Report: Patriots target Peppers

Oh. Wow!! How are they going to make the cap room necessary to bring him to this team? After all the signings so far this offseason, patscap.com has us at $7.8M w/o including the Mike Wright and Joey Galloway signings. How do we clear the $10M to add Peppers? Are we looking at extensions for Brady, Seymour, Light, or Moss or restructuring of their contracts to open up some cap room? Could the Pats doing something with Green, Kaczur, Woods, or Faulk to decrease their cap hits?

If this happens, we are going undefeated.

Size up the rings boys!!!!!!

My God. The NFL doesn't stand a chance if this happens.

If this happens, we are going undefeated.

Size up the rings boys!!!!!!

WOW, for only a 2nd round pick? That seems amazing. I don't know what else they even need at this point.

The only downside is that I guess they won't be signing any of their veterans at this point.

And what do all the whining boneheads think of that Vrable/Cassel trade now ?

omg!!

hell yeahhhhh!!!

Awesome!

Championship!!!!

Now the KC trade makes all the sense in the world!

GIVE US THE RING!

Hopefully they can lock him up long-term and Wilfork too. This probably spells the end of Seymour (which is probably the case regardless). If this happens, I see the Pats drafting interior DLine in the draft (to replace Seymour).

Message to New England management--GET THIS DEAL DONE!!

Don't size up the rings yet boys look at what happened when the Patsies lost to the G Men in the Super Bowl.

Is Peppers really a fit? I know he's dominant as an in-stance DE in the 4-3, but BB likes his ends to play outside and have the MLB's take on the guards, so, wouldn't that push Peppers further outside than he's ever played before? Is he athletic enough to take that position? For the cap numbers they're talking about, he has to be more than just a 3rd down LB. I don't mean to throw cold water on the news, I'm just wondering, that's all. Truth is, I know little about Peppers outside of the stats and highlights.

Cheers.

I wish everyone could see the smile on my face right now....

In Bill We Trust!

You gotta think about it!! Mike Vrabel and Matt Cassel for Julius Peppers. Thats a steal!! The only question i have and im sure everyone has is HOW IS HE GOING TO FIT UNDER THE CAP?? Mike can you explain this?

If this deal goes through then the Pats have just gone "all in". Plus, they have room to draft another LB, upgrade the S position and get some developmental players for the O-line.

My only concern is that Wilfork or Seymour is going to go. I say Seymour is done in NE after this year.

Niiiiiice!!!!!

Nate, if the Pats made the trade, they'd probably have a long-term contract in place with Peppers first. So this year's cap hit wouldn't be anywhere close to $16M.

Gary, the Vrabel/Cassel trade is its own entity. They could have traded Cassel away for a later second rounder (without losing Vrabel) and still pulled off a Peppers deal, which would give them the luxury of moving Adalius back inside to replace an over-the-hill Bruschi... Or giving them real depth at the OLB spot (sorry, I'm not sold on Banta-Cain or Woods as anything but special teamers). I'm just not sure there was much to gain by getting rid of Vrabel, who's still obviously a very capable player. That move still has me scratching my head.

In Bill We Trust!!

What about extending the contract of big VINCE?!

The New England Yankees

Everyone remain calm! It's not going to happen. The Patriots can't afford it.

While I'm very satisfied with how the off-season is progressing, you don't have to live in Redskins country to be reminded that winning the offseason championship in March is a heck of a lot different than winning a championship in January/February. Don't place down payments on those rings yet, boys.

Deep breath time. Miami won the division with the Wild Cat offense (and a little help from Brett Farve). Super Bowls are not won on paper. The Patriots have undergone a lot of changes this year. It remains to be seen how everything is going to fit together. This would be very cool, but it only took one play to change the season in 08.

Believe me people... They wouldn't be going after him if they didn't think it was financially possible. The Pats are masters of the salary cap. I'm sure there will be some restructures or possibly another cut or 2.

Super Patriots

The best part about this trade would be the fact that even though we will be giving up a high second round pick we still have 5 picks in the top 100 picks. That looks pretty good from where i am sitting. The Pats are planing on using him as an outside linbacker so Seymour and Wilfork are safe. The tricky thing will be getting under the cap and staying there. But other than that this is definately a good trade.

It's would be nearly impossible for $17m of restructuring. Someone would have to be cut or traded.

Get this deal done BB. And to think some of us actually doubted him in the Cassel/Vrabel trade

Peppers is good and all, and in an ideal world I'd like to see him rounding out a front seven that also includes Seymour, Thomas, Bruschi, Wilfork, Mayo and Warren. But Seymour and Wilfork's deals are up at the end of the year. Wilfork is due to for a big raise. If we can have them all, then it's great. Otherwise, this is a strong draft for linebackers. Clay Matthews on the books for 6 years at a little more than a million would make a lot of sense. Especially if he can redshirt behind a Jason Taylor for a year. Keep #23 and #34, use the second rounders to trade up in the first and grab both Mauluaga and Matthews. And re-sign Seymour, Wilfork and Mankins. If we can re-sign them all and get Peppers, go for it. But Matthews is going to be a player.

peppers is an unbelievable athlete that can play DE and probably adjust to OLB. this would bolster new englands LB's and they already got stronger in the secondary with leigh bodden. Looks like they are aiming back towards strong LBs n big tough corners that won them all those championships. Great move if they can do it and sign him for like 5yr-50 something like that.
None the less juluis peppers is an absolute freak of an athlete.

Thank you, Bob Kraft.

Pepper??? I loved him with the Giants...isn't he really old by now???

Something is fishy about this. BB doesn't make deals in the press. There's more to it - besides the Patriots organization is always throwing out red herrings before the draft and this might be one of them.

Remember Peppers is a DE, not an OLB - who knows if he could make the transition.

If this deal is getting done and it is for a 2nd round pick this is an extremely exciting time to be a Patriots fan. I see Seymour leaving because of this but we not only get younger with Peppers, we get faster, and we get to have Peppers and Seymour together for a one year run at the Super Bowl.

To be honest this would solidify our defense in a big way, Springs and Bodden will be able to play aggresive and they will make more plays because we will be able to rush the passer more effectively. Mayo, Seymour, Wilfork, Thomas, Springs, and Bodden are all Pro Bowl caliber but add Peppers to that scheme and this is a scary thing for any other team.

The offense also got a lot better by adding Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway and with Brady healthy 14-2 or 15-1 looks very doable!!!

I am pumped, this is awesome.

How are they the New England Yankees?! There's a salary cap in football! You can only spend a certain amount. The argument has absolutely no merit in a legitimate sports conversation.

"How do we clear the $10M to add Peppers? Are we looking at extensions for Brady, Seymour, Light, or Moss or restructuring of their contracts to open up some cap room?"

The reason behind the delay in finalizing a deal could be for the Patriots to work out a contract with Peppers, which I believe they can do before a trade.

Also the franchise figure for a DE this year is $8,991,000 not the $16.68 million cited in the story

He could suck in the 3-4. He sucks in space, he sucks in coverage. So he will suck in the 3-4. I don't like it.

Wow. I absolutely love this deal. I hope it happens. But I'm not going to get too confident or cocky. Things such as injuries and slumps happen. However, I love this team and will stick with them till the end.

