I think management has drawn their line in the sand and won't budge unless some extremely exceptional (and highly unlikely) circumstances crop up.

if the relationship is as strained as it seems some qualifiers then become a problem IMO. If a player does not trust his FO then he does not trust them to judge anything performance-based especially "semi-respectable levels".

I hope the relationship is not as bad as it looks like it might be because for better or worse, our FO wanted him at a serious cost and well, we got him. It is very disturbing to think about a guy we drafted a decade ago who has been the face of our defense and team at times and who accounts for roughly 12% of our roster payroll shows no intention of being involved in any OTA's and possibly even camp. One has to think the worst about the relationship. Seeing as how Carolina is supposed to be such a tight knit, family atmosphere this does not bode well for his performance this year regardless of what any of us think what is in his best interest. When a guy is not happy it is hard for him to perform at his best. Especially when the guy in question is already a social anomaly to begin with. What some of you fail to realize is that what yo commonly pas off as shenanigans are most likely serious problems and the reason why this is dragging out despite what you genius sports agents think should happen.

[carolinarolls]

We didn't have to choose we did both. And we are not in a hard place since we weren't going to sign any big name free agents either. We have done that and tried that before without good success. Bottom line is we have Gross and Peppers. Until Peppers holds out there is no reason to beleive he won't be here before the season doing his job for which he will get well paid. The person in the hard place is Peppers. He either has to swallow his pride and play here this year or sit out and lose 17 million dollars with no guarantee of a payday anywhere else either.

tagging gross, letting Pep walk would have been the better option. I agree with Carp. Cap space and not locked into Gross forever. We also would have had the capspace to not have to lock up Jake forever too with all that guaranteed money just to get some breathing room.

Great Job Marty Hurney. One emotional decision by you set off a chain of events that cost us even more money and locked up aging players to long term deals with long guaranteed money.

yeah he's a real great businessman.

lmao @ 55

[carolinarolls]

It really doesn't take any self-discipline not to post 100+ times over weeks and weeks harping on the same subject. Maybe that's just me though.

If you are looking for me today I have decided to take your advice and deal with the bigger, newer news discussed on the Huddle. Today I will be discussing a Canadian League Running back, a poll on field logos, and how to use the "rep" system.

Get ready

[panthers55]

tagging gross, letting Pep walk would have been the better option. I agree with Carp. Cap space and not locked into Gross forever. We also would have had the capspace to not have to lock up Jake forever too with all that guaranteed money just to get some breathing room.

Great Job Marty Hurney. One emotional decision by you set off a chain of events that cost us even more money and locked up aging players to long term deals with long guaranteed money.

yeah he's a real great businessman.

lmao @ 55

Keep saying it over and over and maybe someone will believe you.

Here is the reality.

They signed Gross to a good contract which will look cheap in a few years. Gross's salary is still cheaper than it would be if he were franchised this year and he is essentially locked for the rest of his career. So it was a great business move to sign Gross and not tag him.

We gave Peppers all the money anyone could want and he turned us down thinking he could have his cake and eat it too. We tagged him like any other GM would do and he set conditions and tried to control everything which backfired in his face. Now he can either man up and report to camp or make things worse by being emotional and juvenile.

Hurney played this very well and is a great businessman. Anyone can plainly see that if they evaluate it dispassionately and without an ax to grind.

[X-Clown]

I called for them to let him walk before Jordan Gross was even signed know-it-all. And I gushed praise on the FO all last off season, camp, and regular season.

I don't like Jake as the QB in our system and I think the Peppers decision was the wrong one in spite of his "apparent value" leading up to the tagging. That's about it as far as me being negative nancy on the Panthers.

Git yer fvckin' facts straight moron.

Looks like I wasn't the only one to make the observation. Don't get mad at me, be mad at yourself.

[pantherclaw]

nice thread. Way to stir up conversation during the off-season though.

Glad I haven't had time to hang out on here as much as I use to.

[rayzor]

nice thread. Way to stir up conversation during the off-season though.

Glad I haven't had time to hang out on here as much as I use to.

ehhh...you learn what threads to avoid taking part in.

these certain topics seem to find their way into new threads a few times a week and end up with the same lame discussions going around and around and around and around.

they have all been really predictable and the amazing thing is that anyone who gets really involved in them think that they will ever be able to change anyone's mind about it or they their panties so wadded up that they have to come in here and start fighting even though it's going to be the same discussion over and over again.

it usually turns into a bunch of name calling and insults towards those foolish enough to disagree with them.