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Gantt: Peppers and Delhomme

Kurb

By Kurb,
in Carolina Panthers

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Kurb Newbie

Kurb

Posted
Posted

I think this is one of the better peices he has written. Darin is good at looking at the Panthers with a neutral eye. Read it and take it too heart.

http://www.heraldonline.com/news/sports/story/1065727.html

CHARLOTTE -- There are times you hang on, and you hang on tight.

There are times you let go, no matter how much it hurts.

In the time the Carolina Panthers have left before the start of next season, they've got to decide what to do with which, but in reality, many of those decisions are already made.

Julius Peppers sounds like a guy whose heart's already someplace else, and if that's the case, all that's left is to cut the best deal.

But Jake Delhomme's already poured out his entire heart in Charlotte, which is why he stays

can't claim to know Peppers -- anyone in my business who says he or she does is simply lying, because he's made it that way -- but there are a few things you gather in seven years.

He's given honest effort every year he's been able. He's phenomenally talented, capable of nearly anything. He's also a lot smarter than you'd think, and if this story ends up how I've got a hunch it's going to, he's orchestrated it perfectly and with a grace many of his co-workers lack.

If, as it sounds, he wants out, there's no evidence of it in his play. He's also taken the high road of not demanding a deal, or pouting or malingering.

If he simply wants to go, there's nothing wrong with that.

He's a brilliant guy, with varied interests. Sometimes, you've got to get out and stretch your legs. Doesn't make him a bad person. He's given his seven years, provided 70.5 sacks and enough plays made to satisfy reasonable expectations.

Delhomme leads this team, now as much as ever. He has the ear of its best offensive player, Steve Smith. Smith, in turn, has Delhomme's back.

But they know the winds are going to howl this offseason, because of the unbelievable and uncharacteristic way the year ended.

Shouldn't matter, the same way it shouldn't have mattered last year when people whined and cried and stomped their feet waiting for Fox and general manager Marty Hurney to get fired. That, by the way, didn't happen either.

That's why the Panthers have one other contract they ought to work on this offseason, among their other priorities.

Not only do they need to keep Delhomme, they ought to extend his deal (which presently runs through 2009).

Doing so makes clear that he's your guy. If you let the contract ride, you invite questions about his status. Send him into the season on a lame-duck contract, and the players around him will wonder about his future as much as any talk-show screecher or message-board poster.

:D
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ShutDwn Newbie

ShutDwn

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I didn't know that a stat line like 16 TDs 17 INTs was good, maybe I'm out of the loop?

Paying Peppers, is probably a bad idea. Sure, he has a game or two once in a while, but when has he shown up in the playoffs? Where was he when he was getting blocked 1 on 1 saturday?

The highest payed defensive player should NOT get blocked one on one, ever. Therefore I would not make him the highest payed.

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Debil Newbie

Debil

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I still think if some coaching changes are made - Peppers contract would be signed tomorrow.

I've thought the same thing. The gist I get from Pep's Foxspeak the other day was that it's not about the money at all - he wants to play for a team that is going to win the Super Bowl. If he's not signing here, then I don't know what else that tells you, other than he doesn't think this one will.

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