Peppers Story Isn’t Over

We’ve been reporting on the Julius Peppers saga for months now, and it’s just as aggravating to Panthers fans as it probably is to Peppers himself that the defensive end still remains in Carolina. The free agency is old news, the NFL Draft is getting to be old news and yet Peppers still hasn’t been granted his wishes of being traded to another team in the league. With the Panthers’ minicamp coming up and preseason training starting to take form, it’s going to be very interesting to see how the Peppers deal works out, as reports are now actually considering that Julius Peppers will remain a Panther for another round of NFL action.

Because no teams have been willing to give the Panthers two first-round draft picks for Peppers, it appears as if Peppers’ best option for right now is to suck it up and go back to his team in Carolina for one more season. This would still give him his huge salary and let him prepare for free agency again next year, when he could likely score a better deal with another team. This doesn’t mean that Peppers will attend the team’s minicamp this weekend (as he most certainly won’t,) but in the meantime the Panthers have already started grooming his replacement - defensive end Everette Brown, who the team plucked from Florida State.

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Panthers Add More Players, Bring Total to 22

We reported yesterday on some of Carolina’s newest players and undrafted free agents who are all bringing their A game to the team’s upcoming minicamp, and the total as of this morning stands at 22 new players, including 20 rookies and two veterans. While the gem of this bunch has been speculated to be tackle Gerald Cadogan of Penn State, there are several more potential big guns in the field, as well.

In a list of five more players signed to the Panthers yesterday, another standout player to join John Fox and Co. in the upcoming weeks is 6-foot-2, 317-pound center Justin Geisinger, a former sixth-round draft pick from Vanderbilt who has previously played with Washington, Buffalo and Tennessee. Also joining the Panthers yesterday was veteran Marcus Monk, a former Arkansas wideout who joined training camp with both Chicago and New York last year. The three more rookies to round out Carolina’s 22 signings include Garry Williams (tackle from Kentucky), Derrick Clark (cornerback from Idaho State) and Mike Juergens (linebacker out of Wyoming.) The Panthers have more than compensated for their lack of movement during the free agency, but will more players soon be added to the team’s roster? Stay tuned to find out!

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Carolina Quickly Rakes in Undrafted Free Agents

Now that the NFL Draft is over, teams across the league are snapping up undrafted free agents just as fast as they can. The Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers are some top teams that have taken a slew of rookies under their belts, and today we’ll unleash the dirt on this new batch of Carolina Panthers.

•Kevin Brock, TE, Rutgers: Started just six games (of 13) last year for Rutgers, but caught 26 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns in this tenure.
•Nick Sundberg, LS, California: Spent four years as Cal’s long snapper – will he replace yet-unsigned veteran free agent Jason Kyle?
•Gerald Cadogan, OT, Penn State: A 6’5”, 309-pound tackle that will play backup for Jordan Gross. He came in at the fourth best offensive lineman in February’s Combine.
•Hunter Cantwell, QB, Louisville: Stepped into the limelight after teammate Brian Brohm left Louisville for the Packers last season. He’ll be QB No. 4 in line behind Jake Delhomme, Josh McCown and Matt Moore.
•C.J. Davis, OL, Pittsburgh: Started seven games at left guard last year for Pitt before taking over the open position at center.
•Brit Miller, LB, Illinois: Led the Big Ten in tackling last year – had 132 tackles from middle linebacker.

Other players signed by the Panthers include: Anthony Scirrotto, S, Penn State; Justin Kershaw, DT, Michigan State; Anthony Heygood, LB, Purdue; Keith Grey, OL, Connecticut; Marlon Favorite, DT, LSU; Jason Cherry, WR, Louisiana-Lafayette; and Patrick Brown, OT, Central Florida.

