Julius Peppers, No Problem.

[Panthro]

See this is where we run into an issue. I feel Pep is overrated as a pass rushing DE, and am bound to list a nice bounty of players who I would take over him as a pass rushing DE.

Pep could be a great player as an OLB in a 3-4, but like I said, I just don't think he comes anywhere to close to his reputation as the dominant pass rushing DE people make him out to be.

Please do.

[Cat'sGrowl]

Dwight Freeney

Jared Allen

Justin Tuck

Haloti Ngata (though he'd be a DT in our defense)

Trent Cole

Osi Umenyiora

Charles Johnson

Robert Mathis

and you could make the case for a few more.

And that's just a few, but those are all guys who I would take rushing the passer over Julius Peppers. I just don't think he's as good as the people here in Pantherland have made him out to be. I know he is a Tarheel alum and people love him because he's the hometown boy and a high draft pick and ran Michael Vick down from behind once yada yada, but his consistency (or lack thereof, rather) just keeps him from pushing into that Top 5. He's a great athlete, sure, but a Top 5 DE he is not.

Edit: Mario Williams if Houston had left him at DE, perhaps John Abraham. Calais Campbell could contest, guys just keep popping into my head and Pep is having a hard time maintaining his ground over them.

[Marguide]

I personally feel that Pep is also faster than Cam, and Cam will not be able to outrun him laterally.

Pep is a freak and a damn good DE, but he is not faster than Cam. In 2002, 9 years ago, Pep ran between a 4.68 and 4.74. Cam ran a 4.59 this year.

Pep is not faster than Cam.

[Bronn]

lolololol

wow...

Charles Johnson, Panther he may be, is nowhere near Julius Peppers' skill level... and neither is anyone else on your list...

[Cat'sGrowl]

when was the last time you saw a DE intercept a pass and run it 97 yards?

Who cares? That isn't what I pay DE's for. I pay them to get in the backfield and disrupt the QB. That's what i want out of them. I don't care if they catch a tipped ball and run with it. I could do that. What I couldn't do is push a 320 lb OL out of the way and disrupt the backfield.

[Cat'sGrowl]

lolololol

wow...

Charles Johnson, Panther he may be, is nowhere near Julius Peppers' skill level... and neither is anyone else on your list...

Thank you for validating my point to the rest of the board.

Who cares if he can't get in the backfield consistently like the rest of those guys! He ran Michael Vick down from BEHIND man, BEHIND!!! AND HE'S A NATIVE NORTH CAROLINIAN!!! HOW COULD YOU BE BETTER THAN THAT?!?! DERP!!

Peppers built a legend here in Carolina by being the first superstar for a team that hadn't had one before. i understand people thinking highly of him because of that, but the rest of the league never saw him the same way Pantherland did. Ever.

[CRA]

Dwight Freeney

Jared Allen

Justin Tuck

Haloti Ngata (though he'd be a DT in our defense)

Trent Cole

Osi Umenyiora

Charles Johnson

Robert Mathis

and you could make the case for a few more.

And that's just a few, but those are all guys who I would take rushing the passer over Julius Peppers. I just don't think he's as good as the people here in Pantherland have made him out to be. I know he is a Tarheel alum and people love him because he's the hometown boy and a high draft pick and ran Michael Vick down from behind once yada yada, but his consistency (or lack thereof, rather) just keeps him from pushing into that Top 5. He's a great athlete, sure, but a Top 5 DE he is not.

Watch Jared Allen for a full season......he disappears. All DEs do if you watch them every week. There are better pure pass rushers than Pep, no doubt. There aren't any in the league w/ his unique skill set as a playmaker.

[Tarheels23]

Pep is a freak and a damn good DE, but he is not faster than Cam. In 2002, 9 years ago, Pep ran between a 4.68 and 4.74. Cam ran a 4.59 this year.

Pep is not faster than Cam.

Both of these guys cover a lot of ground because of there height/strides. I don't think Pep would beat came in a foot race, but I do think he would hawk him down on the football field, especially if running laterally.

[Jbro]

Who cares? That isn't what I pay DE's for. I pay them to get in the backfield and disrupt the QB. That's what i want out of them. I don't care if they catch a tipped ball and run with it. I could do that. What I couldn't do is push a 320 lb OL out of the way and disrupt the backfield.

You pay for DE's?

[CRA]

Who cares? That isn't what I pay DE's for. I pay them to get in the backfield and disrupt the QB. That's what i want out of them. I don't care if they catch a tipped ball and run with it. I could do that. What I couldn't do is push a 320 lb OL out of the way and disrupt the backfield.

Cam isn't paid to rush for TDs then.

Pep is paid to make plays....that is about it.

[CRA]

Pep is a freak and a damn good DE, but he is not faster than Cam. In 2002, 9 years ago, Pep ran between a 4.68 and 4.74. Cam ran a 4.59 this year.

Pep is not faster than Cam.

You put pads on Cam and Pep...... and I have no doubt Pep can run down Cam from just about any reasonable distance.

[chef17]

Thank you for validating my point to the rest of the board.

Who cares if he can't get in the backfield consistently like the rest of those guys! He ran Michael Vick down from BEHIND man, BEHIND!!! AND HE'S A NATIVE NORTH CAROLINIAN!!! HOW COULD YOU BE BETTER THAN THAT?!?! DERP!!

Peppers built a legend here in Carolina by being the first superstar for a team that hadn't had one before. i understand people thinking highly of him because of that, but the rest of the league never saw him the same way Pantherland did. Ever.

How much did the Bears pay for him?

[The Saltman]

Dude. Give up already.

[Cat'sGrowl]

Watch Jared Allen for a full season......he disappears. All DEs do if you watch them every week. There are better pure pass rushers than Pep, no doubt. There aren't any in the league w/ his unique skill set as a playmaker.

But his unique skill set isn't utilized as a 4-3 DE. Get him as an OLB and let him cover the TE's, let him rush in a Clay Matthews or Demarcus Ware type role (or Mario Williams) but he's either not strong enough or not mean enough to consistently beat guys in the trenches.