As they say down here in the south...
GIT ER DONE!!!

Bad idea...keep the draft picks and stay fiscally responsible

don't do it if he has never played outside in a 3-4 scheme.....he will be lost and will be thinking and not reacting when he has to play the pass. ..... unless he is a quick learner, student of the game

Good stuff, MarkZ. To answer your concern about moving Vrabel, it was done becasue he was not as vital with Peppers and it also cleared quite a bit of cap space. I would not be surprised if Vrabel was given the option of restructuring of going somewhere else.

this is so mean. I saw this picture and thought he was signed. Reiss would not tease us like that!

This rumor is solely for the purpose of leveraging the Wilfork and Seymour negotiations.

If this is true and they have AD and JP at OLB, it would seem that getting Laurinitis to go with Mayo at ILB has been the draft strategy all along.

WICKED PISSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tee..heeee...hheee
Oh this would be AWESOME if it were done.
How long before we know??? Anyone?

We shall see. If this deal gets done it will be a GREAT deal. Sing Wilfork and bye, bye, bye to Seymour; you will be missed.

get this done and get vince done. this makes more sense than jason taylor. imagine if taylor signs here for like the veterans mininum just to stack things up? i love it when veterans do that.

i would like it if they can still keep wilfork mangins. it would put them in almost another unbeaten season.

This news actually made it move a little !

Peppers on the outside and Mayo on the inside . . . the condiment kids will go well with a little Brew-ski! Peppers is too long in the torso to play OLB effectively, and he's "too stiff" in coverage according to some NFL sources but Bill will be able to build a defense around what he can do . . . we just may see more 4-3 instead of the 3-4.
The off season moves have been great and we still have 3 picks in the top 60.

Getting Peppers sounds great to me, but after all this wheeling and dealing, all these signings... I'm not going to read any more Patriots articles until I see the ONE headline that I WANT to see, and that is "Patriots Extend WILFORK"!!!

Norm, you have no idea what your talking about. They can make it work. I love Berge.

please sign Wilfork

No chance on this happening. And if it does, say good bye to Wilfork. He is going to want huge money as well if Peppers is getting it and he is the cornerstone of teh 3-4 defense. This is the beginning of the end of the Patriots run. Hope you all enjoyed it.

dennis and callahan will somehow find a way to have a 4 hour discussion on how Belichick is making a mistake

Can someone please suggest to Don Shula and his crew that they have all the champagne they want now, because they aren't tasting any after game one of this season. Sorry Mercury...IT IS OVAAAH!!!!

How are they going to get this guy in under the cap. I mean to bring him in for #34 is great and all but he is a money hungry player.

Also, he doesn't look to me like an OLB. Interesting is the word, not great.

------------
The New England Yankees
Posted by Elvis March 16, 09 03:48 PM
------------

There is a salary cap in football you wingnut.

might this be the end of seymour this year? What is his cap hit?

Green, Wilfork and Seymour better get their agents ready for the re-structuring

Not a good buy yet, let's get Wilfork, Seymour and Mankins taken care of first. I'd even be more inclined to obtain Jason Taylor before Peppers. He's got some gas remaining in the tank, he wants a ring and he wouldn't break the bank.

Hey Matt...this isn't Redskins Country...if the Pats win the off-season championship the Super Bowl isn't very far away!

WOW, All I can say is WOW.... There is a GOD in New England... All Smiles

i hate to repeat myself but in thiscase it is warranted. if this happens and in the immortal words of Frank Barone:

HOLY CRAP!

Good stuff, MarkZ. To answer your concern about moving Vrabel, it was done becasue he was not as vital with Peppers and it also cleared quite a bit of cap space. I would not be surprised if Vrabel was given the option of restructuring of going somewhere else.

I can't wait for the season to start. We are on pace for at least another 14-2 to 15-1 season making it 17-2 to 18-1 again when we win our 4th superbowl. Go Pats!!!!!

Don't size up the rings yet boys look at what happened when the Patsies lost to the G Men in the Super Bowl.

Posted by ED March 16, 09 03:44

That's true, but this Patriots team is young and solid on both sides of the ball.
46 Bears type defense and Montana/Rice 49ers type offense.

Could be the Team of all Teams

Count me among the Reiss-followers who thinks the Pats should take care of their impending free agents instead of pulling in high-priced talent from outside. Peppers is a talent, that's for sure, but what's the cost? Wilfork? Seymour? Mankins? The $$$ of this deal means that Pats would have to make another move to clear significant cap space. Something on par with moving/releasing Seymour.

I also question the validity of this report. A "league source" says they're "hoping to complete" the deal. Sounds entirely like a guy sitting back with a beer saying, "Hey, can you imagine if the Pats traded for Peppers and gave up that 2 pick from the Chiefs?

While the potential problem of getting under the cap this year is substantial, if the Pats can manage to get under (restructure, cuts, etc.), they won't necessarily lose anyone next year: It's an uncapped year, meaning they can pay whatever they want to anyone. Granted, in this economy, there's no way to be sure that Kraft will continue to spend, but there's at least that option to consider...

Goodbye Seymour.

Sign WIlfork now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a bunch of sheep. "Oh, a big name! Get it done BB, we're winning the Superbowl!" Peppers is a chump. Tons of talent and athleticism, no production when it counts, the playoffs. I don't want him anywhere near this team. The dollars he'll command versus the production he'll offer won't even be close to balanced. He can't cover anyone, he can't set the edge and he comes up small in crunch time. Spend that pick on Clint Sintim or Connor Barwin, or draft an athlete even higher at 23 that can actually play the position.

You guys gotta remember, Peppers said he doesnt want money he wants a ring. So he will take less for a superbowl ring. Im sure the Patriots will be able to resign Wilfork or extend them.Its in their agenda, but i cant say much for seymour unless they restructure his contract!

The compensation seems far too small. The big trade last year between KC and Minnesota for DE Jared Allen saw a much better compensation package. To get Allen the Vikes gave up their 1st round pick, two 3rd round picks and swapped 6th round picks with KC.
Allen and Peppers are aguably the top two DEs in the league. I understand that Peppers is moving to LB but I would still think his acquisition would cost the Pats more than a 2nd round pick.
The article referrences "league sources" who know more than I do but I would think that another franchise has more to offer the Panthers.

peppers never signed that franchise tender, so the pats would be free to work out any deal with him that could both make this work and guarantee peppers long-term security. If they pull this off they would have traded Cassel and Vrabel for peppers, which prior to last year any one would have taken in a heartbeat. If they get somebody at 23 on draft day who can contribute on defense, I don't know who could beat this team next year.

Peppers may be coming to the Pats!! We might be looking at another undefeated season here.

The Giants are going to teach them a lesson again this year. You Pats fans are losers. I think Cutler would be a good backup because Brady is going to get hurt again.

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!! "Size up your ring", "were going undefeated"....Is this the grade school Pats fans? Must be. The football savy Pats fans know that after what happened in there last superbowl run, you cant take anything for granted....isnt your quarterbacks knee still jacked up? It took the great peyton half the year to get in a rythym. Your division is gaining ground! take a peak over your shoulder....

If this happens, I demand an investigation!

