Julius Peppers showed the league that he can still compete with the best in 2017, making him a key part of the Carolina Panthers roster.
With Super Bowl hopes squashed, the Carolina Panthers are facing a lot of work during the 2018 offseason. The defensive side of the ball played well for the team throughout the season. One reason was due to the return of Julius Peppers. After another productive year, the Panthers front office should look to keep their former number one draft pick for at least one more year.
At 38 years old, Peppers surprised many with a very strong 2017 campaign. He ended the year with 11 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Those 11 sacks tied Mario Addison for the team lead and 11th in the entire NFL. When looking at the list of Panthers unrestricted free agents, one could make the argument that Peppers is the most important individual on that list.
Carolina’s defensive unrestricted free agents include Peppers, defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, free safety Jairus Byrd, cornerback Teddy Williams and linebacker Andrew Gachkar. Looking at that group, Peppers makes the most immediate impact to the defense. Lotulelei has been an important part of the Panthers defense, even though his stats do not jump off of the page. Still, Peppers contributions have immediate, game-changing impact which is why Carolina needs to find a way to keep him around; at least for one season.
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Rumors continue to build as to whether or not Peppers will retire heading before the 2018 season begins. With 16 years of NFL service under his belt, Peppers doesn’t need to prove that he’s one of the best men to ever step into the position. Even though the Panthers failed to make it to the Super Bowl, Peppers’ performance helped show that he can assist a team in reaching the big game. If Carolina is going to find their way there next season, having Peppers on their roster helps.
The Panthers front office has long made it a point of reference to keep consistency within the roster. With changes coming throughout the Panthers front office and coaching staff, keeping a well-respected veteran on the roster goes a long way in helping the organization. Plus, his potential Hall of Fame skill set makes him a difficult player to replace through the draft.
Plus, there aren’t many players of his skill set that would be willing to accept a deal worth $4-5 million dollars, well below the salary point for the top defensive linemen in the league. As a player who has made nearly $160 million dollars since joining the league in 2012, he’s in a position to take less money. This helps the Panthers continue to build around him and on the offensive side of the ball as they come into this offseason with $15,015,406 in salary cap space.
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Keeping Julius Peppers on the roster would go a long way in servicing not only the player, but the organization as well. He’s shown that he still has the abilities to play at a high level, and allows the team leaders to focus on other needs. Carolina has the potential to become a Super Bowl champion, as recent years have shown. Players such as Peppers only make this unit better and he should be a top free agent priority this offseason.