Peppers story could get interesting

Peppers story could get interesting
Posted: Monday, Nov. 24, 2008

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/panthers/story/371432.html

Julius Peppers has been at his disruptive best this season, sacking the quarterback, forcing fumbles, running down running backs, sticking to receivers and floating into the flat to stuff screen passes. He has done everything but sign a contract.

The contract that binds Peppers to the Carolina Panthers will expire after this season, a development that seems to worry neither the Panthers nor Peppers.

General manager Marty Hurney says Friday that “discussions have all been positive” and that Peppers wants to “focus on playing well and helping the team win.”

Carl Carey, the agent for Peppers, says via e-mail Friday that he's had “positive discussions” with the Panthers and that Peppers is “focused on helping the team win.”

It appears Hurney and Carey share a philosophy and an English teacher.

Peppers grew up in Wilson in Eastern North Carolina, played at North Carolina and has been with the Panthers since Carolina selected him in 2002 with the second pick in the draft.

Close your eyes and try to imagine him wearing the uniform of another team. I tried. I failed.

Sources say the Panthers have offered Peppers an enormous contract.

Why hasn't he signed?

“That's a good question,” Mike Rucker says Friday.

Rucker was the star right defensive end when Peppers joined the team. Rucker retired seven months ago and Peppers shifted to his position. The two saw each other as recently as Tuesday; they're close.

Rucker has a theory.

“The team is doing well,” he says. “Pep is doing well. Why mess it up? Why do anything different than what you've been doing? When things are going well, players don't like to change. It's hard to be 8 and 2.”

Rucker adds that with Peppers “it's not all about the money.”

It's never all about the money. It's all about playing for a team that puts itself in position to win, and it's all about that team offering as much or more money than everybody else.

What if, despite the mutual respect and syntax, Hurney and Carey, the Panthers and Peppers, are unable to reach an agreement?

Peppers would become a temp.

Carolina could designate him its franchise player, which would tie him to the team for the 2009 season at a cost of about $17million.

(The NFL's highest-paid defensive player will make $12million this season.)

If the impasse continued into 2010, when Peppers would be 30, the team again could slap him with the franchise tag. The approximately $17million plus 20percent the Panthers would be required to give him likely would mute the impact of the slap.

Let's review:

If Peppers fails to sign another contract with Carolina, he essentially works a season at a time.

The Panthers do not commit to a lengthy contract.

Peppers is required to perform annually. If he does not, then he could forfeit the unprecedented money (for a defensive player) his singular skills merit on the open market.

It might not be the most cost-effective way for the Panthers to go. But it would be the most interesting.