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Panthers Boost Defense with Draft Picks

Carolina’s tactic of upping offensive players in last year’s NFL draft proved highly successful for the Panthers, and at this year’s draft it was defensive players the Panthers were on the prowl for. In deals that brought defensive end Everette Brown, cornerbacks Sherrod Martin and Captain Munnerlyn and defensive tackle Corvey Irvin to Carolina, the Panthers traded away some crucial draft picks for next year in assuring the team’s rebuilding process goes smoothly this year after being hit hard in the offseason.

Carolina’s trades included the acquisition of DE Everette Brown (of Florida State) from San Francisco in exchange for the Panthers’ first-round pick in the 2010 Draft, and the team also traded its sixth-round pick for Oakland’s seventh-round pick this year and their sixth-round pick in 2010, taking CB Captain Munnerlyn with this newly-acquired 216th selection.

As for Julius Peppers, still nothing was done before or during the draft to ship him elsewhere. When prompted about what’s to come with Peppers, John Fox simply mentioned, “I have not communicated with him. We’ll keep you posted.” It’s yet unsure whether or not Peppers will show up at Friday’s minicamp.

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Delhomme Signs Extension

The Carolina Panthers haven’t wavered in declaring the team’s confidence in QB Jake Delhomme, and yesterday they put their money where their mouth was – in a big way. The Panthers offered Delhomme a five-year, $42.5 million contract extension that will make the quarterback a Panther through the 2014 season, stamping out any rumors or speculation that Delhomme is on his way out of Carolina. This $42.5 million deal (with $20 million guaranteed) is notably a relief for Delhomme, whose contract expires next year. The move also clears up salary cap space, as the QB was set to count against next year’s cap by $10 million.

In a recent news article, Jake Delhomme reinforced his feelings of remaining with the Panthers for five more years, saying, “It’s all about being able to know that I can finish my career here in Carolina. That’s what I’ve wanted, all I’ve ever wanted.”The Panthers still seem to be shopping around for backup quarterbacks (namely Bills QB J.P. Losman), but for now Delhomme will lead the pack with Josh McCown and Matt Moore as his backups. Here’s to five more years with Jake Delhomme!

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Carolina’s Offensive Needs

With the NFL Draft coming up in just a matter of days, the Carolina Panthers are about to come out of hibernation and kick it up a notch, and mock drafts are floating all around the internet trying to predict what the Panthers will do once they figure out the Julius Peppers situation. While the Panthers’ defensive needs will be largely affected by whether or not Peppers returns to the team, the team’s offensive needs for the draft are pretty basic.

When it comes to quarterbacks in the draft, the Panthers (surprisingly?) probably won’t be looking to add another one onto the team’s roster. Marty Hurney and John Fox have both made bold statements reinforcing their faith in Jake Delhomme for the long haul, and the team likely won’t waste a draft pick on another backup. It would seem as if the Panthers wouldn’t need running backs, either, considering the dynamic duo of Jonathan Stewart/DeAngelo Williams, but don’t be surprised if Carolina picks up another one late in the draft. Nick Goings is gone now, and the Panthers can’t afford to lose one of their two star running backs and not have a backup. More on the draft to follow!

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Still No Signs of Movement for Peppers, Panthers

It seems as if the Carolina Panthers have slept through the entire free agency. Not one player from another team has been signed by Carolina since free agency started, and now (unless a trade comes – and fast) it looks like the Panthers will be the last team in the league to pick in Saturday’s NFL Draft. The only thing at this point that could change any of this is the possibility that Julius Peppers will be traded before Saturday, and everything hinges on the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end.

The Panthers have the 59th overall pick in the second round of Saturday’s draft, and that late in the draft the most coveted draft prospects will likely be long gone. Carolina’s 59th overall pick marks the first time since 1999 that the Panthers haven’t had a first round pick, and this isn’t likely to change unless something happens quickly with the Julius Peppers trade. Because Peppers still hasn’t signed his franchise tender, however, things are tricky with his situation – everything still has to go through his agent, meaning nothing will be easily resolved.

