We all know that the chances of the Jets getting Julius Peppers due to the top eight team restrictions are slim and none, but for many readers on this blog, the biggest fear is that he would end up in New England.
Don Banks of SI.com writes that this likelihood is rather small, based on a league source he quotes.
Talking with club officials about free agency this week, the name that came up most was Julius Peppers. Everyone wants to know where the soon-to-be-ex-Carolina Panthers defensive end might land. The Patriots and Eagles are thought to be the most interested parties, but one league source I talked with thinks Peppers will be sorely disappointed if he believes New England intends to offer him top dollar.
“If he’s going for the big money, Peppers never signs with the Patriots,” the league source said. “If it’s about winning and he’s willing to take less to play in New England, maybe he ends up there. But he doesn’t sound like the type who’s willing to take the discount. And really, can you go to New England and know you’re going to win these days? It’s not the given it was maybe three or four years ago, when Randy Moss went there. It’s been five years since they’ve won a Super Bowl.”
Now, an anonymous source doth not truth make, but it’s a point worth considering. New England really seems to enjoy winning at the negotiating table, maybe more than on the field these days, so Peppers might not get the money he’s looking for from the Patriots. With that said, if Peppers is concerned about his legacy and he thinks the Patriots are the place to win … then look out.