I think Peppers would be a great upgrade for the Pats... he would provide so much more enthusiasm in the huddle and on the sideline. But if the pats traded for him, they would have to let someone go to to free up the cap.... i would say that either seymour or thomas would be the right move.
Then again, if they pull this off and get peppers who is still only 27, then they are THE BEST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE

The New England Yankees

Posted by Elvis March 16, 09 03:48 PMEveryone remain calm! It's not going to happen. The Patriots can't afford it.

Posted by Norm March 16, 09 03:49 PM

Haha I love it. The Patriots play in a sport with a SALARY CAP, how are they the Yankees?! Plus it is a trade not just signing the top FA's out there. Get a clue man.

Of course they can afford it. The Pats just cleared $16mil off the books. Next seasons could be uncapped and Peppers WANTS to play in 3-4 defense.

yahooooooo!!!!!

Marco, I would be willing to make a side-wager this won't happen. Interested?

And, I hope this doesn't happen. Would rather have young hungry LBs. Is Peppers hungry? Not anymore.

Ain't gonna happen.

i love the idiot that wrote "the new england yankees"

ever heard of the salary cap?
all teams are on equal ground. The only thing that makes the pats different is that they have smarter people working for them

Hey, have any of you people actually watched the guy play? Totally over - rated. I much prefer using all our draft picks to get younger. Maybe I'll give the Panthers a 4th, but not a 2nd; and even at that I'm not wrecking my salary structure for him

I like it. As usual there will be nay-sayers. In this case I don't understand how there could be but rest assure there will. The defensive front 7 with peppers will be unstoppable if they stay healthy. This is huge.....huge....

How are they going to get this guy in under the cap. I mean to bring him in for #34 is great and all but he is a money hungry player.

Also, he doesn't look to me like an OLB. Interesting is the word, not great.

Posted by RJ March 16, 09 04:13 PM

You need to start watching football before you comment. Have you seen the atheletic ability this guy brings to the field? He's a freak of nature. He could play running back if they asked him to.

A money hungry player? Really!? Did you see the size of the contract he turned down!? He wants to play in a 3-4 defense!

BB is building a team around his favorite food......word is, there's a kid coming out of USC last name Sausage.....very high on the NE draft board.

Agree on the Wilfork front. Sign him any day over Seymour. Pepper/Mayo = "condiment kids" -- lol. As for salary cap concerns. Any Pats fan thinking the Pats were going to end the draft with the same amount of pics they started hasn't been paying attention in the Belichick era. This deal could work.

They may cut Seymour if they make this deal and let Peppers play inside, leveraging their remaining draft picks for OLB's. Seymour may want to consult with Lawyer Milloy.

There's your cap room...

WOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!! This would be truly Amazing!!!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!!!

I'd rather have jason taylor than peppers

So if this come to pass the Patriots traded Matt Cassell and Mike Vbral for Julies Peppers - reread that again while I pick my jaw up.

The better front 7 you have the better your DB's are. With the pressure Seymour, Wilfork, Warren, AD, Mayo, Peppers and (Bruschi, Crable, Tully Banta-Cain, Gary Guyton, Vince Redd) or whoever plays the other inside LB spot all 4 DB's could be all-pros. Then they have Seau on standby in SD for added depth in case he is needed during the season.

I think Peppers is athletic enough to adjust to the OLB role, especially if called for coverage. However, with Peppers and Thomas on the outside, QBs gonna have to rid of their balls much faster, allowing the DBs to make plays for the balls. BTW, our gut-wrenching SB loss to the Giants was mostly because they got to our QB while we could not get to theirs... especially on the final drive.

hey "Elvis", they're nothing like the yankees, moron. there is a salary cap in football! do you think A-Rod or CC would take a pay cut to play for the yankees? fat chance.

I'm just afraid that if they sign Peppers they're not going to be able to fit Junior in under the cap in November.

This is a bad move. He will not play unless he gets HIS contract. He is not a fit for this scheme. This is dumb. Everyone is all high the idea but neglecting to sign WIlfork long-term is a bad idea!

This is a ploy to drive up the market for Peppers, i.e. if they are thinking about accepting a 2nd round pick, then a number of teams might jump and say "hey, we'll give you a 1st rounder, or a 1st and a 4th, or a 2nd and a 3rd, etc" The fact that it was said they want to do the deal between March 22nd and the draft says that nothing has been done, and there is time to get involved, i.e. don't be like Denver....get your offer in now! This is not a good fit for the Pats. If he flubs at outside LB, where does he go? Is he a 3-4 D-end? No. This isn't going to happen, especially since it's been made public. The Pats keep secrets. What makes Vic Carrucci suddenly the mouthpeice of both teams?

Sign him short term so he dose not punch his lunch ticket. the fact that he wanted out of Carolina tells me something is wrong with his motivation. He made 17M last year made the pro bowl 4 times so what else is there. You say a Super Bowl and you right but there are two many varibles to be think that before any given season starts.

I cant get my hopes up for its not set in stone.yes it would be huge for him to land here,but it would come to peppers doing a contract patriot freindly.plus i would worry that now other teams are aware that peppers is on the trade block,and they may offer something better.its just saying the pats are targeting peppers.

some of you guys are nuts! dont do it?! whether he sucks at olb or not, hes a better athelete than anyone else on the defense pound for pound, you put the best men on the field...you dont think bill will use him the way he needs to be used?! come on....you have a chance to either draft an unproven rookie at pick 34 or trade for a proven freakish athelete....hmmmmm....let me think.....draft picks can be hit or miss no matter were u pick.......do it bill....make the trade.....o man the next bowl will be so much sweeter because of how we lost the last one.....you gotta fall to get up.....go get em boys

Shake & Bake Baby!

New England Yankees? Dude, be serious. The Patriots operate under the same salary cap as the rest of the league; something the Yankees have never had to do.

The Yankees could outspend every team in MLB (and do) and try to just sign every high priced free agent (they do). The Patriots can't. They have to draft well (they do), develop young players (they do) and make effective trades / free agent signings (mostly, they do).

You're an uninformed arse.

I'm a little giddy right now!!!!!!!

Holy crap! Seymour on one end, Peppers at outside linebacker on the other side, Ty Warren at the other end, who do you block? If this really does happen it will be the same feeling of anticipation when the Pats signed Moss. I cant wait for football!

This is crap...I think they have better things to do with $14m per season. Lets get our studs signed that WE KNOW can play in the system. Why are we going after an overhyped whiner? This I don't think will help them as much as the fantasy football people think it will.

$4m was too expensive for an OLB/DE in Vrabel (remember, he plays both depending on situation), but we want to bring in someone for around $10m OVER that?!? That's insane.

I hope you idiots that dared question Unquestionable Bill about the Cassel trade have learned your lesson.

Seriously, were you guys all under the same rock for the last 8 years?

Ahh gawd.......you just cured my ED problem.

i really hope that they try to develop some kid instead of putting a lot of money in this guy. This is NOT Dallas Cowboys. Or Yankees. There are a lot of good linebackers in the draft who can play. I say concentrate on them and Florida/Skins' guy.

i really hope that they try to develop some kid instead of putting a lot of money in this guy. This is NOT Dallas Cowboys. Or Yankees. There are a lot of good linebackers in the draft who can play. I say concentrate on them and Florida/Skins' guy.

