Julius Peppers could be answer to Falcons’ problems
Matt Ryan probably wouldn't mind having Julius Peppers as a teammate. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
From an NFL fan’s perspective, there is one great thing about an uncapped year. Your favorite team can’t use the excuse, “We’d love to sign that free agent but we just can’t fit him under the salary cap.”
So to the members of Falcon nation, I present to you possibly the first name on the Falcons’ offseason shopping list: Julius Peppers.
Yes, it could happen — at least the part about Peppers’ availability. There are strong indications that the Carolina Panthers — who failed to come to terms with Peppers on a multi-year contract last season and were forced to sign him to the steep one-year franchise tag fee of $16.683 million — will allow Peppers to enter free agency.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter already is speculating that, “Carolina’s division rival Atlanta Falcons would be a logical landing spot, as Peppers would get to play the Panthers twice a season.”
Let’s examine all of the obvious reasons why the Falcons’ pursuit of Peppers makes sense.
♦ 1. While Peppers would be a significant investment — and there’s really no way to predict what he would fetch on the open market –he would be a huge boost to the Falcons’ anemic pass rush. The perennial Pro Bowl defensive end has 25 sacks over the last two years alone. This season, he recorded five forced fumbles, five passes defensed and two interceptions with 10 1/2 sacks.
♦ 2. The Falcons had to be concerned about John Abraham’s lack of production this season. He dropped from 16.5 sacks in 2008 to 5.5 in 2009. While some of that can be attributed to other problems on the line, including an injury to rookie Peria Jerry, there were several games when Abraham seemed invisible. The Falcons need to do something to create more pressure. For what it’s worth, Abraham has two years left on a six-year, $45 million contract.
♦ 3. The signing of an impact defensive lineman would allow the Falcons to focus on other areas early in the draft, including outside linebacker and cornerback.
♦ 4. Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff has made significant veteran acquisitions prior to each of his first two seasons: running back Michael Turner two years ago and tight end Tony Gonzalez this season. It might be time for a big move on defense this time.
♦ 5. Falcons owner Arthur Blank never has shied away from spending money on his football team. If Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith believe Peppers will take the Falcons to the next level, he’ll support the move financially.
Question: Are you feeling how the signing of Peppers could impact the Falcons as much as I am?
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281 comments Add your comment
Falcon 1971
February 1st, 2010
9:09 am
Mike’s right, we like Pepper too, bring him here.
1eyedJack
February 1st, 2010
9:12 am
Flapping the arms and doing the “Dirty Bird” dance is for short fellas…big fellas just look like gooney birds when they do it.
Please
February 1st, 2010
9:17 am
GO GET HIM!!
Change to Old Uniforms
February 1st, 2010
9:19 am
Move Babs to DE. He IS our best pass rusher, not slow – only 285 lbs. Draft Mount Cody (if available). Problems solved. PS- Get rid of the Arena League uniforms. The throwbacks are the best.
kdbanks
February 1st, 2010
9:19 am
No! That would be an incredibly short-sighted signing. That would be something Dan Snyder would do. Not the Falcons.
collegeballfan
February 1st, 2010
9:20 am
He has big numbers but he also has a habit of vanishing during a game.
I do not think he is the solution.
JeanE
February 1st, 2010
9:28 am
How can I phrase this: Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes,……sign him ASAP. Then, draft a corner and do a better job than you did with Chris Houston!!!
bugman
February 1st, 2010
9:29 am
ONLY if he’s affordable.
GeoffDawg
February 1st, 2010
9:32 am
Shoot, in an uncapped year, let’s ask Blank to just back up the Brinks truck. This is the time to take advantage of an owner with more money than Steinbrenner.
comedy
February 1st, 2010
9:34 am
In Dimitroff I Trust !
Jeff
February 1st, 2010
9:40 am
I wish the Falcons ownership and front office ran the Braves too.
Alan
February 1st, 2010
9:47 am
Peppers would only be an expensive stop gap, we need to stay with the youth movement and build a franchise that will be with us for sometime, we are on the way there with T.D. and Smitty at the helm so lets just keep moving forward instead of taking a break. GO FALCONS AND GO SOUTHERN RUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ATLFan
February 1st, 2010
9:48 am
If Dimitroff has an extra $16M to spend on payroll this year, he’ll probably get two really good players, instead of one …
Jamar
February 1st, 2010
9:48 am
Absolutely not. He goes everything against what Dimitroff and Smith have stood for. He lacks character, at least at times. He’s not always motivated. On top of that, all he does is play DE. You don’t pay 16/mil for a DE. Get some secondary help, another backer, and then address DL in the draft.
JoLee
February 1st, 2010
9:51 am
This would be the worst mistake in sports since the Brave signed Kenny Lofton. A) It would take big bucks to sign him. B) Like Lofton, he would interject a bad attitude in the locker room. C) Like Randy Moss, he does not play 100%. D) There is no TEAM in Peppers.
