Panthers Surprise Trade Deadline Participants; Other Impacts

by Jaxon on Oct 20, 2009 9:05 PM EDT Comment 22 comments

If you were surprised to see the usually light-pocketed Panthers make a play the day before the trade deadline you are not alone. I was so shell-shocked I then bought into an unsubstantiated Steve Smith trade rumor (please forgive me). That is my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Fortunately for the Panthers in a year in which they are in dire need of DT depth several other teams are converting defenses. The conversion of several other teams from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense has provided the Panthers an opportunity to get experienced but young DT's in Lewis Leonard and the recently acquired Tank Tyler. Since these players don't fit the new system the Panthers are getting them on the cheap for late round picks (6^th and 5^th round picks respectively). Apparently our sage GM Marty Hurney has been scouting these teams since the preseason. Smarty Marty he is!

Yet in spite of our surprise and slight euphoria of making a seeming good deal at the last minute, we should also realize the significance of what didn't happen at the trade deadline. What didn't happen is a trade involving DE Julius Peppers. The fact he still remains with the team means more than likely he will now leave the Panthers at seasons end with the Panthers receiving no compensation for the perennial Pro Bowler.

So was franchising Peppers a good move?

I much as I think it sucks for the Panthers that he could walk this way I don't see anyway to avoid it. Peppers clearly hasn't changed his mind about not wanting to stay in Charlotte and I can't imagine for a second the Panthers would franchise him yet again. We all saw how well that worked out last offseason.

So there you have it. Barring a playoff run DE Julius Peppers has eleven more games remaining as a Panther. Let's hope he makes the best of it. He certainly has the incentive to play his best.

There is a slight upside though Panthers fans. To say the Panthers would not receive any compensation is not exactly correct. They would not receive anything from the team he joins but the Panthers should get a nice compensatory pick for him. What's the highest pick possible, top of the 2^nd or 3^rd round? Seems he would command a high one. For those of you lamenting the loss of draft picks this might ease the sting a little. Even a pick at the top of the 3^rd round should net a good player.

But that's not all Panthers fans! There is still one last benefit to consider if and when Julius Peppers walks. If you like offseason activity the Panthers should have one of their more active offseasons given how much money will suddenly be freed up, regardless of what happens to the salary cap. The Panthers will have at least $20M in space if not more in which to pursue top notch free agent talent (a WR or QB anyone?)

So say your goodbyes to Pep over the course of the remaining season but remember it is bittersweet. One of our favorite sons is leaving but he will not leave us empty-handed. If we are lucky he will give us a season to remember.

Poll

What should the Panthers do with DE Julius Peppers at the end of the season?

Franchise him no matter the cost

58 votes

Sign him long-term to whatever it takes or let him walk

86 votes

Sign him long-term if the price is reasonable or let him walk

336 votes

Just let him walk, the Panthers won't be the high bidder

296 votes

776 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I voted 'franchise him no matter what'... with the intention of trading him.

Of course, this is based on the caveat of resigning Thomas Davis. If I had to choose between 1 more year of Pep and Thomas Davis franchised, I think the decision is simple.

So, I say franchise him and trade him, even if you only get a 5th or 6th round pick… it’s better than nothing.

Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.

by James The Aussie on Oct 20, 2009 9:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I didn't put that as an option since it didn't work this past offseason

What if he doesn’t sign the tender again? Can’t trade him and then stuck again with this huge number against the cap. Maybe that changes when the cap goes away, not sure. But I can’t imagine going down the same road as last time is still an option. If they franchise him it has to be that they plan to pay him that amount. He won’t sign the tender unless he approves of the deal meaning his useless agent will have to get it done. Do you think the Panthers will drop their asking price?

I think they let him walk just as Haynesworth did. Let’s hope it works out better for us than it did for the Titans

I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com

by Jaxon on Oct 21, 2009 8:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

True

I guess I’m assuming the motivating factor will be him not wanting to play here anymore, even if it’s only one more season. So, he might sign the tender earlier and allow the Panthers to work a trade rather than his useless agent.

Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.

by James The Aussie on Oct 21, 2009 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Remember...

The way this off-season will work is there are 3 franchise tags per team and no cap. We could conceivably franchise Pep, Davis, and another if needed. This is unless a new CBA is signed.

by Scrantsj on Oct 21, 2009 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am beginning to look forward to his departure

I am tired of being a lopsided team with some really good and really bad players. Use the money to level the playing field and solidify multiple positions.