I haven't felt this excited since we got KG. Hope this happens. Wow

Very interesting move on a player that may not be a great fit for this defense. I don't think the salary is an issue as they will work out a long term contract before making the deal. This gives them the pass rush they need but what about playing in space, can Peppers do it? Either way, who else is PRAYING the Pats draft a LB to take over the inside for Bruschi? Maybe the USC LB? Wouldn't he look nice next to Mayo?

HEY ICEPACK, where's your whiney ass now?! All of you stupid Vrabel/Cassel lovers...WHAT SAY YOU NOW?! SHUT THE HELL UP!!!!!! GO PATS!!!!!

All of you guys who think he can't play outside linebacker, don't forget - Mike Vrabel was once a DE, so wasn't Willie McGinest. In the Patriots scheme it may be called a 3-4 but the O Linebackers play close to the line at times. It's all about schemes, BB loves versatile players and he wouldn't think about JP if he didn't think he could transition. We need rushers!!! and JP had 14.5 sacks last year. Bottom Line!!! also why is everyone so hung up on Vrabel, he is a great guy but his skills were eroding. 2 sacks last year!!!!

the other teams will line up in passing formations and run the ball when Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren are on the bench, then just keep running a two minute drill type offense with no huddle, to keep the "passing defense" on the field.

Seriously ... is anyone surprised by this. Like the the writing on the wall wasn't big enough based on the moves they made ... did anyone believe there was not a bigger plan in place and this was it.

I thoroughly enjoy Peppers, he's big and he sacks the quarterback nyeahahaah.

Doesn't this remind you of the Danny Ainge move when he traded away our pick for RayRay...at first it made no sense, and now it's glorious.

Make your plane and hotel reservations now for next February in Miami NOW!!!

Please do not make this deal.
1. Upsets salary structure of team
2. Makes Seymour disgruntled...he'll take the year off (like Manny did to Sox)
3. Need to draft OL for future at #34, and maybe first 2 picks
4. I like stockpile of OLB/DE PATS have now, I think Redd and /or Craig will develop nicley.... move over 30 yrs, 270 lbs AT to ILB, now you have Mayo, Guyton and AT at ILB with TB in a reserve role
5. Although I like Connor Barwin, PATS should try for OL (Unger, Ebben).
john

I'm feeling a little dangerous today. Again.

You knew the other shoe would drop on the cassell/vrabel deal...In bill we trust!!!

Hes another Willie McGinest only stronger & faster, he'll be utilized like Willie was.

The Pats can give him whatever they chose in guaranteed money. They can give him a smaller amount this year to keep the team under the cap and spread the rest around over the remaining amount of years. There is no cap set in place right now for 2010.

Pass...

You can bet Seymore is on his way out of town. I wouldn't think Wilfork will leave unless he's traded.Get Peppers signed, maybe Jason Taylor too.

I want the Giants again.

Pepie takes a lot of plays off and has not been the best locker room guy in the past. Listen to WFNZ.com in Charlotte between 10 and 3 and see how highly former teammates think of him.

I hope Brady gets hurt again... the hell with Julius Peppers!

This would be a good trade for the Pats, obviously, and it truly would make them the odd on favorite to go back to the SB...HOWEVER, lets not concede it to them right away...as some are doing, there still is something called a 16 game schedule and 2 or 3 post season games to play before that becomes a reality.

Have they made many good moves, thus far, in the off season? Yes they have, and as Tedy Bruschi said, they have a lot of unfinished business to attend to, again....so this is good news, if it happens, but please, lets not say that another unbeaten season is about to happen. If it does, all well and good, but no matter how they get there, to the Super Bowl, that is all that really counts....and they have taken several solid steps in making it a good possibility, so far, but let's not get cocky about it..

As a Patriots fan who happens to be a Peppers fan this would be wonderful. Obviously, I would hope the acquisition of Peppers wouldn't prevent the re-signing of at least Wilfork, but adding a feared pass-rusher like Peppers adds a whole dimension to the defense.

The questions about his ability to drop into coverage are valid but remember, this guy has freakish athleticism and Carolina did use him creatively, rushing him from a standing position and occasionally dropping him into coverage. Regardless, it's not all that uncommon for 3-4 defenses to have one OLB used strictly as a pass-rusher and the other strictly in coverage. He'll likely play the Elephant role where he lines up as a DE in passing situations. Even if he struggles in coverage, its easier to swallow having one of the better coverage LBs in the NFL (Thomas) on the other side.

Richard seymour is washed up anyways!....id take wilfork or warren over him ANYDAY!...we need to make this trade!....i personally wouldnt mind trading seymour in the deal as well!.....that gives u cap space right there!....plus we wouldnt sign him unless we restructured Peppers contract first and sign him up for the future!

It's a ploy to raise the market value of Peppers for a trade. The Pats never go public, and who is Vic Carrucci to be the source? The article says they want to do it between March 22 and the draft, which is about a months time. Nobody does business like that. You can read that as: "Hey, don't be like Denver and wait till the last minute. Get your trade offer in now, and prevent the Pats from getting him at the same time." It's shameless what some of these writers will do to get published. He's just a mouthpeice for the players agent and Carolina GM. Peppers is not a good fit. If he fails at LB, where does he go? Is he a 3-4 D-end? No. Better off signing the guys we have and try to get Rey Maualuga and one of the outside LB's in the draft. Maualuga is a beast to pair with Mayo. If Cutler is traded to the Lions, Denver will have to draft a QB instead of a linebacker at 12, and LB's will slide. Clay Matthews or Larry English in Rnd 2 is a definite possibility.

PS - Be smart and get Mankins and Wilfork signed long term, and Seymour if possible. Seymour has been playing hurt, and that defense doesn't allow gaudy stats for lineman. Sign the lineman we have, and add good young linebackers and you'll have the Championship D they had in 03 and 04. Plus, last years LB's may produce as well. If Crable is ready to produce, that would help. He reminds me of McGinest.

Now how do we dump Seymour? It's clear his best days are behind him anyways, and we seem to need to make room financially....I wonder if there's a way we'll trade him outta here for a cheaper OLB/DE type....

But Wilfork's gotta stay. I don't think guys with his body type and quickness come around every day.

It'd be great to keep Seymour one more year to play opposite Peppers, but if they had to move him, so be it.

My unsolicited opinion is that there is a ways to go before any such deal of this magnitude is close to the paper stage. BUT it's nice to dream a little.....
HATERS will be lining up early too. Gotta love it!

GO PATS

I live in Charlotte and I hope we ship him off to yall but I hope we get more then a 2nd rd pick for him. Good luck with him but watch he takes series off not just plays.

So Pepper's agent relates to all that will listen that Julius's play was affected by his contract status two years ago; he can play for someone else. We don't need another overpaid, over-hyped athlete to come into the fold (Adalius Thomas anyone). Thomas plays hard but he hasn't brought the results we were led to believe.
Peppers is a great athlete but I'ld rather give the money to Wilfork and Mankins. These guys have played hard and earned their keep.
Why has the Great Julius Peppers become expendable to Carolina? I lost my Rose Colored glasses a long time ago.

Someone has been listening my prayers!!