Get hungry kids that will hustle and pay the price not a conceited selfish veteran with an attitude.
Simply Hampton
February 1st, 2010
9:54 am
Well Said Bob, Well said my friend!
Bob
February 1st, 2010
8:52 am
I agree about getting Daunta. Dream draft then would be LT Brian Bulaga in the first round, ( try to get back up in the second round and get OLB Sean Weatherspoon) and then in the 3rd round get DE Greg Hardy. All of our needs would be basically met.
Though I would rather the DE from Troy. Greg Hardy has injury issues.
Andre
February 1st, 2010
9:57 am
I say go for it . He can be an every down guy unlike some people I know (John Abraham).
Ricky
February 1st, 2010
9:58 am
I have a difficult time getting all excited about this possibility………..gonna want a lot of money and the production may not be there. Did somebody already say we don’t need 2 Abrahams………..
RJ
February 1st, 2010
10:16 am
I would love to get Peppers but he said he wants to play in a 3-4 defense. I hope thats not a deal-breaker for him.
Kman
February 1st, 2010
10:17 am
Why take on a head case?
boilerup
February 1st, 2010
10:23 am
People…. Anything is better than what we have!!! Balance…. Veteran leadership and youth.. Doesn’t mean they still can’t draft a DE.. I look at it as a Tony G.. kinda move.. leadership… It allows others to make the move to the backfield if he doesn’t.. You can’t be saying that what we have on the d-line is better.. Another guy to think about is Ray Edwards.. Fast and just plane violent.. plus he’s another Boiler DE..
chosen1
February 1st, 2010
10:24 am
I LIKE IT!!!!!… GET PEPPERS HERE….. DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS OFFENSE FILLS THE STANDS
HGN
February 1st, 2010
10:47 am
I think we should sign Julius Peppers, if “The Price $$ Is Right” ….. I believe that playing on a defensive line with Abraham will motivate both DE’s to perform at their best. Peppers has had up and down years recently because he was unhappy with his contract situation. A 3–4 year deal is all I think he should get. That would preclude us from having to address the situation early in the draft. We could then concentrate on the defensive backfield.
Getting Daunta Robinson would be excellent if we could pull it off. Which I dont think we could. The TExans are making progress and would not let him go without a good counter offer.
In conclusion, go and get either Peppers or Robinson in FA…And then target the area you did not sign in free agency in the 1st Round.
Jon l
February 1st, 2010
10:49 am
Sign him to a 3 or 4 year deal with most of it up front if we don’t have a cap this year, then when they do set a cap again his base salary does not really hurt you 2 or 3 years from now. Think how good the d-line would be with peppers, Abraham, babs, and Jerry if he comes back healthy. Good d-line could put us over the top but I’m sure t.d knows that.
Reid Adair
February 1st, 2010
10:50 am
Wow, I’m not sure what happened to the comments that were first posted on this last night, but I’ll repeat what I said. The Falcons have been down the “Should we sign Julius Peppers or not” road before.
I’m still one of those who says no.
PMC
February 1st, 2010
10:53 am
He’s going to be Franchised. This is moot.
Number #1 Falcons Fan
February 1st, 2010
11:08 am
I will drive from North Carolina to pick him up if that’s what it will take. Abraham one side and Peppers on the other, no-brainer Falcons. Lets do it!!!!!
midnite
February 1st, 2010
11:15 am
Good idea Schultz. While we’re at let’s get Jalapeno, Habanero, and Poblano too!
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
February 1st, 2010
11:19 am
Peppers will instantly make the corners and the opposite D end better go get him TD !! sign him to a three year deal cut the bust pass rusher you all know who he is I think a bust making large money will be worse on the locker room than a proven producer like peppers sign him now
chaseolla
February 1st, 2010
11:29 am
NO…don’t want a player that doesn’t play full motor every play.Abe play’s every play HARD and double teamed every play. Get a DT mammoth and every one improves. Love Jerry’s work ethic BUT he has missed parts of every season going back to high school; should have picked Von Hutchins
Brian Asselstine
February 1st, 2010
11:33 am
I say yes, but only if he shaves his eyebrows. No if he won’t.
IceFan
February 1st, 2010
11:36 am
No doubt Peppers is a beast, but I’d rather spend money that big on a player we would legitimately get production from for the length of his contract.
I think we should spend the FA $ on either a stud O-Tackle or a stud CB and continue to draft DL.
Coop
February 1st, 2010
11:49 am
Peppers = EPIC Stupidity. Fix the DT and the DEs will shine. Now, going after Vince Wilfork is worthy of discussion.
truth
February 1st, 2010
11:50 am
Pass’n on Peppers.
