Peppers trade rumor

[Jollay]

Great move by the Patriots if so. They have a top offense, but the defense was getting old and could use a playmaker. The Pats just are such a well run franchise, the keep making smart moves to keep their team winning. If they get Peppers, they also have an extra high pick or two if my memory is correct. So long as Brady regains his health, the Pats should remain one of the top teams in the league for a few more years at least given their ability to put together quality teams all around.

Your avatar just launched my spring. Since obviously it does no good to think of football anymore.

Eharmony, here I come!!!!!!!!!!

[paulpressey25]

Peppers, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft, announced last month that he wouldn't sign a long-term deal with Carolina and wanted to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. The Patriots are among the teams that use that defense.

This is where talented deal-makers get things done. Would any of you guys give up our #1 pick for Peppers? I clearly would. We've got the cap space for him. We've got the need for him. TT also needs a home run move to win back the fans and position this defense to win next year.

Somehow I don't see Ted being capable of pulling off a move like this. But I'd like to hope they are at least thinking hard about this.

[ReasonablySober]

I was listening to Andrew Brandt discuss this on the radio. Like Michael Smith, he's calling BS on the rumor.

1 - Peppers has been tendered the franchise tag. That tag is worth $16 million and immediately counts on Carolina's cap.
2 - Peppers hasn't yet signed the tender, though. That means he's not technically on any roster, meaning he can't be traded and isn't required to show up at any off season activities.
3 - Bill Bellicek will never sign anyone to a contract that averages more money than Brady, and Peppers will be looking for a contract that makes him one of the highest paid defenders in the history of the league.
4 - Peppers won't sign the tender until he has a deal worked out with his next team
5 - Is Carolina really going to deal Peppers for a second round pick when Jared Allen, in a similar situation last season, fetched a mid first rounder and two thirds?

This is a very complicated situation, it seems.

[El Duderino]

5 - Is Carolina really going to deal Peppers for a second round pick when Jared Allen, in a similar situation last season, fetched a mid first rounder and two thirds?

This is a very complicated situation, it seems.

If the Panthers shop Peppers around and because of the economy there aren't a lot of teams left anymore who are willing to pay Peppers in the area that he's going to want, they may not be able to get for him what they would like.

If say in free agency, teams had to give up a first round pick plus big money for the top free agents, we'd see less movement. It's a hefty price to not only pay a free agent big money, but then to also give up a draft pick or draft picks on top of the money. Another thing to consider with Allen is that when the Chiefs traded him, he wasn't basically refusing to play for the Chefs which gave them more leverage. If Peppers really is refusing to play for Carolina, other GM's know that Peppers has to be moved and then the main leverage left for the Panthers would be if numerous teams were competing to trade for him. If though there are few teams willing to both pay Peppers and and give up compensation, they may not get a big haul in return.

This is where talented deal-makers get things done. Would any of you guys give up our #1 pick for Peppers? I clearly would. We've got the cap space for him. We've got the need for him. TT also needs a home run move to win back the fans and position this defense to win next year.

Somehow I don't see Ted being capable of pulling off a move like this. But I'd like to hope they are at least thinking hard about this.

I agree that a bold move like this just isn't something i could see Ted even considering. If though in a pretend world that he was interested in Peppers, i could actually see TT being more interested in trading away the 9th overall pick than any second or third rounders. When you look at the NFL draft the last 5-7 years or so, you don't see that many trade ups by teams into the top 5 or 10 unless a QB is there because of the crazy money the top 5-10 picks get in todays NFL. Hell, the Dolphins had to give Jake Long 30 million in guaranteed money which i believe was the biggest contract ever for any offensive lineman even though he wasn't considered an amazing prospect or hadn't played a down yet in the NFL. Unless an elite prospect is sitting there, many teams hate the idea of having to pay unproven top 5-10 picks so much guaranteed money.

So if for pretend Thompson tried trading our first round pick to get Peppers, one benefit would be not having to pay out 9th pick money which could be used to offset money given to Peppers. Last year the Bengals took Keith Rivers 9th overall and had to give him 15.6 in million guaranteed money, so i'd assume the 9th pick this year will cost over 16 million guaranteed and as we saw with both Hawk/Harrell, high or fairly high draft picks are no guarantee to be impact players for the big money they get. The contract given to Haynesworth was reported as a 7yr/100 million dollar deal, but really it's about a 4yr/48 million dollar contract with fluff added by the 5th year to make the contract look bigger than it really is. So if for pretend Thompson traded #9 for Peppers, by trading that pick, he'd be in effect getting about half of Peppers contract paid for by not having to pay that 9th pick and you're getting a proven commodity for your money.

It's obviously not going to happen and maybe Peppers will end up not living up to the big money/draft compensation for the team he goes to, but the thought of both Peppers/Kampman attacking opposing quarterbacks sure does sound tantalizing.

[ReasonablySober]

Judging from the idiotic money spent on a lot of very average players in free agency this year, you can throw the economy argument right out the window. Spending is up this offseason, not down.

[paulpressey25]

[So if for pretend Thompson tried trading our first round pick to get Peppers, one benefit would be not having to pay out 9th pick money which could be used to offset money given to Peppers. Last year the Bengals took Keith Rivers 9th overall and had to give him 15.6 in million guaranteed money,.

That is a great, great point.

We were stuck with Jamal Reynolds and his crappy money on the cap for years by virtue of his 10th pick slot. And of course we had to pay Hawk all that money for a guy who has been an average LB.

Just another reason this type of move might make a ton of sense for the Packers.

