The question has been raised and Peppers really worth 16.7 million?

Well the answer is simple, NO!  Peppers isn't even worth the over 14 million he made last year.  In 08 Peppers recorded 14.5 sacks, he was paid 14.1 million.  While 14.5 is a great number of sacks, does anyone realize that Carolina paid him roughly 1 mil per sack?  The league leader in sacks for DEs  (I don't believe it takes and really effort or skill to get sacks as a LB) was John Abraham of the Atlanta Falcons (I think all of you Panther fans recognize this name as Abraham has thrown his own defensive party against the Panthers yearly).  Abraham recorded 16.5 sacks and was only paid 8.5 million, just over 500k per sack.  So there IS cheap labor out there.  Take for instance the Phillidelphia Eagles DEs Trent Cole and Darren Howard they recorded 9 sacks and 10 sacks, respectively.  Last year they were each paid around 3.2 mil, a combined total of 6.4 mil, over 8 mil less than Peppers himself.  So there IS cheap labor out there.

Now if I know Panther fans like I think I do I'm sure many of you have stopped reading by now or are greatly outraged by what I have said.  Sorry.

Anything over 6 million is an outrageous sallary for a player that has seemingly fallen off the face of the earth.  We all remember how he was shut down in 07.  I don't think that even deserves my time of day to discuss.

Ok you can tell me that Peppers contributes so much more to the defense than what shows up in a stat sheet, and to that I say nay.  I think the true catalyst to our defense is its true leader Jon Beason.  Beason can regularly be seen causing disruptions for any offense that dares challenge him.  A player who truly hustles and doesn't stand around like Peppers can be seen doing on 90% of the snaps.  Beason chases down ball carriers and changes games.  Heck he was our only defensive player that showed up at the playoff game last year.  If you wan't to pay someone 16.7 mil Fox make it Beason.

As far as I'm concerned Peppers shouldn't be franchised he should be let go.  Who cares if we get nothing for him.  At the rate this situation is going we aren't going to get anything for him anyway and hes not going to even play.  Lets cut our losses and move on without him.  If he doesn't want to be a Panther don't give him the pleasure.  Let him and his money hungry agent run on up to Massachusetts and become a member of the New England Snobby Cheaters (I don't feel a football team that looks down on the league and shows utter disrespect for others should be allowed to hold the title of "Patriots"). 

See John if you cut Peppers you open up 16.7 million in cap space that you can do whatever you want with.  You could sign all the OL backups we so desperately needed last year.  Or we could find a QB that doesn't choke yearly.  We could sign 2 mediocre DEs and they could fill in for Peppers and the defense wouldn't miss a beat.  Heck who knows they may even do better.

ADAM OUT