An interesting quote (Re: the effort question)

[VA Panther Fan]

Valid.

But objectively speaking, do you want a guy who has said something like "Imagine if I worked hard?"

Yeah, he said it in college, but there's evidence that attitude is still there.

If your answer is "No, I don't want someone here like that", then you need to make sure you take Albert Haynesworth's phone number off the speed dial.

[mantal]

Valid.

But objectively speaking, do you want a guy who has said something like "Imagine if I worked hard?"

Yeah, he said it in college, but there's evidence that attitude is still there.

Is he better than the others playing similar positions while "not working hard?" See, it's a slippery slope. Theoretically no, but then you are without the best lineman you had on a line that's already undermanned...

[Panthro]

If your answer is "No, I don't want someone here like that", then you need to make sure you take Albert Haynesworth's phone number off the speed dial.

link?

[Mr. Scot]

Is he better than the others playing similar positions while "not working hard?" See, it's a slippery slope. Theoretically no, but then you are without the best lineman you had on a line that's already undermanned...

As I said, it's not such an easy question.

[carpanfan96]

I don't expect peppers back, and I don't think I want him back with the team. Mainly because how Pep and carey handled this situation. I don't care that he wants out. On the topic though, I think you need a couple of the Highly talented guys on your team. You just have to have the right mix between the two groups.

IMO switching peppers for Haynesworth does more for us though. We have fast edge guys in Johnson, Taylor. Brayton has decent speed. Kemo can eat two blockers for us on run plays and on passing downs you would have Haynesworth doing that with Lewis lined up beside him. It gives the edge guys one on one matchups and would probably give lewis and open shot a lot of times, because of Haynesworth's speed. just my opinion though.

[pantherclaw]

Without a doubt that attitude sucks.

Of course the best scenario would be a high talent with a high motor.

You always want guys with high motors, regardless of their talent.

[raleigh-panther]

At the NFL level, effort and results must match.

It is also, stating the obvious, a team sport.

Team Leaders, which Peppers has never really been it seems, can really affect, positively or negatively the play around them.

I'd rather follow the Pats systems, of spot interchangeable players, with core leaders who have both talent and drive. It is, a franchise to be respected, don't know whether it luck, or by design; but, what's the old saying, 'the harder I work the luckier I get'; have to give that group all the credit in the world; their all pro QB goes down and they take a kid who never started, anywhere, and he becomes a franchise player.

I remember Deacon Jones talking about Peppers one time, and basically saying 'the boy doesn't have the 'want to' as with his god given talent, he should be a constant force in every game'.

Peppers does not have that in my opinion, the 'want to', not now, and not for the past several years. Why, who knows..be it him, the system, whatever.

Maybe, he wants to go to a team with a bigger stage and more stars so that the spolight is not so much on him, I don't know.

I honestly hope we can trade him better for us, and paying him $1 million a game, he's not worth that.

We'll see what the rest of the league really thinks of him in the next 60 days or so.

[Mr. Scot]

vs

Who ya takin?

[dimbee]

Steve Smith (short and decent, but a killer work ethic).

I would actually categorize Smitty as extremely talented with a killer work ethic. Short and decent? Short, yes, but more than just decent as far as talent goes, IMO

[Snake]

Its sad that people with great talent most of the time dont seem to have the motor to go with it. They get bored easy and then dont care. I think pep will be motivated for a while in a new scheme but then become complacent and unhappy just like before.

The Reverse of this is Steve Smith that feels he always has something to prove and has great talent to go with it. That my friends is rare and dont think the panthers dont know that and is why he has stayed even after his rampages.

[Snake]

Put a Randy Moss type player on our team and everybody will be oh hell's yes!!! They won't admit to it, but it would happen and was illustrated just a couple of years ago with Keyshawn. Before we got him, most were saying "no way would I want him here". Once we got him everybody thought we were going to be worldbeaters. Then everyone turned on him when he got cut. It's what we do...

I have always like Randy Moss and he really was not an distraction till the ownership changed in Minn. Then god can you blame him in Oak. If you play hard there you will never leave and the Living Dead will make sure of that even if he has to place the tag on you 7 times. With the MeShawn thing I never wanted him, Didn't like him when he played for us, and the Panthers just must have been desperate to find a replacement for moose.

[PanthersAlv]

vs

Who ya takin?

See... I was wondering if something like that would come up.

That's just the point. WE as Carolina Panthers know who Nick Goings is, and his work for a not being a super star... but, when he gets out there like in 2004 where he had 8 games and avg'd over 100 yards a game... you wonder "why isn't he starting?!" being you know he'll do what it takes for the team.

Pep, in a game against the RAIDERS had 3 sacks. The most he had in one game all season. And not to knock it.. but, he was play'n the Raiders, and... he went against Kwame Harris...:shocked: (Dude started for 2 full seasons then got no starts after that, until he played with the raiders and got 11 starts)

Now, Peppers himself had 5 games where he went up against backups and totaled 3 sacks total.

It was proven he wasn't doubled nearly as much as most all us fans wanted to believe. He also wasn't held as much as we'd want to believe.

Yes, 14.5 sacks is large... But against Backups...? "Imagine if I worked hard?" Rings like a gong in a library on how much more he could have done. And that's this year in a "CONTRACT" style year.

Because I'm sure he didn't wanna fall back on his "recent history" (2007) to get things done.

I think he did "just enough" to get what he wanted. Now, will he play for the team he gets traded to the same way? Time will tell... but, he jsut had his best season for the most part this season... and you can see he didn't "work hard" for it.

[manwithcake]

Or would you rather have guys like Jerry Rice and Sam Mills, players who may not be blessed with the God-given talent but who have the ethic to outwork everyone around them?

Wow. I think I need a new definition of "God-given talent." :shocked:

[Badbak]

Its sad that people with great talent most of the time dont seem to have the motor to go with it. They get bored easy and then dont care. I think pep will be motivated for a while in a new scheme but then become complacent and unhappy just like before.

The Reverse of this is Steve Smith that feels he always has something to prove and has great talent to go with it. That my friends is rare and dont think the panthers dont know that and is why he has stayed even after his rampages.

What happens is that the guys with tons of talent are able to get by on talent without putting in a lot of effort. They get by loafing and still have great stats at every level because the game is easy for them while everybody else has to bust their ass to make up for their lack of talent. Peppers is an introverted "thinker" type of person that looks for a challenge to motivate himself with. He feels that he has reached the limit of challenges here under the current conditions. With no change in the future of the status quo he feels like he needs to go elsewhere to find challenges so it becomes "fun" again. Watch him go to another team and have a couple of great years but when he gets settled in he will turn into the "Invisible" man again.