Could "the list" have been a bluff?

[carpanfan96]

Link

Your move, Julius Peppers.

Now that the NFL draft has come and gone and nobody offered the Carolina Panthers a trade for Peppers, the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end must make a decision.

Does he want to play for the Panthers?

While Peppers surely would love it the Panthers rescinded the franchise tag and allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent, that's not going to happen.

So unless Peppers' camp finds another team willing to give up two first-round picks in next year's draft, the four-time Pro Bowler has little left to decide other than whether he really meant what he said about not playing for the Panthers.

The Panthers open a three-day minicamp on Friday (May 1), although Peppers is not expected to show.

After his agent couldn't get a trade to materialize, Peppers might realize his best option is simply to tuck his tail between his legs and return to the Panthers and try the free-agent route again next year. It's hard to imagine the Panthers putting the franchise tag on him again and paying him more even more -- a staggering $20 million - for the 2010 season.

Look for Peppers to wait this thing out, still hoping to be traded.

It's hard to imagine him being in Charlotte this week, or for the three

-week OTA's in June or even for the start of training camp in late July. As one veteran Carolina player who wished to remain anonymous said, "I highly doubt he'll show up until after the padded work is complete. Why would he? He doesn't have to."

Of course, we don't know that for sure.

After all, you never do with Peppers, who is one of the more distant players ever to set foot in the Carolina locker room.

Peppers said in the past he doesn't like the idea of holding out as a manner of conducting business. So the logical conclusion is eventually he'll cave and show at some point during training camp. And it shouldn't be too hard for him to swallow his pride when the Panthers are writing him checks worth more than $1 million per game.

Still, Peppers has a strong will and he could choose to sit out the season, regardless of what general manager Marty Hurney thinks Peppers will do. That move would be pure stubbornness.

[Snake]

Samuels and Briggs did get to be unrestricted FA the very next year. Samuels signed with the Eagles and Briggs looked around and realised the most money he would get was from the Bears. So they did get what they wanted just a year later.

They didnt sitout the whole year because the teams promised not to franchise them the next year.

Kinda hindsight dont you think. Im sure Something like that might just playout like that here but with such low interest in him he might just stay. No one is gonna fork over 30 mill plus wait for him to develop in a 3-4 scheme when he's 30.

[carolinarolls]

again, where are all these fully disclose updates on the interest Peppers is generating coming from. I am missing out.

[carpanfan96]

again, where are all these fully disclose updates on the interest Peppers is generating coming from. I am missing out.

the first place to report no team had made an offer was CarolinaGrowl.com, the story I posted was written by the Sports exchange.

[carolinarolls]

no team making an offer does not mean that no interest has been generated

[Taom82]

Putting your client in a position where he looks like a spoiled, ungrateful brat can in no way be considered doing your job. His image has been tarnished in the eyes of plenty, not just Carolina fans.

[carolinarolls]

Putting your client in a position where he looks like a spoiled, ungrateful brat can in no way be considered doing your job. His image has been tarnished in the eyes of plenty, not just Carolina fans.

bitter much? I do not think he looks like a spoiled brat at all and considering the "just business" comments from his teammates at minicamp today when his situation was brought up, they don't either.

[Taom82]

I was bitter when this whole mess began, but my opinion has always been if a guy doesn't wanna play for his team, than he isn't needed.

His teammates comments won't get him a deal with a different team. Coaches don't want drama queens. There's no doubt that if he hit the market he'd have a deal, but he has hurt his image. I don't see how anyone can say that causing a bunch of drama during the offseason doesn't hurt a guys value.

Don't get me wrong, his production would be sorely missed. At this point I'd rather the whole mess be over with, whether he stays or not.

[Sandy Claws]

He won't do that because it gives Carolina the chance to match. If they match he's under contract and there ain't a damn thing he can do about it.

True, but a carefully worded poison pill clause could make it damn hard to match.

[carolinarolls]

I was bitter when this whole mess began, but my opinion has always been if a guy doesn't wanna play for his team, than he isn't needed.

His teammates comments won't get him a deal with a different team. Coaches don't want drama queens. There's no doubt that if he hit the market he'd have a deal, but he has hurt his image. I don't see how anyone can say that causing a bunch of drama during the offseason doesn't hurt a guys value.

I agree to get rid of him. In his eyes he did not cause an drama though. In his eyes he asked not to be tagged, said he wanted out and why, and warned that he would play hardball with the whole "4 teams" leak.. In his eyes Hurney caused this drama by not listening and tagging him anyway.

he has a point.

[dimbee]

Yes

[Taom82]

Maybe it's just me, but going to the media to get your way is the same as throwing a tantrum.

[Pimpdaddy]

And that's what Peppers gets for Hiring his friend and not a real damn agent. LMAO, He wasn't getting anything done without signing his tender. Carey is a laughing stock, no one was going to deal with him. Peppers wasn't going to sign it, because that would've ended the trade discussions there. QUOTE]

LOL...Yeah, Its almost as if Drew Carey is his agent... LOL

[Sandy Claws]

I agree to get rid of him. In his eyes he did not cause an drama though. In his eyes he asked not to be tagged, said he wanted out and why, and warned that he would play hardball with the whole "4 teams" leak.. In his eyes Hurney caused this drama by not listening and tagging him anyway.

he has a point.

So basically, you feel that a team has to pass on its right to use the franchise tag as allowed by the CBA simply because the player wants out. You must be against that other process that forces players to play for teams that they may not want to. You know, it's called the NFL Draft.