Our defense is improving, and I think it is due to increasing DT performance. When we get pressure up the middle and the QB can’t step up in the pocket, we have a hand full DEs that can make plays. I think Johnson and Brown can get the job done. Then maybe we can use Pep’s money on a QB and receiver ;)

on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city

by southtunnel on Oct 20, 2009 10:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

by boywonderncsu on Oct 21, 2009 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No salary cap

Franchise him and trade him to the Redskins or whoever will pay for his services. We own his rights, and they’re worth something. Letting him walk shouldn’t even be discussed.

by Cyberjag on Oct 20, 2009 10:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'll say franchise him right in front of him, and hold out the franchise tag out to him so we can trade him.

If we can get a 2nd rounder out of him, I think we’d accept it at this point. Peppers has all the power of a trade, at the same time he has to understand that a lot of things has to come together for a trade to work for another team. He has to understand that he can’t just pick 4 teams on a paper and say ‘trade me to one of these 4 teams or no deal’.

We can get a decent bit of compensation for him. It’s clear that he doesn’t want to play here. You heard it on the off-season, and you can arguably see it on the football field.

Franchising Peppers was a good move. It was a good move since the beginning. It was just a selfish move by Peppers to not sign his tag in order to force the Panthers to release him. You know that was his goal when he didn’t sign the tag. He wanted to have things his way.

Remember, 2010 will be uncapped if talks between the players union and the NFL fall through. We can resign all our guys, franchise Peppers, and still have enough money to throw the kitchen sink at the Patriots.

All in good fun of course.

"Once again the trousers of evil are yanked down by the mocking hands of justice!"-Revshawn

by Revshawn on Oct 21, 2009 12:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think we could get a tad more from Pep

Maybe a 1st and a 3rd/4th/5th I’d be happy with any of those.

by chinchillas sword on Oct 21, 2009 2:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I really hope the talks don't fall through

Eventually we’d get so it would be like MLB, the top teams dominate, the teams on the bottom, i.e Pirates, Brewers, Marlins, suck all the time because they can’t keep up.

But back to the topic on hand, I think either Peppers will sign long term with us this offseason, as I’ve maintained since this whole episode began, or we will let him walk, teams do it with star players all the time, see Adalius Thomas, Jason Brown, Albert Haynesworth, and a host of others. Trading him for what we see as his current value will be hard, as all the other teams will attempt to lowball us. I wouldn’t trade him for anything less than a second and third/fourth, someone will try to make off with just a third.

by Flowing Willow on Oct 21, 2009 3:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

quarterback

I Think Jake Needs Replaced More than Julius Peppers? Look At The Tampa Game And Just Look How Jake Was Throwing The Ball? Carolina Needs A Qb Bad.

by jayball on Oct 21, 2009 6:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Will Witherspoon

All it took from the Eagles was a 5th round pick and a mediocre WR. I would have traded a 5th rounder and Dwayne Jarrett for Witherspoon in a second. Putting him at ROLB with Beason and Davis would give us (arguably) the best LB corps in the NFL.

Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.

by James The Aussie on Oct 21, 2009 8:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I wish that were the case, how I do miss Witherspoon – why did we get rid of him again? I’ve got terrible memory.

by D-Ranged1 on Oct 21, 2009 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They chose to keep Dan Morgan instead, as I recall.

by bigdavis on Oct 21, 2009 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

That’s exactly what happened. The team needed to choose and Dan Morgan coming off a 20 tackle superbowl made it easy at the time.

Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.

by James The Aussie on Oct 21, 2009 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

compensatory pick?

I could very well be wrong, but I believe a compensatory pick doesn’t happen the same year. I believe it happens the following draft. So if Peppers just walks this offseason our extra draft pick would be in 2011, not 2010. (again I could be wrong).

Also with a new CBL I wonder if all of this could change by then.

by LittleKing on Oct 21, 2009 9:44 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes, you are correct

it would be the 2011 draft. This draft we get extra picks for losing Hangartner, Omiyale and maybe even Seward. Not sure about Seward since he was essentially cut I think

I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com

by Jaxon on Oct 21, 2009 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think we might get more

Compensation picks are, correct me if I’m wrong, awarded one for every player who’s contract expires and isn’t resigned. But if you lose 4 to free agency, then sign three, you only get one, so it’s one for the difference.

BTW, what are the qualifications for nabbing one of the third rounders they give out?

by Flowing Willow on Oct 22, 2009 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs