Pick trade speculation from Gant

[The Link]

You say that with such confidence...

Because I am confident about that...

[panthers55]

We are much better off staying pat this year unless we move Peppers which will likely give us a 1st rounder. There is no one we have to have. Our starters are in place and we primarily need backups. They can easily be found in rounds 2 through 7. If we still have needs, we can enter in the FA market which always opens up some after the draft. We don't need a 1st rounder which will increase our draft costs unless we free up Peps 17 million.

Doesn't mean Hurney won't do it though, he clearly is a gambler. But this is one of the years that drastic moves aren't necessary, IMO.

[Panthro]

Because I am confident about that...

That and $2 can get you a cup of coffee

[panthers55]

What scares me is the character of Peppers...

We are speaking about an extremely shy and inner reflecting guy...

Do you think he would play against in a stadium that is booing him....

I sincerely believe only reason he is not signing his tender is that he doesn't have to play for Panthers...

I am not buying that he wants to control his destiny think, do you think when Peppers says he doesn't to play for a team, that team will invest 80+ mil$ and multiple draft picks to a guy who says he does not want to play for them...

I figure this is a business decision and that saying he didn't want to play here was their attempt to avoid the franchise tag and signal to other teams he really wanted out. He really thought that like Cutler he would have teams falling all over themselves to sign him to big bucks and let him do whatever he wants. He may be shy but he is very cocky and beleives all the positive hype about himself.

This may have ben a wakeup call for him and he may realize that the only team that really wants him at all costs is the team he is on.

On the other hand if Carey is trying to save face by telling Peppers that this is all the Panthrs fault and Hurney is blocking them at all avenues and causing all the problems, therecould be a rift which is not easily repaired.

As for the fans booing him. All he has to do is say it was business and he has decided to continue to play here and do his best and all will be forgiven for most folks.

With all that said I still think he will be traded this weekend. We have a history of trading malcontents to keep the locker room cohesive.

[carpanfan96]

What you want and reality are about as far part as they can get. Why the hell would they trade a 1st and a 3/4th round pick for our 1st round pick next year...when there's a good chance it will be worse than 23!!!!

A 1st in 2010 = a 2nd in 2009

:banghead:

Actually there's only about 20 guys who are considered first round talent in this year's draft. So really it's 2nd next year (deeper draft at everything but OT) = a first this year based on talent. This years draft is crappy at every position depth wise except for OT and WR, with DE/OLB being close behind that. Other then those and there's one player worth a first rounder on and I'm iffy on OLB/DE this year as well.

[CatMan72]

I don't think Peppers will hold out... at 29 he can't afford to. If he really wants to be traded to a contender he needs to play this year and further demonstrate that he has the capability to be an elite player and is therefore worth the kind of $ he'd be looking for and the draft picks the Panthers would be looking for.

I think we should hang on to our 1st round pick next year, and possibly trade Peppers for another 1st rounder next year so we could bundle those picks and move up in the draft to ****** one of the potential franchise QB's that will be coming out next year.

[Snake]

At 29 going on 30 it would be insane to hold out. Not even he and Carey are that stupid...

Yea he is almost forced to play well this year no matter what or his stock falls greatly next year. I could see us trading him for a 1st round next year and a 2nd pick this year if we trade him at all. Talent wise this year stinks.

[posthumecaver]

The reason I think he would booed is that he didn't say, he wants more money, you can sell that to the fans as business as usual....

He said, he wants to live Carolina in any coast, you can't fix that by saying, I got my money I am happy now...

That is a big monkey and would not let JP to play in Carolina next year....

I am pretty sure he would holdup, if any other guy would be there, I would say what he is saying are empty threads but I am %100 sure is that JP is men of his word....

[jpniner]

if you could trade your following yrs' first for a First Roudner this year, every year, you'd be ahead of the game

[rayzor]

if you could trade your following yrs' first for a First Roudner this year, every year, you'd be ahead of the game

if it was only that easy. we had to give up more for last year's first pick than this years. at some point all we would have is a 1st rounder.

[PantherMan89]

don't know if it's been posted but gantt has a new update.

A few thoughts, 24 hours out

Posted by Darin at 4/24/2009 4:29 PM EDT on Herald Online

Been on the phone a bit today, taking a few temperatures. Here's what I believe, just under a day away from the start of this thing:

-- More convinced than ever the Panthers will end up picking before 59. Not sure exactly on the particulars, but I've got a feeling something's cooking. We've got a story in tomorrow's paper about the art of making trades on draft day, and how it dovetails with the Panthers track record. Check it out.

-- Julius Peppers hasn't made any public statements since his Valentine's Day "It's not you, it's me," speech. But it sounds like he's keeping tabs with what's happening here, just in case he has to come back.

If he ends up playing here (and I'm still not convinced that's the case), then he's essentially been strong-armed into it.

He asked out, bluffed, and was called. If he comes back and plays -- for whatever amount of money -- that's the equivalent of folding.

Hard to walk back in and say you wanted to be here when you've said everything he said this spring.

-- Some of the stuff you hear today is just crazy talk. If half the rumored deals happen, every internet server in the country would blow up tomorrow just trying to keep up with it all.

-- The more evaluators I talk to, the more I like the following players: Aaron Curry, Andre Smith, Clay Matthews Jr. and Knowshon Moreno.

-- The more evaluators I talk to, the less I like the following players: Aaron Maybin, Matt Stafford, Darrius Heyward-Bey, LeSean McCoy.

-- The 59th pick should come off the board around 9:30 p.m. But we'll be there earlier than that.

Stay tuned to heraldonline.com, this blog and our twitter account (twitter.com/daringantt) for all the latest throughout what should be a hectic weekend.

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