The best Peppers could milk for his trade would be two first-round draft picks, and though this situation seems unlikely, the Panthers are preparing for anything. Panthers GM Marty Hurney recently said he would continue scouting first round picks in the case that the Peppers stalemate ends, saying, “You always prepare for everything. This time last year before the draft I couldn’t have told you that we were going to have two first rounders. But I think you’re always looking do things in the draft. That is part of the fun of it and the challenge of it.”

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Anderson, Salley Re-Sign with Panthers

The last of Carolina’s restricted free agents have re-signed with the team, giving the Panthers a small breather before they gear up for the rapidly approaching draft. Linebacker James Anderson and safety Nate Salley both signed RFA tenders yesterday, meaning they will both be back in Carolina for the 2009 NFL season. Both Salley and Anderson have seen ample field time as contributors to the Panthers’ special teams, and along with tight end Jeff King the trio rounds out the restricted free agents to make their way back to Charlotte for another year at Bank of America Stadium.

James Anderson was drafted in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech (88th overall), and though he was inactive for the first six games of the 2008 season, he came back to finish strong in the last six games of the Panthers’ regular season. Nate Salley, on the other hand, came to Carolina as a fourth round pick (121st overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, and while he spent most of 2007 on the injured reserve list after hurting his right knee, Salley came back strong last season and played in 16 games.

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Panthers Entertaining Idea of a Delhomme Successor?

Are Carolina Panthers fans and critics being too hard on QB Jake Delhomme, or is it time to get rid of the most controversial player on Carolina’s roster? This is not a black-and-white question, yet Carolina’s coaches have seemingly made their stance in this massive gray area. John Fox recently stated that Jake Delhomme will be the starting quarterback for the Panthers next year and for the long term, yet many football experts seem to believe that it would be worthwhile for the Panthers to check out West Virginia’s Pat White, who could help revive Carolina’s offense if Delhomme can’t.

Pat White is sure to be a hot commodity in this year’s NFL Draft, and he has been heavily recruited by several NFL teams over the last several weeks. White is a QB but also very versatile and could fit receiving or running back positions, making him a desirable pick for many teams in the league, including the Panthers. NFL analyst Mike Mayock recently made a statement regarding White, saying, “If I was a GM, I’d take him in the second round, use him as a ‘wildcat’ this year and try to develop him as a quarterback because I think he has that kind of ability.”

Will the Panthers take this advice and use up their first draft pick on the West Virginia all-star? We’re sure to find out. In the meantime, take a look at this poll from the Charlotte Observer that shows Carolina’s faith in Jake Delhomme. In a question asking if the Panthers should use their first draft pick (59th overall) on finding a successor for Delhomme, 54% of those polled answered ‘yes,’ to 29% saying ‘no’ and 17% saying ‘yes, but not in the second round.’

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No Hurry in Peppers Deal, Says Hurney

We reported yesterday on the latest news on the Julius Peppers front – which is absolutely nothing. No moves have been made to clear Peppers out of Charlotte, and Marty Hurney, the general manager of the Carolina Panthers, has backed up our suspicions that Peppers might have to spend one more dreadful year in Carolina. Because nothing has been worked out so far with the standout defensive end, the Panthers’ dwindling options basically come down to either trading Peppers for less profit than they expected or keeping him under wraps for one more year. The team has already been forced to let go of cornerback Ken Lucas and wide receiver D.J. Hackett to clear up salary cap space, and now GM Hurney is hinting that Peppers might actually be remaining with the Panthers for one more year.

Hurney recently made a statement to the media, saying, “We’ve known Julius for seven years, and it has been a good seven years. I think he knows how we feel, and we feel like he’s been happy here. And again, nothing has changed. We franchised him, and when we did, we knew there was a period for the process to take place. When that process goes through, then he’s going to be back.” Hurney seems confident about this development, and we’ll see shortly whether or not he’s right.

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