Peppers makes a clear statement

Tagging and trading was never a likely scenario. Either we were going to get a long term deal done, he was going to be franchised, or he was going to go somewhere else.

 

Dropping $17 mil on anyone at this point is out of the question. Even if you "think" someone will trade for him.

The team has other needs.

 

You're fucked.

 

Unfortunately Fox can't do it simply because it would destroy the locker room if an entire franchise got restructured to suit one player. But here's a very realistic scenario:

1) Peppers leaves for a huge contract elsewhere, while the Panthers may or may not get something out of it. I suspect that we won't do better than a second round pick and maybe a player in return.

2) A team with no Peppers, a struggling Delhomme, and a much tougher schedule goes 6-10 next season.

3) Mark Richardson decides to make a change for 2010, replacing Fox & possibly Hurney. The new coach's defensive system is not nearly as restrictive as Fox's had been.

4) 2010 begins with a system that might have suited Peppers, only he's playing elsewhere for the remainder of his career.

5) Peppers goes on to be one of the most dominating pass rushers in the league, eventually heading into the Hall of Fame wearing another uniform. Meanwhile the Panthers never find another defensive superstar who is so talented, hard-working, and ego-free.

 

Yeah, scheme isn't a huge problem. We have talent. It's not time, IMO, to go to something exotic or change philosophies.

I have no idea what we should do here, FWIW. Tagging/trading is something I was on record against. Now, it does sound interesting, but it's horribly, horribly risky. If we take that money we had expected to set aside, and do something smart with it, we'll be fine.

 

I think I just threw up a little

 

Can't buy into the ego free part. Who do you suppose carried a good deal of weight in saying that Jenkins needed to go? I have a guess. Now, Jenkins is gone but that's not good enough. I mean, seriously, screw Peppers. Let's get what we can get and move on.

 

Tell me more about how Fox's system is restricting Peppers.

 

Fox, undoubtedly. I've never heard of Peppers and Jenkins not getting along. Actually I've never heard of Peppers demanding anything. All his teammates say that he's the most ego-free superstar they've ever been around. He is truly one of a kind, and that's why it sucks so hard to see him go.

Pretty obvious, and something that has been discussed on this board numerous times. Not only is he asked to drop or do other things instead of just rushing the passer, but Fox's scheme is pretty restrictive in terms of the assignments each player is supposed to carry out. For instance, at LDE Peppers had to check the back on many plays before he could then get upfield. That's not a completely bad thing because it generally means that you don't leave players unaccounted for and you don't get caught out of position with freelancing, but I can see how it would feel stifling to someone with his amazing talent. You put Peppers in a system like the ones used in Baltimore, Indianapolis, or New England where players have more freedom to react and I think he'd be incredible.

 

I don't know if there's any evidence of that.
About as close as you could stretch that is Peppers saying that he couldn't be the leader he could be with Rucker there (which you could take a stab to mean that Jenkins' attitude made it harder to be vocal), but I never found that a good reason to take action one way or the other for Peppers' leadership and I wouldn't go anywhere near that stretch.

I doubt the team wanted Jenkins to go, either, for what it's worth. I believe they made the move they had to make based on his divisiveness, habits, injuries, and other factors that made Jenkins unhappy he wasn't going to get another contract.