Jump to content

Peppers Narrowed Suitors Down to Four.......


H2o

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 42
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Why would the Panthers want to get rid of Delhomme, for Cassel? What has Cassel proven in the NFL? And the Panthers drafted Brian Brohm in the 2nd round last year.

 

Given Peppers' particular team demands the Panthers might not have much choice in the matter. Not sure about Brohm but I think Cassel is a much better option than Delhomme at this stage for them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Given Peppers' particular team demands the Panthers might not have much choice in the matter. Not sure about Brohm but I think Cassel is a much better option than Delhomme at this stage for them.

The choice they have is keeping Peppers for the year. And I made a mistake on Brohm. But Delhomme has done far more in the league than Cassel has and has several more good years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The choice they have is keeping Peppers for the year. And I made a mistake on Brohm. But Delhomme has done far more in the league than Cassel has and has several more good years.

Peppers has made it abundantly clear that if he's tagged he no longer wishes to play for the Panthers. Not sure it makes sense to keep a disgruntled DE around who is eating up $10M worth of cap dollars!

 

Delhomme's putrid, 5 INT performance in the playoffs is all that Panthers management sees right now where their QB is concerned. I can't imagine they like what they see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Peppers has made it abundantly clear that if he's tagged he no longer wishes to play for the Panthers. Not sure it makes sense to keep a disgruntled DE around who is eating up $10M worth of cap dollars!

They can do what the Bills pioneered, which is tag him and then promise not to tag him again next year if he signs the tender and plays. It's not like Peppers really has much say in the matter, despite what he may think.

 

Delhomme's putrid, 5 INT performance in the playoffs is all that Panthers management sees right now where their QB is concerned. I can't imagine they like what they see.

Just like you think the Patriots would be happy with another 11-5 non-playoff season, the Panthers would be happy with another season being the 2nd seed in the NFC. And I can't imagine the Panthers are ready to lay the blame for that playoff game at Delhomme's feet, seeing as they ran the ball just 15 times at 5.0 YPC, as opposed to almost 32 times a game during the regular season. Not to mention the Cards went to the SB and almost won it. I also can't imagine they'd want to take the cap hit in cutting Delhomme, and then trade away a premier DE and pay Cassel $14M a year when he had a middling year with a great offense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They can do what the Bills pioneered, which is tag him and then promise not to tag him again next year if he signs the tender and plays. It's not like Peppers really has much say in the matter, despite what he may think.

 

The Panthers are in suspect cap shape. Should they re-sign Gross as expected, it's believed they'll have to cut players in order to fit Peppers in under the cap should they tag him. Obviously the Panthers aren't in great shape to carry a franchised DE at all never mind one that doesn't want to be there. Peppers and his agent know this which is why they have stated that they will not sign a long term deal unless it's with a specific few teams! The Panthers are backed into a corner right now and don't have many options.

 

Just like you think the Patriots would be happy with another 11-5 non-playoff season, the Panthers would be happy with another season being the 2nd seed in the NFC. And I can't imagine the Panthers are ready to lay the blame for that playoff game at Delhomme's feet, seeing as they ran the ball just 15 times at 5.0 YPC, as opposed to almost 32 times a game during the regular season. Not to mention the Cards went to the SB and almost won it. I also can't imagine they'd want to take the cap hit in cutting Delhomme, and then trade away a premier DE and pay Cassel $14M a year when he had a middling year with a great offense.

 

Delhomme hasn't been anything special since the 04 season. His meltdown in the recent playoffs simply cemented this fact. I mean, in just his first season on the job - and just 16 starts completed since high school - Cassel put up better numbers than Delhomme did in all but one of his NFL seasons (that '04 tilt).

 

I never said they should cut Delhomme *. They overpaid him and now have to face those consequences. But, at this stage of his career, Jake is nothing more than a viable backup or average starter.

 

The Panthers are facing the very likely possibility of losing their best player in Peppers for nothing more than a compensation pick next year. If they can end up with Cassel for Peppers I think the Panthers would jump for joy. The Pats might just wait for Peppers to become available with no compensation attached to him however!

 

* though Adam Schefter reports that releasing Delhomme will create $6.325 million in cap room for the Panthers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why would the Panthers want to get rid of Delhomme, for Cassel? What has Cassel proven in the NFL? And the Panthers drafted Brian Brohm in the 2nd round last year.

 

 

Cassel's proven that he can look go with Randy Moss, just like Danute Culpepper, an old Jeff George, and an ancient Randall Cunningham. I will laugh at the team that trades for Cassel, but then cry because it will be the Pats* benefitting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.heraldonline.com/news/sports/story/1146431.html

 

I wonder who it is? The teams that come to my mind are New England and San Diego. Man it would be disappointing to see him go to the Patriots :lol:

 

good thing is he said he only wants to play for the four teams in the NFC.