Unless Peppers comes here on a big discount, and there is nothing to suggest he will, this doesn't seem to be a Patriots type of move. Make a guy with baggage your highest paid defender in franchise history? I hope this is a Bill move to make something else happen, like leverage Taylor in at a lower number than he may have asked for initially.

Im a Pats fan that lives in North Carolina.First of all Calm down,yes Peppers is a very good player but not Great.He is not what the Press makes him out to be.Mankins,Seymore and Wilfork are all Top five in their positions and are all free agents at the end of this season. With the moves they are making now,they will make a run at the whole thing without Peppers as long as they stay relativley healthy.

Another great addition in the making? If the draft nets some solid picks then the Pats will have put themselves in a strong position.

After the letdown of the AFC Championship game, and the Superbowl loss to the Giants (thats two trophy's that should have been in Foxboro) everyone wants to see another championship..or two.

WOW I THINK THIS DEAL IS THE BEST DEAL EVER, THE PAT ARE THE BEST.

Love the idea as much as anyone, but I'm a little fearful of a few things.

1. Peppers coverage skills - haven't seen him cover people in college or the pro's and I doubt he's practiced coverage much. I get he's a freak of nature, but how much experience will he need before he's ready to do something he hasn't done since at least high school?

2. Post 2009 Seymour and Wilfork contracts - Unless the Pats plan to spend big when the cap goes away after this season one or both of these guys are walking. With all the emphasis we put on the D-Line I'm hoping the Pats will spend like we know they can.

Aside from that I can’t wait to see 3rd and long situations next year. Thomas on 1 side, Peppers on the other, with Seymour, Warren/Green pushing the middle… Oh my will it be fun!!!

FYI - To all of you how keep saying they have to clear $16MM to make this deal... NO THEY DON'T. He hasn't signed the tender offer, so he can agree to a deal that back loads money making 2009 a cap friendly season.

Cut Seymour? Thank god none of you guys are running the team. That would actually hurt the Patriots. You simply need to restructure contracts. Like Jarvis Green or Matt Light. I am not a cap guy, but cutting Seymour is not the way to save money.

Two things:

1. I've been predicting this. It's the obvious move. I hope it happens.

2. I believe they will try to draft a nose tackle this year, and have no serious expectation of being able to sign Vince Wilfork to a new contract. But it might not matter if there's no salary cap after this season, so they can cross that bridge when they come to it.

Ever coach an actual football team Mike Allen or just the Patriots?

1) What's with the idiots who are so impatient/incompetent that they end up posting their comments more than once?

2) Anyone who mentions the prospect of a perfect season should be kicked in the...

3) Until it happens it's a rumor and a rumor only

4) Comparisons to the Yankees are illogical, other than that they are virtually always competitive (not one of top spenders, don't make foolish/expensive/extravagant FA acquisitions, don't have an attention $%^&* of an owner, etc.)

This would be one awesome Defense if the trade comes about ... Peppers, Seymore, Thomas & Willfork & add in Mayo & then add in a great USC LB in the draft ... going on ticketmaster for my Super Bowl tickets in Miami.... February 2010.

Why on earth would they trade the 34th pick for this guy. Terrible if it goes through.

Any concerns about him having "quit on his team" the previous season mean nothing to me. Peppers has brought his game for his entire career and should this deal go through, the Patriots will be looking at an imposing LB corps with Thomas and Bruschi's return, Mayo, Guyton, Crable and Redd in their Sophomore seasons and Peppers.
The cream rises to te top and I fully expect this revamped secondary and Defense to post significant improvements in '09!
I can't wait for the season to begin...

Patriot Nation Lets Relax! We are one of the best teams in the league but we haven't won a Super Bowl in 4 yrs. In Bill We Trust! But it's only the 16th of March and the draft hasn't taken place yet. It looks like they are making the right moves with the roster this offseason. I think the loss of Pioli is bigger than we realize. We lost Dimitroff last year to the Falcons and look what he did for that team. Did anyone see Belicheck on Utube singing with Charlie Weis last Thursday? He was signing a Jon Bonjovi song for Charity. 50K for Weis's charity from Bonjovi! Funny as @#$%! Let's stop the talk of 16-0 or 15-1, I'll take 13-3 or 12-4 and another banner! Go Sox!

if this is true then why is Carolina waiting to trade Peppers? That would be a big sum of money they could spend on other available free agents.

I sensed this trade was coming a few weeks ago. it works for alot of reasons, but the longer Carolina waits the less likely this trade seems. If they're waiting on better offers than the money saving theory behind Carolina's preference for a second rounder has no basis.

Why do people think that, because you trade for Peppers, that you cant extend Wilfork? Lets assume the pats extend Wilfork, that contract won't take effect till next year. So they can make this happen. Who knows if next year will be uncapped or not, if not most likely the cap will go up about 8 mil. So there will be plenty of money.

Inside push is what really unnerves NFL QB's, please take care of Wilfork. Inside LB's make a statement, outside LB's get the press. Stick it Panthersfan : are other team's injuries the only way you guys can relate? Sad.

Inside push is what really unnerves NFL QB's, please take care of Wilfork. Inside LB's make a statement, outside LB's get the press. Stick it Panthersfan : are other team's injuries the only way you guys can relate? Sad.

Anyone out there who would rather have Jason Taylor over Julius Peppers has flat out no idea what they're talking about. You're trying to build a football team, not a retirement home.

From the Charlotte Observer -

Panthers: No Peppers deal, or talks
Panthers general manager Marty Hurney issued a statement through team spokesman Charlie Dayton tonight denying an NFL.com report that the team was working on a trade to send franchise free agent Julius Peppers to the New England Patriots for a second-round draft pick.

"By the rules of the CBA, we cannot and have not had any conversations with other teams about julius," said Hurney. "Under the non-exclusive franchise tag, Julius and his agent, Carl Carey, are within their rights to talk to other teams about a potential contract. However, at this point, we are not aware of any such conversations."

Carey could not be reached for comment.

-- Charles Chandler

Posted by Observer Sports on March 16, 2009 at 06:53 PM | Permalink

Cap era so they cannot be the Yanks. Some people are stupid and jealous.

me, you're a fool. CUE THE DUCKBOATS!!!!

P-A-T-S, PATS, PATS PATS!!!!! Go PATS!!!

Of course the Panthers are denying this trade, if it goes through it technically means they are re-building which tells their fans... "don't buy season tickets or merchandise". The team has to save face and still try to make money and keeping this under wraps means that Peppers is exploring his options with the Pats right now, pretty much telling Carolina there is no way in hell he is playing for them in 2009.

If this trade goes through it will mean big things for Pats fans, the defense is already 100% better than last year with the additions of Springs and Bodden, losing Vrabel did hurt a bit, but setting up this deal would be a huge addition for the D. We are talking about a great offensive team now having a tremendous defense...no more shootouts, the games will be 52-0 or 48-3 if this keeps up. Think about how good we were from 2001-2005 defensively and Brady had no weapons, this team has given Brady weapons and will be a Defense as good if not better than those 3 Super Bowl winning teams. A scary proposition for any team trying to end the decade winning against the pats - Steelers fans better watch out, the real team of the decade is back !!!

