Why Julius Peppers Wants Out Of Carolina

This is the first part of a 20-minute teleconference interview with Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers on Saturday afternoon, with local beat reporters in Charlotte, NC.

Q. Talk about your desire to play in a new system and how you feel like in your mind your time with Carolina’s system has passed?

Peppers: "Really it's been seven years, seven good years. I think my desire has been stated. There is has been nothing that has been said that didn't represent how I feel about the situation. As far as wanting to explore a different system I said things about wanting to play in a 3-4, and that’s still the case. But that doesn't necessarily mean I'm ruling out other teams that play a 4-3. I just want to have that option. I feel in that particular system it would allow me to do things that playing a defensive end in a 4-3 system doesn't allow me to do.”

Q. If Carolina puts the franchise tag on you, what would be your recourse -- would you not show up to training camp or minicamp?

“If they decide to use the tag on me the first thing I will be doing is requesting a trade. Anything after that, I don’t know what would be the course of action. We’ll deal with that when the time comes.”

Q. After seven years here what is it that has gotten you to this point? What is it about the situation that you want to get away from?

"Well, seven years is a long time. Since I've been here I have given everything I had (to the team). There has never been a time I wasn't giving my all. It's a situation where I feel like it's a point in my career where I want to do different things. It has nothing to with anything between me and the coaches or the owners of the team. It had nothing to do with anything anybody did. I just feel like personally, for me and my career, it’s time for a change. That’s pretty much it.”

Q. Is this as much about getting out of North Carolina, your home state, as it is about the Carolina Panthers?

Peppers: "Really it's not about that. If I was to sit here and say that had nothing to do with it, that wouldn't be the truth. But it’s not as big of a deal as people think it is. It's more about me getting to a point to where I’m happy and I’m comfortable with how my career is going. Carolina is home for me and always be home, even if I do leave. It’s home. It’s not as much about that as you may think.”

Q. The Panthers have undergone changes in the defensive coaching staff with Mike Trgovac and Sal Sunseri leaving. Those changes, did that allow you to second guess?

Peppers: “It had nothing to do with Sal (Sunderi) or Trgo or coach Fox with that matter. Them leaving has nothing to do with my desire to try something different. When Sal called and said he was leaving and when I read about Trgo leaving that didn’t change how I felt about the situation at all.”

Q. If the Panthers had switched to a 3-4 scheme or a scheme you had liked would that have made you want to stay?

Peppers: "The thing is, if the Panthers had did that, that is speaking in Fantasy football because coach Fox is a 4-3 guy and I could never see him changing. I can't answer that questions because I don't think it's possible."

Q. What teams are you interested in playing for?

Peppers: “I can’t go into detail about what city and what team I would be interested in playing for because it’s still kind of up in the air. It is something we will get to when it comes. I have teams I am interested in but to go into detail would really be pointless because that is a long ways away. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

As I am updated, there will be more news to come.