Questionable: Bruised Ego

[Mr. Scot]

So if we were to sum up the Peppers scenarios we've seen, it might look like this:

1) He's traded and becomes a monster elsewhere (Panther fans groan)

2) He's traded and becomes an underachiever elsewhere (Panther fans laugh)

3) He stays and plays this year like a contract year (Good result; but next year, same story)

4) He holds out demanding a trade that the Panthers won't give him (Everybody loses)

Those would seem to cover most of the bases, but I'm pondering another possibility right now.

Suppose he stays, and the fact that another team didn't feel like he was worth trading for makes him go into a shell?

Possibly one of the biggest mistakes fans make when they look at this story is that they view Peppers' motives and actions through the filter of a conventional personality. Hence, folks thinking that it's all about the money and other ideas. The more I read of Julius from his own words or from people who know him though, the more one name keeps coming to mind.

Ricky Williams.

As I've said before, it isn't the drugs I'm thinking of here. It's the off-kilter personality. Williams isn't the kind of guy whose actions you can predict based on conventional thinking. He doesn't think like an average person would. And, I'm convinced, neither does Peppers.

With that in mind, what if next season he gets paid good money, but winds up stewing over the notion that teams weren't beating down the door to get him like they might have been with other players? Is it then possible that he spends an entire season pouting over the fact that his value didn't turn out to be as great as he thought it was?

Sad to say it, but I think it's possible.

In the end, I still believe a trade close to draft day is the ultimate end for this story. If that happens, then realistically his moods become someone else's issue. Should he stay though, league injury reports don't really allow for someone to be listed with a bruised ego, but that could end up being the case for Peppers in Carolina.

Regardless of what happens though, I'd advise anyone examining this situation not to look at it through conventional eyes, and that for one simple reason.

Because Julius doesn't.

[Fireball77]

You have a point about JP's personality. It's hard to say. You won't see me crabbing if he is successful elsewhere though. All that matters is what he did in Carolina. Change of scenery, etc sometimes does wonders for a player so it's not a given that if JP were to have a monster rest of his career elsewhere, he would have been motivated to to the same in Carolina.

[Mr. Scot]

I think people will probably be too quick to pass judgment on "who won" if he does go somewhere else and have a great season.

A change of scenery sometimes produces a monster season, but sometimes only one.

Once the novelty wears off, more than one player has been known to go back to their old ways.

(Terrell Owens is a prime example)

[panther4life]

Ya all we can do is speculate becuase these things are about as secret as some goverment opertations. with that in mind, i'm gonna speculate of the fact that he hasnt signed his tender yet and why

I think he wants his agent to work out decent compensation money wise to a team he would prefer to finish his career at(i think his desire to play a new position is hurting that value more than he thought when this whole thing got started)

so right now he's going to play hardball until the last minute(draft day) when he really has his hand forced to sign the tender so that we would be willing to trade him, cuz after the draft if he's still here he's not going anywhere.

[PowerlessDan]

If we trade him we will have to give time to what we get in return to bare fruit before we can judge winners or losers. But that never stopped us before.

[Mr. Scot]

If we trade him we will have to give time to what we get in return to bare fruit before we can judge winners or losers. But that never stopped us before.

Ya all we can do is speculate becuase these things are about as secret as some goverment opertations. with that in mind, i'm gonna speculate of the fact that he hasnt signed his tender yet and why

I think he wants his agent to work out decent compensation money wise to a team he would prefer to finish his career at(i think his desire to play a new position is hurting that value more than he thought when this whole thing got started)

so right now he's going to play hardball until the last minute(draft day) when he really has his hand forced to sign the tender so that we would be willing to trade him, cuz after the draft if he's still here he's not going anywhere.

Possible.

[Mr. Scot]

Ron Borges adds his two cents to John Fox recent comments: Boston Herald

Peppers, a four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher who has expressed a strong desire to leave Carolina for more fertile ground, is trying to negotiate a trade package that would be enough to convince Fox to deal him. Although Fox dubbed as “laughable” a report that Peppers was close to heading to the Patriots [team stats], it’s not that he will keep him at any cost.

It’s just that anyone who thinks they’ll get a game-changing pass rusher in a fire sale is sadly mistaken. And if they think they’ll get him for, say, a first-round draft choice, they are probably seriously delusional. Now you come calling with an offer like the one Minnesota made last year to Kansas City for Jared Allen (one first-rounder and two third-rounders) and maybe something can be done.

“If you put Julius between the lines, he’s a pretty good player anywhere.”

That would include in Carolina and anywhere but New England, which has around $10 million in cap room and young players like Vince Wilfork [stats], Logan Mankins [stats], Richard Seymour [stats] and some guy named Brady to worry about paying first.

Sounds like Borges is skeptical about Peppers going to the Patriots.

[Jangler]

All this has made me realize is friends shouldn't be agents and agents shouldn't become friends. I hope he stays, has the best year a DE had ever had, fires his friend, sign with Rosenhaus and signs a new contract with the Panthers and retires a Panther.

Could happen...

[Mr. Scot]

All this has made me realize is friends shouldn't be agents and agents shouldn't become friends. I hope he stays, has the best year a DE had ever had, fires his friend, sign with Rosenhaus and signs a new contract with the Panthers and retires a Panther.

Could happen...

Is "agent" really even the right word for Carl Carey at this point?

He's almost more of a manager or a "handler".

[Jangler]

Yeah, I was thinking about this yesterday. I know agents start with one client, but Carey still only has one client after 7 years, right? So he is not an agent, he is a manager/handler/friend who has given him the wrong advice.

Now, is Peppers smart enough to see this???

[carpanfan96]

Is "agent" really even the right word for Carl Carey at this point?

He's almost more of a manager or a "handler".

He's pepper's Finance Manager, Pepper's Agent, Pepper's best friend, Pepper's buddy who tells him what he should do. So I'll go with Handler on this one.

[carpanfan96]

Yeah, I was thinking about this yesterday. I know agents start with one client, but Carey still only has one client after 7 years, right? So he is not an agent, he is a manager/handler/friend who has given him the wrong advice.

Now, is Peppers smart enough to see this???

Unfortunately I'd lean towards no. He was stupid enough to fire the agent who got him his rookie deal and was stupid enough to let his Finance manager and best friend become his agent.

[Mr. Scot]

My take: I think Carey is exactly what Peppers wants him to be.

Off-kilter personalities often don't cope well with handling details. Ideal situation would be to have someone who does it for you. Of course, this means you essentially trust that person with a significant portion of your life.

If they happen to be wrong... :sosp:

[mountainpantherfan]

My take: I think Carey is exactly what Peppers wants him to be.

Off-kilter personalities often don't cope well with handling details. Ideal situation would be to have someone who does it for you. Of course, this means you essentially trust that person with a significant portion of your life.

If they happen to be wrong... :sosp:

I think you also left out another possiblity. Peppers might also see the snub of other teams and end up signing long term with the Panthers. Like you said, conventional wisdom says he's burned bridges but you can't use conventional wisdom with Peppers. He could wake up tomorrow morning and decide he wants to be a Panther for life. With his personality anything is possible.