[ReasonablySober]

I think you're forgetting one thing, pp. He has to agree to a new deal before a trade and he only wants to play for four teams: Dallas, New England, Philly and Washington.

If none of them step up then maybe we can get on that list.

Again, what makes this tough is he hasn't signed that tender, meaning he can't be moved. He won't sign the tender until he has a tentative agreement with another club.

ETA: Philly and Washington aren't stone cold locks to be on his list, but there's enough smoke there to believe there's fire.

[James1980]

I thought he wanted to play in the 3-4, don't Philly and Washington use a 4-3?

[ReasonablySober]

I thought he wanted to play in the 3-4, don't Philly and Washington use a 4-3?

Apparently that isn't the primary factor in his decision.

I wouldn't mind Peppers, but I'm concerned about his age and his motor. You're talking about making this guy the highest paid defender in the league, maybe second only to Haynesworth. Is he really worth it? Kampman has been nearly as good or better.

If the deal was ridiculously front loaded I would go to him with an offer. Lessen the blow next season when a lot of players need extensions and in future seasons when his play is going to go into a nose-dive.

[Lippo]

If all we have to do is beat the Pats offer
our 2nd/4th for Peppers

or better yet

our 1st(9) for Peppers and their 2nd 2(59)

we get a quality player for much cheaper and Peppers

Give Peppers 4yr/50m
16-14-11-9

[El Duderino]

I thought he wanted to play in the 3-4, don't Philly and Washington use a 4-3?

Apparently that isn't the primary factor in his decision.

I wouldn't mind Peppers, but I'm concerned about his age and his motor. You're talking about making this guy the highest paid defender in the league, maybe second only to Haynesworth. Is he really worth it? Kampman has been nearly as good or better.

If the deal was ridiculously front loaded I would go to him with an offer. Lessen the blow next season when a lot of players need extensions and in future seasons when his play is going to go into a nose-dive.

I do agree that while Peppers is a very good player, i think he's a bit overrated. That said, i do wonder if he'd be a bigger terror as a 3-4 linebacker/DE. By not having to line up every down face up to a tackle, i think he could maybe put up Ware type of numbers. Obviously though that's just a guess and not a given.

[El Duderino]

Judging from the idiotic money spent on a lot of very average players in free agency this year, you can throw the economy argument right out the window. Spending is up this offseason, not down.

Yea but Peppers isn't your typical free agent. Of course there will be teams interested, but i don't think there would be a long line willing to give him 35-40 million guaranteed. That's a lot of money and big spenders like Dallas/Washington don't have the cap room to make a play for Peppers. Washington blew it's wad already and Dallas has to resign Ware yet and he'll get a truck load of cash.

Again, i'm not saying there would be no interested teams, but i think the market for Peppers won't be as large in number of teams as you think it would. He'll get paid big by someone, but i question if Carolina will have multiple teams trying to acquire Peppers to use as trade leverage.

The Patriots have both the cap room, trade assets of multiple first day picks, and Peppers wants to play there so it's obvious to see why the parties are being linked. I'm not sure if Philly has much cap room or if they'd pay Peppers even if they do.

[ReasonablySober]

In this case Peppers holds all the cards. There won't be any leveraging done between Carolina and multiple teams because Peppers is going to chose where he wants to go. They'll talk about a contract, have a tentative agreement and THEN he'll sign the tender and be on the move. Say Green Bay was truly interested. We could offer Carolina two firsts and two second rounders but it wouldn't matter unless Peppers actually wanted to come here.

But I agree that if NE is interested he'll likely go there. The only sticking point would be the contract figures. I don't see NE giving him Haynesworth money.

[El Duderino]

I wouldn't say Peppers holds all the card, but he certainly has leverage. If he badly wants out of Carolina, he does need Carolina to agree to any trade to ship him out to a team he's happy with. If say Carolina feels the compensation they are getting in return is just to poor, they can play hardball and simply refuse to trade him. Peppers isn't a free agent. If the Patriots try bending the Panthers over a sink, i could easily see them saying then we won't make the trade.

If hypothetically the Packers had let Carolina know that we'd give up #9 and the Patriots best offer was #34, i could easily see a stalemate happen. Then Peppers would either have to enter contract negotiation with the Packers, the Patriots up their offer, or both sides play chicken to see who blinks first. So long as the Panthers have the cap room to slot in Peppers at the franchise tender, this i don't know, then Peppers/his agent are going to have to work with Carolina to get any deal done.

[ReasonablySober]

As of right now the Panthers are dead last in cap space. They don't even have the money to sign draft picks. In order to clear the cap space, Delhomme would have to re-structure his deal, someone like Ken Lucas would have to be cut, or Peppers would have to sign the tender and be moved.

[El Duderino]

As of right now the Panthers are dead last in cap space. They don't even have the money to sign draft picks. In order to clear the cap space, Delhomme would have to re-structure his deal, someone like Ken Lucas would have to be cut, or Peppers would have to sign the tender and be moved.

They already waived Lucas i believe

Well, if the Panthers are that close to the cap, then that certainly changes things and gives Peppers way more leverage because they have to trade him then. That also would make them much less likely to be interested in a top 10 pick like the Packers have given the high cost of top 10 picks.

Oh well, it's not like Thompson would have aggressively tried to acquire Peppers anyways, it's more just interesting message board fodder. It seems then only a matter of when, not if Peppers becomes a Patriot if that's where he wants to play and a fair contract to both sides can be worked out.

[blueedwards]

http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ ... d_peppers/