Please keep in mind fans, Peppers has yet to sign the franchise tender that would trigger the guaranteed salary for 2009 in excess of $16 mill. The trade will be contingent on Peppers agreeing on a new contract which should be constructed with the CBA expiration in 2011 in mind. I would think that the trade will not be a straight up 2nd rounder for him; there will have to be future considerations to make sure that the Pats are not renting this man for one year in exchange for what is virtually a 1st round pick. I fully expect an exhange of 5th rounders this year and a conditional pick next year. Remember to never buy into paper teams people. The potential is great, but the games still must be played. By the looks of things, they are constructing an 'all weather' team that can run the ball down your throat or burn you down the field.

good, b

Peppers is a DE not an OLB. The Panthers have him slotted correctly at that position. Jevon Kearse when he came into the league was the only player of that size who could have made the switch from DE to OLB before he suffered multiple injuries. Even if Peppers is acquired and was unbelievable at OLB, the Pats biggest needs are in the secondary. He can be physically dominated at times (games against the Steelers last year and Cardinals in the playoffs). Not sure if this is really good value for $16 million....

To all that have commented here, I thank GOD ALMIGHTY, you have nothing to do with rebuilding the Pats............

The pats seem to make all players better when they suit up in the red white and blue . Players want to come to new england because we win.. See ya soon julius.

Sorry to burst the bubble of all you hyperventilating fans that have obviously never watched Peppers play. He is extremely overrrated, and this is coming from a Pats fan who moved to Charlotte 12 years ago. I watch him take most plays off every Sunday playing for the Panthers and am now sick to my stomach thinking about him putting on a Pats uni. He is a physical freak of nature with no desire. Maybe Bill can light a fire under him, but I doubt it.

I see this trade happening from a financial standpoint if the Pats can sign Peppers to a long term contract where the guaranteed money is at least equal to the $16.6 million Peppers would have received under the franchise tag. This would make it worthwhile for Peppers to sign a reasonable long term contract.

I hope Cutler goes to the Jets so we can serve him some Seymour Thomas sandwich with a topping of Mayo and Peppers.

This would be an UNBELIEVEABLE pick up. I've watched this guy every week since he's been a rookie. He's a beast. Absolutely NO ONE will be able to match up with us next year...

Don't worry about the salary cap your scum bag owner Krafty runs the league
and he will con the system again.(Tuck rule,Belecheat films and now the
Medoff ponzi scheme)

Where are all the morons who were complaining and whining about "only" getting a second rounder for Matt Cassel? Suddenly, that trade doesn't look so bad.

They did a bunch of things:
• Cleared cap room by sending Vrabel to KC
• Decided to switch to a 4-3 defense (I'm guessing, but that's what all this points to) to get more heat on the passer from up front
• With the cap space, trade for Peppers, and give Carolina the 2nd rounder they got for Cassel.
• Then they draft another LB in April.

Suddenly, they've just gotten better, younger, and faster, and they have some leverage vs. Seymour & Wilfork. They won't be able to sign both and keep Peppers, but maybe. If not, and one of those guys walks, they keep Peppers and switch back to a 4-3 after grabbing another LB in the '10 draft. Plus, Mayo & LB-from-09-draft get another year under their belts.

Yeah, maybe, just maybe, BB knows what he's doing. Or he Forrest Gumped his way to 5 AFC title games, 4 AFC title wins, and 3 SB's.....

1. we CAN afford him, he would only come to the Pats with a long term deal in place...something around 10 million per year with a large signing bonus
2. he CAN adjust to OLB he is a freak of an athlete, and he wants to leave because he WANTS to play OLB
3. Since he would have a long term contract we would still have some cap space to resign wilfork....seymour on the other hand is all but gone(granted he has been injured alot lately but id still be sad to see him go)
4. This trade still allows us to draft a Maualuga or Matthews hell we can have both still but we wouldnt do that becuase we'll probably get an D-Lineman or O-Lineman in th 2nd
5. Our front 7 would be rediculous when considering who we would draft...hence bolsterin the defensive secondary making springs and bodden look better when both are already big upgrades over what we had last season.
6. We do this deal, draft well as we always do...we will be a machine on both sides of the ball....i also like the galloway signing
7. The RICH get Richer

Go Pats

Get him or not, thank God our team wants to win. I can't imagine being from Oakland or Detroit.

In Bill We Trust

Oh wait, and the Jets still have Kellen Clemens as their starting quarterback. Can anyone say total AFC East domination again???

I dont care for an undefeated season(but its always great to imagine it), but i rather lose 1 or 2 games and win the superbowl. If this trade goes through then we finally have a Pass Rusher! All you haters STFU dont be mad that your team sucks!!

He can be fit under this years cap. and then have a huge roster bounus next year. Next year is an uncapped year and the pats are going to take advantage of it.

I have to disagree with the last paragraph of the article. Don't get me wrong - I would love to see Peppers here - but if the 2nd round draft pick to Carolina was a key to making the deal, could that possibly be why the Pats didn't look for a first rounder for Vrabel and Cassell? Couldn't they have subsequently traded the first round pick to almost any other team for a 2nd rounder this year AND maybe a 4th or 5th rounder in 2010? That would have left them with the 2nd round pick to trade to Carolina and an extra pick.

Posted by Elvis March 16, 09 03:48 PM>>

Elvis, the stupidity of your comment stands alone.

1- There is no salary cap in baseball and the Yankees OUTSPEND the second closest team by over 100 MILLION.
2- In Football , there IS a salary cap....the Patriots spend simply their money MORE WISELY and economically than 99% of the other teams . Moron

only other team in their class when it comes to wise spending)

What the Faulk? I truly can see something like this happening and all the advantages coming with it.

However, Peppers would be a huge hit against the cap versus moving up in the draft to take Curry and have him far longer then Peppers. Plus we can screw Magina.

Seymour cannot under perform as he is in the last year of his contract. He needs to perform so other teams will akte him for big money when he is a FA:

Definitely a great move, we have never had a great pass rusher on this team like Peppers is. He is going to add something to the D that no Pats team has had yet in its three super bowls wins. This will be a nasty combination that Pats are putting together with Peppers sure to force qbs into quick passes right into our newly minted secondary! Bodden is gonna have a great year!

Extend the most productive (arguably the best) player in the NFL please!!
What this guy does DOESN'T SHOW UP IN THE STAT SHEET!!!
If he walks because of this Peppers deal, it will be a horrible decision.

Julius or Jason either way you can't lose.

Seymour to KC for a 4 this year and a 1 in 2010.

Everyone questioning whether or not he's athletic enough or whether he could make it in the 3-4 is ridiculous. He's one of the most athletic defensive players in the league, and I'm confident he can learn a new D and anyone who thinks differently is a silly gremlin who's never played football.

Another possibility for cap room is someone we may have forgotten,( mostly because he hasn't been seen in a while) but is it totally unreasonable that Fred Taylor, Morris, and Faulk make up for any productivity that might be had from the often injured,East/West running Laurence Maroney?????

Patriots will pay them if they are worth it ... if Peppers wants a $40M bonus, forget it. But if he signs for a cap efficient deal, it can happen. It is up to him. Patriots ask their players to sacrifice a little for being on a winning team -- it's on Peppers if he wants to.