MR COB
February 1st, 2010
11:56 am
I said it last year before the franchise tag and will say it emphatically this year: PAY PEPPERS!!!! It will be the best investment we make this year. Owens should start and corner, Jerry will be back! This is big. Rotate “Beer-man” and Sidbury to develop them at DE too, Trade Norwood, Release J. Anderson, Keep Thomas and LETS MAKE A RUN!
I MUS WRITE
February 1st, 2010
11:56 am
Peppers is a beast when he wants to be, I would have to say no to signing him tho. We dont need a high priced 30yo DE who takes Games off. I would rather Td go after- Ray Edwards,Aaron Kampman or Kyle VanDenbosh who all fit our schheme.
If we take care or the pass ruch in FA then we are free to get our yung thumper at OLB -Witherspoon Rd1…. or trade our 1st for a late 1st and a 2nd
1st-Witherspoon
2nd-Cox/Wilson
3rd-DT from CAL (samoan guy)
4th-Jacoby Ford Wr
5th-Ol
6th-RB
7th-K
Comensory Picks 3rd,5th,7th……. TD finds a hidden gem
ELVISINTHEHOUSE.
February 1st, 2010
11:57 am
The falcon fans don’t have a clue,at least most of them don’t.Let a fan put together a team and the sorry birds would be three hundred thou over the cap.It takes the average DE coming out of college 2 to 3 years to really develope.Bring in peppers for 2 maybe 3 years and put him opposite abe then he(abe)won’t get double teamed so much.
I MUS WRITE
February 1st, 2010
11:58 am
Agreed Coop i would love to get V Wilfork – he could be that plug in the middle of our line……
ELVISINTHEHOUSE.
February 1st, 2010
12:00 pm
I mus write,the birds don’t have a #2 pick because of gonzalez(TE).
Tommy
February 1st, 2010
12:01 pm
The Falcons already have one aging pass-rush specialist with a large contract. Do they need two?
There are younger, less expensive options out there. If the defensive back situation can get calmed down, the defense will generate more sacks off of good coverage. One of the reasons the birds had so few sacks last year is because they never got a second crack at the QB–someone got open within a few seconds, and if the QB stepped up and avoided the first rush, the ball was gone.
I agree with the earlier posts–dunta robinson would be a better use of the $$. Get a good run-stuffing DE to pair with Biermann and let Sidbury develop.
NOLA
February 1st, 2010
12:02 pm
He ain’t coming to play for the ‘cons. ‘cons are still celebrating their back to back winning seasons. julius wants to play for a real contender like the saints.
Yep Who dat, who dat who dat say gonna beat em saints? not the cons,
cause the cons once again ain’t playing this weekend.
I MUS WRITE
February 1st, 2010
12:04 pm
Elvis I know-thats why i said trade our first for a late first and early second like we did in 08 reaching to get S baker
ATLSportsFan
February 1st, 2010
12:05 pm
Yes the falcons need peppers he would make our defense much better.
Larry
February 1st, 2010
12:08 pm
Too much money for an older player. We already blow all the franchise cash on Noodle Arm. Draft heavy on defense and get the backfield healthy.
I MUS WRITE
February 1st, 2010
12:08 pm
NOLA -Shut your pie hole, whoopy dam doo lets see how you feel next sunday after general Peyton shredds that patchwork defense. Lets face it if Farve and Peterson didnt have chicken grease on their hands the Aints wouldnt even be playing HELLO…………. Who was it that said we falcon fans should cheeR for the Aints? SHYYYYYYYYYYT I wish i would- Neva Eva gonna happen – iF nY HAD WON THE GAME i WOULD BE CHEERING FOR THEM AS WELL…..o YEAH I HATE ME SUM aINTS ….wHILE IM AT IT STAY OFF OUR BOARDS BEFORE i COME SEE U lol
Raul Rodriguez
February 1st, 2010
12:19 pm
SIGN HIM! I’M DEF FOR IT!!!!!!!!
georgiavol
February 1st, 2010
12:20 pm
Just great. Here we freakin’ go again, signing big money castoffs past their prime. JS, do you actually believe that this is a good idea, or did you just mail in today’s column?
The last Boy Scout
February 1st, 2010
12:20 pm
I don’t care what apendage Pepper flaps. If the Dirty Birds can land this top pick free agent we are on the road to the NFC South Crown and a real chance at a Super Bowl birth
F-105 Thunderchief
February 1st, 2010
12:24 pm
Just slightly off topic. But the original Perry Mason series was far more cougarlicious than Real Housewives of Orange County.
Matt
February 1st, 2010
12:27 pm
Not sure if it has been posted but Peppers is coming off two seasons where they combine to give him the most sacks over a two year stretch in his career. If nothing else get him so that he won’t be putting as much pressure on Matt Ryan. Blank has the money.