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Peppers Ready to Bounce out of Carolina

Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers has made his thoughts known and it's obvious that he is on his way out of town.  Espn's reporter, Adam Schefter, said a few weeks ago that Peppers was not pleased with the way the Panthers were handling his contract situation.  The Panthers have not contacted Peppers about the contract, or even spoke to him about retaining his services.  Last year, Peppers was not pleased with having the franchise tag placed on him, and apparently he will get his wish this year and be able to move on.  Peppers desperately wants a long-term deal and would like to make more than the $18 million he made while under the franchise tag.  If Carolina decides to place the franchise tag on Peppers, it would cost them roughly $21.8 million.  

There are plenty of teams out there that could use his services this upcoming season, but it's a matter of who is willing to fork out the cash.  Peppers will most likely want a 4-7 year contract, and I don't really know who would want to commit that type of money to a player who would turn 37 by the end of that contract.  Peppers is no doubt going to be a huge asset to any team that signs him, but I just don't think the money that he wants is going to be there.  Look for the New England Patriots, who desperately need help with the pass rush, or even the Oakland Raiders since they love to overpay for talent. 

Frustrated Roger Goodell Expects Uncapped Season

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that unless an agreement is reached between the Players' Association, that there will be an uncapped season in 2010, unfortunately.  Although it sounds good for players, this is a huge blow for a league that has kept good standing with their players.  This season will be hard for players that have been in the league for less than six years and were planning on cashing in on a huge payday.  According to the rules of an uncapped season, players that have less than six years experience in the league will be considered restricted free agents.  This is amendment to the rule of four years experience and will cause certain players to remain with their teams for better or worse.  Players such as Denver Broncos WR Brandon Marshall, who is at odds with his team, are less likely to be given huge contracts because of the restricted label.  Because of this restricted label, teams wanting to sign the players are forced to give some sort of compensation for the team's loss and this will very well be the sticking point for any contract that is offered to free agents.  This uncapped year is not only going to hurt restricted free agents, but also some of the big name unrestricted free agents, such as Pro Bowl DE Julius Peppers.    Peppers has been at odds with the Carolina Panthers and it is believed that they will allow him to walk without placing the franchise tag on him.  The problem is, that with an uncapped season, the Final Eight Plan comes into affect.  The Final Eight Plan stipulates that the eight clubs that make the Divisional Playoffs in the previous season have additional restrictions that limit their ability to sign unrestricted free agents from other clubs  The catch is, that these teams can not sign unrestricted free agents until an unrestricted free agent is signed away from their team and in the case of all final eight teams, the first year salary of any unrestricted free agent signed to replace those lost can't exceed the first year salary of the player lost.  This is something that few are really grasping because everyone believes that it is going to be a "free-for-all" and all these teams will get better when that just simply is not the case.  The best thing for the league is a Collective Bargaining Agreement. There is nothing good that will come from an uncapped year next year and the likelihood of a lockout the year after.  

NFL: Games to Watch

1PM: Jacksonville Jaguars(7-7) vs. New England Patriots(9-5)

The New England Patriots are looking to clinch the AFC East title with a win against a team whose faint playoff hopes hang in the balance.  The Jaguars are hoping for a win and losses by both the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens.  Jaguars QB, David Garrard, is having a less than stellar year, as he is ranked at the bottom of the list in touchdowns thrown by a QB who has started all games.  Jaguars RB, Maurice Jones-Drew, will look to establish the running game against a defense that allows 109 yards per game on the ground.  Jones-Drew is having a great year, as he has rushed for 15 touchdowns on 1,246 yards rushing. 

Carolina Panthers(6-8) vs. New York Giants(8-6)

As I have said before, the New York Giants are in a most win situation against a team that played extremely well last week against the Minnesota Vikings.  Led by a Julius Peppers' pass rushing attack, the Panthers caused all sorts of problems for Vikings QB Brett Favre.  New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs will look to set the tone early against a team that has played poorly against the run.  Carolina is allowing over 130 yards on the ground per game. QB Eli Manning is also looking to have a good day, as he needs only 179 yards passing to set a new career high for yards in a season.  The Giants secondary will have their hands full with always dangerous Panthers WR Steve Smith, as they play with out top cornerback Corey Webster.  With the Panthers leading rusher, DeAngelo Williams, most likely sitting out due to injury, Jonathan Stewart will get the start.

Update: 1:48PM Giants down 10-0 on a 29 yard run by Jonathan Stewart... Giants not playing with any sense of urgency in their final game ever at Giants Stadium.

Baltimore Ravens(8-6) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers(7-7)

The Ravens will clinch a playoff-berth with a win and a loss by Jacksonville and the New York Jets.  Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will look to pass his way to a victory as he did last week when he threw for a franchise-record 503 passing yards on 29 or 46 passing.  Ravens QB, Joe Flacco, will look to have another good game against the Steelers.  Last time they met, Flacco threw for 289 yards and a TD.

  Update: 1:50PM Steelers up 13-3 on a 4 yard rush by Rashard Mendenhall.