What effect will Dwight Freeny's signing have on Julius Pepper's next contract?

[ziggy]

Freeny just got something like $12 million a year with a $30 million dollar signing bonus. In my opinion Freeny is a one trick pony (although its a damned good trick) spin move/rush the QB, but he is nowhere near the player that Peppers is.

With Freeny getting those insane numbers, what will Julius demand?

[dvdbumpus]

just as much. Carolina will probably decline and he'll probably end up the highest bidder, most likely Dallas.

[Aymi]

He will demand as much or more. IMO we will stop at nothing to retain Peppers and Smith. We came to terms with Smith on his new contract and the Panthers have said their 2 players they build the rest of the team around are those two...I don't see Peppers going anywhere!

[jpf_v2.0]

Freeney's deal averages out to about 12 million a year. Pep's cap number for this year (between his base salary, incentive clauses that's he's reached, and pro-rated signing bonus) is something like 15 mill.

As long as we give him a little more guaranteed money than Freeney is making, it shouldn't be that hard to put together a deal for Pep in the same ballpark as Freeney's.

[Edrow]

Agreed. There is really no logical reasoning behind the Panthers letting Pep slip away. It just will not happen. Sorry Tarheel haters, he's just that good.

-Edrow

[123together]

just as much. Carolina will probably decline and he'll probably end up the highest bidder, most likely Dallas.

the panthers never let their good players go in their prime and usually lock them up before they hit free agency like they did with steve smith. i could see them extending him after next year (1 year before free agency) for 6 years and 84 million and a 40 million signing bonus. that would actually lower his cap figure compared to what he has now