PEPPERS SPEAKS

Peppers: If Panthers franchise me, I want trade

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Julius Peppers was polite, insistent that he has no problems with his coaches and stressed that North Carolina will always be his home.
The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end just doesn't want to play for Carolina anymore — and hopes the Panthers grant the impending free agent his wish by not placing the franchise tag on him.
"If they decide to use the tag on me, the first thing that I'll be doing is requesting a trade," Peppers said Saturday. "Then anything after, basically I don't know what would be the course of action. We'll deal with that when that time comes."
In a conference call with reporters — Peppers' first extended interview since his agent announced last month he wouldn't sign a long-term deal with the Panthers — Peppers focused on his desire to leave coach John Fox's 4-3 defensive system to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
And he hopes Carolina fans eventually respect his intentions to leave.
"You've done everything you're supposed to do and played seven years, or worked seven years and when that contract expired, you wanted to do something different and you were told basically, 'I know you did all that and fulfilled what you're supposed to do, but you've still got to stay,"' Peppers said of the negative fan reaction.
"I don't think people would be willing to live under those same standards that they want to place on me. I say put yourself in my shoes and look at the situation instead of being emotional about it."
For Peppers, it's simply about playing in a new system he hopes will better feature his freakish athletic ability. While Peppers wouldn't say which teams he's eyeing, Pittsburgh, New England, the New York Jets and Miami are among those with a 3-4 defense.
"I feel like my abilities could be maximized and I could be even more productive than I have been in the past in a new system," Peppers said. "I feel like I've gotten close to maxing out in the system that I'm in now."
It's the only system the Bailey, N.C., native and former North Carolina star has played in as a pro. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft, the 6-foot-7 Peppers is Carolina's all-time sacks leader and recorded a career-high 14 1/2 this season, when he was selected to the Pro Bowl again after a one-year absence.
Losing the cornerstone of the defense would be a big blow for the Panthers, who have a big decision to make before Thursday's deadline to designate one player for the franchise tag.
It's complicated by the impending free agency of starting left tackle Jordan Gross, who played under the franchise tag this past season. The Panthers would like to sign Gross to a long-term deal, then they could possibly tag Peppers and trade him.
Placing the franchise tag on Peppers would force the Panthers to offer a one-year deal for a whopping $16.7 million. But it would mean no team could sign him without giving Carolina first-round picks. That would allow the Panthers to work out a trade for less, but still get something in return for losing the key cog of their defensive line.
"I'm not going comment at all," general manger Marty Hurney said, when reached by phone Saturday after Peppers' conference call.
If Peppers left, the remaining defensive ends on the roster would be Tyler Brayton, Charles Johnson and Hilee Taylor, who combined for 11 1/2 sacks last season. The Panthers also do not have a first-round pick in April's draft, something they would likely insist on obtaining in a trade. Peppers said he has no idea what the Panthers will do, and wouldn't say if he would hold out of offseason workouts and training camp if the Panthers keep him.
However, Peppers did offer some advice.
"If it was my decision, this is what I would do: Jordan Gross has come and stated that he wants to sign an extension with the Panthers," Peppers began. "We've got one player who says he does and one player that says he wants to move on and try something different. If I was in that situation, I would try to accommodate the guy that wants to be there, No. 1 priority."
The 29-year-old Peppers, who turned down Carolina's lucrative contract extension before last season, insisted he didn't decide he wanted to leave until after the Panthers' disappointing 33-13 loss to Arizona in the NFC divisional playoffs, where Peppers was held without a sack.
There had been speculation the quiet and reserved Peppers wanted to leave his home state, where he's often barraged with autograph requests when he's in public. "If I were to sit here and say that had nothing to do with it, that wouldn't be the truth," Peppers said on the prospect of leaving North Carolina. "But it's not as big of a deal as people may think it is.

 

well done, on all fronts

 

he's a jackass as far as I'm concerned,I have no problem with him wanting to leave imo he's not worth the money to sign him any way.
but by yapping in public he undermines the teams leverage to get the most in return on a trade

 

He wants to be a free agent. What do you expect?

 

I hope he goes to a afc team.

 

I expect him to be realistic no team would just let him walk away and get nothing in return but meeting behind closed doors the team likly would do what they could to work with him.

 

I hate that he's leaving because I like Peppers and if the Panthers can't work out some kind of deal we'll have a horror story of a DL. Still, he's handled this well and hasn't been an asshole about the whole deal. He kept his mouth shut and played. If he wants to try a new situation I say best of luck to him (unless it's the Bucs, Saints or Falcons he winds up with).

 

Realistically there is a good chance he will walk away without the team getting anything in return. It's in his best interest to become a FA. Every single player who is a potential Franchise player dislikes it and states it to the public. There is nothing different about this.

 

I can dig it. I'd want to move on too, looking for a team with a qreat QB.

 

Its obviously in HIS best interest to be a FA. But he needs to shut the fuck up about Gross. That is none of his business. Honestly, we all know that Pepp is worth more than Gross and he is the one that should be tagged. Whether that tag leads to a trade or not is another question. If Gross is willing to stay, surely its obvious we should be working on a new contract for him (providing we do actually want to keep him) and just throw the tag at Peppers and see who bites.

This whole situation sucks IMO. I like both players, we drafted them and both have been remarkably healthy and versatile for us. Pepp is even more so because everyone new about him and wanted him here from his UNC days. He is the face of the franchise in many fans eyes. Now it seems like he just doesnt care about us at all. Maybe because he has been so quiet to the media that his public desire to leave now seems more of a betrayal for some reason. And the success that we had on the field last year makes me wonder why he wants out now.

I guess he does just want to move on. And i cant begrudge any man wanting to seek new challenges. But i'll be damned if we let him walk for nothing.