This would definitely justify the Pats settling for relatively little in the Cassell trade, for the sake of quickly freeing up cap space.
It doesnt make sense....Peppers is going to want a $100m deal and he wants that deal while moving to a new position(OLB in a 3-4)....how can a team, especially one as shrewd as the Pats, pay Peppers the most money ever for defensive player, to play a position hes never played before? That just seems like a stretch....if hes willing to sign a deal for a lot less, then I can see them trading their #1 pick for him(Belicheck prefers 2nds anyway)....
are people really questioning peppers' ability to play as a 3-4 outside linebacker? the guy is an absolute freak athletically and his main job in that spot would still be pass rushing. i don't see how he'd have any problems there.