Julius Peppers is a hot item

BasX · Mar 2, 2009

"There are plenty of ways the Patriots can spend the money they saved by trading Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs.

They can extend Vince Wilfork and Logan Mankins. They can chase a free agent like Ray Lewis or Laveranues Coles. They can trade up and make a high first-round pick rich.

Or they can boldly target the one player who would stop any head scratching over the seemingly one-sided Chiefs deal:

Julius Peppers.

The Carolina defensive end is the biggest name on the market, and he’s pretty much everything the Patriots seek.

The four-time Pro Bowler is a pass rushing demon who already has said he’s “maxed out” in the 4-3 and would like to switch to outside linebacker in a 3-4.

The Panthers captain is considered an outstanding locker room presence who is trying to orchestrate his exit from Carolina with minimal rancor after being franchised for $16.7 million.

And at age 29, he still is well within his prime and capable of remaining an impact defender for another four years.

With all due respect to those who believe corner is the team’s No. 1 offseason need, there aren’t any standouts on the market. The presence of Peppers would immediately legitimize a spotty pass rush and mark the biggest step in the overhaul of an aging defense.

So can it happen? The Patriots have proved pretty much anything is possible, which should be apparent every time No. 81 streaks down the sidelines. And while clear impediments exist, there’s enough there to at least make it plausible.

The intrigue surrounding Peppers and the Patriots is fascinating. With his contract set to expire, he issued a statement six weeks ago requesting the Panthers let him go elsewhere. Assuming he would be franchised, he provided a list of four teams to which he would accept a trade: the Cowboys, two in the NFC South, and one in the AFC.

Many believe the AFC team is the Patriots, who are considered the holy grail of virtually every title-starved veteran. Making matters even more interesting is that the Cowboys lack a first-round pick and the Panthers would prefer not to trade Peppers within the division, leaving the mystery AFC team with an advantage."
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Julius Peppers is a hot item

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