Like Sands Through The Hour Glass, So Are The Days Of Julius Peppers

Julius Peppers has been a Panther from the day he was drafted. I know that's an obvious statement, but he is a Panther.

As fans, we see these guys come, and we see them go. The scenery may change, but the fans always remain.

Some players will make a career out of playing for the Panthers, while others will play in Charlotte for a while until the next big payday is offered from another team.

I am somewhat guilty of verbally running Peppers out of town on a rail, but at the same time, there was and is a part of me that does not want to see him go out the door to never return.

That is the part of me that has seen Peppers when he played great; when he pressured offensive lines and the quarterback.

Then there's the times I have seen Peppers look like an overpaid, underachieving defensive end who should be a second or third-stringer.

A lot of you reading this right now are probably doing so with blinders on, only remembering the good times and the games when Julius was awesome; but I remember the times when he played like a champ, and the times he was pushed around like a chump.

The Julius Peppers I know and love as an athlete, is the one who registered 14.5 sacks this season—the Peppers that did have 63 tackles, forced seven broken up passes, and recorded 29 quarterback hurries.

Then there was a part two of Peppers. That was his evil twin. That's the Peppers who gets pushed around, (figuratively speaking) shows up late in the game, if at all, and looks completely lost—like a little puppy. The Julius Peppers who, during the NFC Divisional Round against the Cardinals, was non-existent, off in another dimension, while being pushed around.

Peppers No. 2, the Panthers can do without.

But the real Julius Peppers is an amazing specimen of an athlete. He's very agile, fast, powerful, and plays smart. On the field he is a Panther; physically and spiritually, a Panther.

Now is a crucial time for the Panthers—not just for ownership, but fans, players, and coaching staff—as two very key guys are to become unrestricted free agents: Jordan Gross and Julius Peppers.

Statistically, both men played very well in the '09 season.

Peppers played throughout the season injury free, and without making any waves about his contract status and future—or lack thereof—with the Panthers. But it was painfully obvious as the season drew on, that Peppers' vague responses with members of the media were telling that his heart was somewhere else.

Jordan Gross played the season with a lot of heart, and also made no quandaries over his contract status and future with the Panthers. As the season came to a close, and since having ended, he has made it clear he wants to remain a Panther.

The issue facing Panthers' management, is they're caught between a rock and a hard place. Whichever decision they make with Peppers is going to hurt them.

They can franchise him and keep him for an exorbitant $17 million next season, but Peppers does not want to play for the Panthers, and forcing him to stay will sour the relationship between the owners and Peppers, which could in turn divide the locker room.

The Panthers may also choose to franchise him and trade him to another team willing to pay almost $17 million for a defensive end who has good games and bad games, but if that doesn't work they might be retaining what could be a disgruntled personality.

The other option the Panthers have is the craziest and least beneficial: Let Peppers go as a free agent, therefore getting nothing in return for him.

This is an all around losing situation for the Panthers, especially when after the deal is done, the free agent market for a defensive end of Peppers' caliber pales in comparison.

If the Panthers can find a willing suitor for Peppers, then they should be able to recoup a first round draft pick, having traded this year's first round pick to the Eagles for Jeff Otah in 2008.

I just hope that this transaction finds three happy parties—the Panthers, Peppers, and whichever team takes Peppers—and Jordan Gross in a Carolina Panthers uniform for many seasons to come.