Can the Panthers Give Peppers Big Money?

I’ve sung the praises of the people over at the Charlotte Gazette for awhile now.  Their work this week has been particularly inspiring, and other local newspapers would do well to take a page from their play book (newspaper?) in the future.  This particular piece takes on the issue of whether or not the Carolina Panthers should give Julius Peppers a huge contract extension this offseason.  On one hand, if the Panthers don’t give Peppers the extension, they risk losing one of the best pass rushers in the game.  On the other hand, if the Panthers re-sign Peppers now, what are they really buying?

Would the Panthers be signing the Julius Peppers they knew for the first amazing years of his career?  Are they signing the beast who comes close to leading the lead in sacks every season?  Or are they signing the player who only logged 2.5 sacks last year?  This is an important question, and one the Panthers surely cannot answer right now.  They are stuck between a rock and a hard place.  If they sign Peppers to a huge deal, then they run the risk of him never getting back to his old ways.  If they don’t, they run the risk of Peppers leaving the team and reverting to greatness.

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