Mr. Peppers is one guy, one guy does not make a team as we saw what Matt did last year. Mr. Peppers would be a great asset to a great team on and off the field, he would push the good players to be great and the great players to be world class. If the Pats get him, that would be great, if the pats don't get him, they will make due some how as they usually dop.

Yeah, it's an interesting thought. Peppers is a beast, but I'm not sure he fits into the Patriots scheme / under the salary cap. We'll see.

how is the cassel trade looking now?

This was the plan all along. BB knew what he was doing. This fearsome, fearsome!!!

of course the Panthers deny this deal. They're not even ALLOWED to go through with the deal yet, even if it was on the table.

well that does it..., in the words of Denny Green "go ahead and crown our asses!"

I keep asking the same question and I have yet to get anyone to provide any substantive answer. How does the stornfg possibility of an uncapped year after this year affect strategies re the cap--signing free agents and structuring deals for vets and new comers?
I have to believe that this plays into the Pats strategy this off season. It will be intersting to see if the Pats trade draft picks for future consideration.

thanks in advance for any insight here

Think - they would have traded Matt Cassel for JULIUS PEPPERS. If you thought this could happen at the beginning of the preseason last season, you're out of your mind.

I didn't like the fact that they turned down a better pick, but I thought they wanted to clear cap room ASAP and that time was more important than value, which has worked in their favor.

This, though, is madness. Wow.

I don't know -- Patriots have had mixed results signing bigger money free agents, like Adalius Thomas.

Next year is the last year of the salary cap in the NFL, unless it somehow is extended with the new CBA. IF the Patsis can pull the deal off and get Peppers under the cap for this year, you'll be home free. He'll be signed long term with a back loaded contract that should produce a few more finger charms for your fans.
You can thank the Panthers for the love trade of the century! Most teams would only trade him to some outcast organization like the Lions or Raiders where he would slip through the cracks of mediocraty and a series of losing seasons to end his career. At least in this scenario, he can prosper with a reputable team and a Hall of Fame Coach that can utilize him in greater ways. Good luck!!!!

Peppers will have to sign a long-er term deal than the 16million 1 year deal he has now. my opinion is if we get him pierre woods is expendable. I like Banta-Cain, Thomas, Bruschi, Mayo, Peppers, and Wright as a core group. Woods is on the out. Plus Maroney is dead weight at this point on my depth chart Taylor, Faulk and Morris are all more valuable than he is plus more durable. I like to get Samari Rolle who just got cut from the ravens but Tank Williams signing seemed to shut that out. Seems we are packed at Safety and Corner now there is a logjam actually. Also word is Seymour may be on his way out. Just my opinion i think Seymour should stay, get rid of pierre woods and your lowest safety or cb on the depth chart. We are taking it all if we get peppers FTW

Gotta have me some Peppers to go with my Mayo and Bruschi!Now thats some good eating and drinking!

all great ,but has anyone seen Tom Bunchun?Is he even in this country?As long as he's with Giselle-the woman who singlehandely jinxed his career don't think he'll play at the level he once did.Thanks Giselle!!!

For just the 34th pick, ok! I was on a roll yesterday. Now go after "Ocho Sinco" or what ever he calls himself!!!!!!!!!

This is a huuuuuge smoke screen.

There is no way that the Pats are going to pay Peppers the type of money he will want. Just not going to happen. Jason Taylor is the smart play here and retain the 34th pick... rebuild from with in.

Peppers is good, but the Pats need to sign Wilfork first! He is the key to making the 3-4 work by holding up the middle of the field so the 'backers can come in and make their plays. Players of wilfork's caliber don't come along every day any more than Peppers, but Wilfork is the bird in the hand who is not get franchised for over $16MM/season.

Elvis sounds like a Bronco's fan to me......

Carl Parisien Natick MA says: wow. that would be one heckuva deal. All depemds on the price.

CUTLER is the biggest d-bag in the league replacing brett "im an attention wh0re" farve

Where did this "Peppers only cares about money" sentiment come from? He turned down a huge contract last year, and hasn't signed a $15mil one year deal, How does that make him about money?

I'll admit that people should be semi-cautious given that he quit on the Panthers in 07. But, he rebounded quite nicely in 08.

Furthermore, do any of you honestly think that the Pats pursue a player without knowing EVERYTHING about him? Come on people, you're talking about one of the most thorough, attention to detail focused men I've ever heard of. If they want him, there are plenty of reasons why.

Did someone really call AD over-priced and over-hyped?? OH MY GOD...My head is about to literally split in 2. In Baltimore, he was given a lot more freedom and ability to rush the passer. In NE, they have asked him to do a MULTITUDE of thigs. He's played all 4 backer spots, he's played extremely well while moving around too. He played while hurt pretty significantly, and then an injury finished him. And, what happened to the defense then? You need to get a clue buddy.

And the rest of you. Yes, YOU! Show some loyalty. Seymour has been a monster his whole time here. Yes, he's had some back luck with injuries the past few years, but he is widely regarded as on of the best d-linemen in football RIGHT NOW by people that matter...other players. He is an extremely disruptive force. Sure, get rid of him, let him go to a team that lets the d-lineman attack, and watch him put up 10-15 sacks while everyone asks "why couldn't he do that here?" He has a few jobs here. #1: occupy linemen AT ALL COST. Preferably 2 or 3. #2: do your job, and set the edge. He does these jobs extremely well and they have many ramifications. It frees up the backers, gives Vince a little room, eliminates cutbacks alleys, and costs him the opportunity to pin his ears back and go after the QB. His skills are not declining, he had to do more as the people around him could do less and less.

Type your comment here...

NOT GONNA HAPPEN
he'll want to much
DON'T REALLY NEED HIM ANYWAY
FINED SOME BODY IN THE DRAFT

Taylor rather than Peppers? Please. My faith in the knowledge of Patriots nation is waning

I think this is a story that was put up to drive the cost Up for Peppers by the Panthers My recolection of him is him being on his back on the Relaint Stadium field at the Superbowl. Romeo and Bill played played him like a sucker and was a none factor in that game. We can not afford him unless he wants to play here on the cheap for which I doubt. If by chance he does come here watch BB go after ad line men in the draft to replace both Big Sey and Vince because they are both gone after this season . A better plan is to draft some new backers and pay Vince and Mankins market value. .Good to see Tank back I think if healthy will be a big help this year.

We need to do something, after having to watch Seymour and Warren dance with offensive linemen last year while Qb's had all day to pick us apart. Lousy pass rush was what killed us last year

I'm reading some of these comments and wondering what's in the water in NE.. This is a no brainer!! The Pats pass rush disappeared in recent years, if you have the opportunity to bring in one of the leagues PREMIER rushers how is that not a good deal? clearly the Pats feel they can squeeze him in somewhere.. This is why they brought in Floyd Reese, he is a master of contracts and salary cap. BB has been targeting Peppers for awhile.. It's potential moves like this that makes being a Patriot fans these days absolutely sublime...

ok just think of this....the pats do get peppers and use the pick SD gave them(1st pick of the second round).now....here we go.PATS trade their first round(23) i believe ,a number 2 pick as well.(we have 3) and a third round pick or maybe not and send that to KC and we take the number 3 overall pick from them.... LB CURRY!!!1 LIghts OUT BABY if we pull that off....him and mayo two studs with peppers and thomas lots of class guys to learn from and or cbs,just got much better and draft one..we would win 2 out of the 3 next superbowls.... heard it here first...!

