Peppers and Trade Musings

So Marty Hurney and the front office had to wait until the very last day to get something done. It certainly has been quite a day hasn't it? Jordan Gross was finally resigned for a 60 million dollar deal for 6 years. I don't know about all of you, but my greatest worry was that the Panthers would let Julius Peppers walk and we wouldn't get any compensation and a few days later he would be in a Buc uniform. Like so many of you today, I was checking the TV every couple of hours or so to try to keep track of what was going on and waiting for the news. When word of the Gross signing finally broke, I couldn't help but feel relieved. Life is perfect, Yin and Yang had seemed to have found its balance once more. You can put it in so many different ways the feeling of success. Now the trade talk can finally begin.

First we have to ask a question. What is Julius Peppers worth? This would be a question of great debate had it not been for Jared Allen's trade in 2008. The Chiefs traded him to the Vikings for a 1st rounder ((17th pick)) and two 3rds, so we have to figure that Julius Peppers should command the same type of deal. Age plays a factor: Julius Peppers is two years Allen's senior. But besides that, Julius Peppers and Jared Allen are nearly identical athletes that pull off nearly identical statistics.

So we have that established. Perhaps you take a 3rd round pick off the deal to accompany Julius Pepper's age and he still goes for a 1st round and a 2nd-4th rounder. But then you have to accomplish the goal of letting Julius Peppers be traded to a team where he is happy. You can't force a trade with a franchise tag. A team has to meet with Julius Peppers and get him to sign a new contract, otherwise we're stuck with him. Getting him to sign that contract is going to be a challenge in itself with Julius Peppers only considering 4 other teams in the NFL.

The Cowboys are instantly counted out of the equation. They got robbed of their 1st, 3rd, and 6th round picks from a panic trade for Roy Williams so they could pair him beside Terrall Owens. I guess the Cowboys could let their 2nd round pick go to us and give us their 1st round pick in 2010, but having a draft where your 1st pick is in the 4th round just seems like madness to me. I've always been a fan of the 'win now' ideology, but that's taking it a bit to far don't you think?

The Panthers also deny considering a trade to two of the remaining 4 teams, so that leaves us with only one team to whom we can trade Peppers. So much for not wanting to leave his team 'crippled.'

In other words, something has to give. Then again what do I know? Something within the next few weeks to come may happen that makes this whole argument irrevelent, but otherwise it's obvious that Julius Peppers needs to get his act together and find some other teams he likes that we can trade him to. He's already an idiot for wanting to go to a 3-4 team, a formation that usually benefits the linebackers and not the defensive ends. He certainly seems intent on burning down every single bridge behind him on his way out of Carolina.

In the end, all we can do is wait. Wait for Peppers to open his big mouth or for that wonderful day when we learn Peppers is no longer our problem. Make sure you check in every day for the latest in the Panthers. And while we're doing that, time for a poll!