 

I'm crossing my fingers that this is true.

 

But IMO I think he's gonna suck next year. He's been in the same scheme for 8 years, played in the comfortable confines of his home state....he's a homeboy. Now he's gonna move to across the country, to a totally different defense, with a fat contract to make him not care, and you're telling me he won't struggle? At least for the first year or two?

 

This whole situation reminds me a lot of the Freak.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Adding to that, he's 20 pounds larger than a typical NFC outside linebacker. Is he going to lose 15-20 pounds? What's that going to do to his strength? Yeah, he was fast as hell coming out of college, but does he still have that same youthful speed?

 

Are his coverage skills going to be on par with a OLB? This whole situation is ridiculous.

 

I can't imagine what TBD would be saying if we had a #1 overall pick from West Seneca play here for 8 years, always show enthusiasm and heart for the game, and then decide after one season that he's done with the area. It's all quite strange.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Adding to that, he's 20 pounds larger than a typical NFC outside linebacker. Is he going to lose 15-20 pounds? What's that going to do to his strength? Yeah, he was fast as hell coming out of college, but does he still have that same youthful speed?

 

Are his coverage skills going to be on par with a OLB? This whole situation is ridiculous.

 

I can't imagine what TBD would be saying if we had a #1 overall pick from West Seneca play here for 8 years, always show enthusiasm and heart for the game, and then decide after one season that he's done with the area. It's all quite strange.

Thank you Lynch Train.

 

Yes, that's what most people are missing. He wants to play in a 3-4. But, and this is the big thing:

He wants to play linebacker in the 3-4, not defensive end.

 

He's listed as being 6'7 and 284 pounds. He has no track record playing linebacker. He's been a malcontent and now he wants to make a position change that he's likely not suited for? He'd go from very athletic DE to very unathletic linebacker.

 

It's a bizarre situation and I'd just as soon pass on Peppers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Panthers are in suspect cap shape. Should they re-sign Gross as expected, it's believed they'll have to cut players in order to fit Peppers in under the cap should they tag him. Obviously the Panthers aren't in great shape to carry a franchised DE at all never mind one that doesn't want to be there. Peppers and his agent know this which is why they have stated that they will not sign a long term deal unless it's with a specific few teams! The Panthers are backed into a corner right now and don't have many options.

 

Delhomme hasn't been anything special since the 04 season. His meltdown in the recent playoffs simply cemented this fact. I mean, in just his first season on the job - and just 16 starts completed since high school - Cassel put up better numbers than Delhomme did in all but one of his NFL seasons (that '04 tilt).

 

I never said they should cut Delhomme *. They overpaid him and now have to face those consequences. But, at this stage of his career, Jake is nothing more than a viable backup or average starter.

 

The Panthers are facing the very likely possibility of losing their best player in Peppers for nothing more than a compensation pick next year. If they can end up with Cassel for Peppers I think the Panthers would jump for joy. The Pats might just wait for Peppers to become available with no compensation attached to him however!

 

* though Adam Schefter reports that releasing Delhomme will create $6.325 million in cap room for the Panthers

Give Delhomme Moss and Welker and he easily surpasses Cassel's output. And given Cassel's performance against the Steelers at home in week 13, Cassel probably wouldn't have fared much better than Delhomme did against the Cards. So it's not worth the risk to find out. So if the Patriots are one of the teams, they'll likely have to fork over their 1st round pick, plus pay Peppers a gigantic contract to play an unfamiliar position. Doesn't really sound appealing from any side.

 

BTW, the Panthers are close to re-signing Gross, after which they'll slap the franchise tag. And restructuring Delhomme frees-up quite a bit of cash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Lynch Train.

 

Yes, that's what most people are missing. He wants to play in a 3-4. But, and this is the big thing:

He wants to play linebacker in the 3-4, not defensive end.

 

He's listed as being 6'7 and 284 pounds. He has no track record playing linebacker. He's been a malcontent and now he wants to make a position change that he's likely not suited for? He'd go from very athletic DE to very unathletic linebacker.

 

It's a bizarre situation and I'd just as soon pass on Peppers.

 

What's even more strange about this is the idea that he wants to be a 3-4 linebacker. Now, if he is franchised and traded before he signs, do you think that tag would go down to linebacker money if they intend to sign him as a linebacker?

 

Does everyone remember last year, when Suggs was tagged and he wanted defensive end money instead of linebacker money...about a half a million dollar difference? NFL said no way. And last year the gap was a lot more (about a million in a half), but since Dansby and Suggs were tagged last year, the LB franchise tag has gone up.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true

 

I'm guessing that the tag will stay at DE money b/c he hasnt played a down for a new team, but I wonder if it would affect the long term contract. Would a team want to pay a 3-4 LB DE money? I don't know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...