Say goodbye to Mr. Seymour after this season, with Pep moving up to DE.

I could see Peppers being used in the elephant like Willie Mcginnis.

Opponants offences will have to keep their TE in to block on every down so Peppers cover skills will not matter much.

Sounds like the Patriots are banking on an uncapped year in 2010, which would allow them to sign players at prices they normally wouldn't sign them for, with much of the money being paid in 2010.

To get Peppers in under the cap is going to be tricky. With Moss, they restructured Brady (and gave him more money) to fit Moss in under the cap, and then they were able to put the re-worked contract into play for Moss.

I thought earlier that R. Seymour would be leaving for money reasons.
Now it looks more likely.
I did not see anyone comment that J. Peppers might play DE for the Pats, not OLB. If R. Seymour is traded or released.
DavidSeattle

The Pats are going to have to come up with more than a second round draft pick. And Wilfork can wait around to see how much Peppers signs for and then decide if the Pats get to pay him now or some other team can pay him later.

"I have that last year, and I'm preparing to play and play well. It's not going to change me. But they know the longer it takes the more it costs."
Boston Globe - 2/11/09

I thought earlier that R. Seymour would be leaving for money reasons.
Now it looks more likely.
I did not see anyone comment that J. Peppers might play DE for the Pats, not OLB. If R. Seymour is traded or released.
DavidSeattle

I thought earlier that R. Seymour would be leaving for money reasons.
Now it looks more likely.
I did not see anyone comment that J. Peppers might play DE for the Pats, not OLB. If R. Seymour is traded or released.
DavidSeattle

The Pats are going to have to come up with more than a second round draft pick. And Wilfork can wait around to see how much Peppers signs for and then decide if the Pats get to pay him now or some other team can pay him later.

"I have that last year, and I'm preparing to play and play well. It's not going to change me. But they know the longer it takes the more it costs."
Boston Globe - 2/11/09

Do some of you really question whether Peppers can play in a 3-4? He'll be doing one thing: rushing the passer. How often did you see McGinest drop into coverage? Adding him would make our defense absolutely dominant, plain and simple. That said, I do not see this deal happening, for two reasons. First, we do not have the cap space to sign him, regardless of whether or not his contract winds up being less than 16.8 million. He will command at least 8-10 million. Second, the franchise is not in the habit of leaking potential blockbuster trade deals to the media. I hope that I'm wrong, but this seems like a disinfo campaign.

All i can say here is hmmmmmm, Peppers eh, put some pepper in the eyes of the rest of the AFC East and let us win. 18-0, better yet 36-0, better better yet 54-0. yeaaaaaaaah

bottom line peppers is a beast, he would play out of his mind for the pats, if u can get a talent like this for only a 2nd rd pick you absolutely do it. I hope it happens, GET IT DONE PATS!!!

Brilliant, brilliant potential move, and it's two-fold. One, is the obvious impact player on defense, which they only have 2 right now (Wilfork, Thomas). Two, this is a shot across the bow of Seymour. He will HAVE TO play his @ss off opposite Peppers to get his next contract, so the Pats will get at least one all world year out of him. Then, they can say goodbye to Seymour and watch him underachieve with someone else.

seymour saves 3.4m against the cap if hes cut

id much rather see them cut ellis hobbs and save 2.3mm on the cap and restructure kevin faulks 3.1mm cap hit

other possibilities are matt light (3.8mm) and jarvis green (2.3mm)

Peppers, 27, is a great upgrade. But it needs Big Contract. Pats already spent big on WR, CB, another CB, TE, etc. Cap room is @ $6-10M, not enough.

Sombody Must Go. This Year (Mauroney) and Next Year (Seymour). So we hear trade rumors on Mauroney & Vince is pissed. Manny being Manny 2.

Pepper??? I loved him with the Giants...isn't he really old by now???
Posted by michael March 16, 09 03:55 PM

This post caught my eye and I had to laugh.

Great move! There aren't any shut-down corners left on the market or even on the trade block. The best way to protect your DB's is to have a great pass rushing D. Peppers with Thomas back and Banta Cain back in town is a 3 headed monster. Very good to see this. I have a feeling that we will be seeing far more 4-3 alignments next year to mimmick how successful the Giants D has been the last few years.
Very excited for this season to get going!

WE NEED TO GET THIS DONE!!!! GO PATRIOTS

I interpret the wording of Carolina's obligatory "denial" as further evidence that talks are well underway. Carucci, like MikeR has a pretty solid rep., too.

I'm with Sriram 192 and others saying it seems up to Peppers and his agent now.

Like them or not, Pats Fans sure be eternally grateful that Kraft and BB have built such a franchise that attract veterans like Randy Moss to make cap-friendly deals in exchange for a real shot at a ring.

Hurry September!

Hmmmm, I think this would be an obvious upgrade. Peppers is a freak who could make the transition better than people think. He is problably the most athletically gifted defensive end in the NFL so a switch to OLB in the 3-4 should not be a problem. Do you guys know how many players switch to OLB from DE. A lot! And they are not even close to the athlete that Peppers is! If they get Peppers and maybe James Laurinaitis is the draft (Its almost a guarantee that he will be there at 23 and is problably the most NFL ready LB in the draft-would have been a top ten pick in last years draft) than that would be an instant upgrade. Getting Delmas in the draft as we;; as an OT would help a wole bunch as well. I think they should save their second rounder and load up on youth in the draft and sign Jason Taylor instead though. With their first rounder and three second rounders AND Jason Taylor? Wow! Taylor could problably man the outside next year while helping groom a good rookie linebacker likeSintlm. Imagine them getting Laurinaitis, Sintlm, Delmas and A tackle like Beatty or a WR like Britt or maybe even a RB like Shonn Greene? Green could be the thunder to Maroneys lightning and have almsot like a athletic Mike Alstott effect. Jason Taylor on the outside would still be an upgrade over Vrabel.

Hey, I seem to remember another former Patriot who used to take off plays with his former team: Corey Dillon?! And wasnt he a MODEL citizen right up until he left, even though being disgruntled towards the end?? And how about the slacking, over-rated "has-been", the "cancer" for any team- RANDY MOSS?!?!? That was a dumb trade too, right? Same goes for the "dangerous, problematic" Merriweather... You guys just gotta understand - BB has a way with these guys, and can keep thier egos under check.

This is the power move that I've been expecting all off-season...I knew that the trade with Cassel and Vrabel was just the proverbial tip of the Iceberg. I could sense there was something major about to happen but not this! I hope this deal is done quickly and They can continue to piece together the Championship Team we've been starving for! Good Luck on getting this thing done :o)

In Bill We Trust

I don't like the deal. I think Julius Peppers is nowhere near as good as he was a few years ago. He's not dominant. Maybe you haven't seen much of him but he was real bad against the Cardinals in the playoffs...pretty much a no show. I don't like his attitude.

Make this deal only if its for the pick we have from the cassel/vrabel trade.