Dragging His Feet: Panthers still waiting on Peppers' next move

The Julius Peppers Saga continues.

And the Julius Peppers Saga continues to amaze.

One would think that if you're a Pro Bowl defensive end and your top priority is to sign with anyone except the Carolina Panthers -- as Peppers stated shortly before he became an unrestricted free agent -- then you should be able to cut a deal with somebody.

One would think that even if you pare your list to teams that play 3-4 defenses and teams that could be Super Bowl contenders -- as Peppers has also stated -- you should be able to find a new team in six weeks or less.

But Peppers remains unsigned. For that matter, he hasn't even signed the one-year, $16.7-million tender from the Panthers, who protected their investment by designating him as their "franchise" player. Technically, that's a move that must precede anything else.

The conventional wisdom is that this will now drag on awhile. Since Peppers wasn't part of the first wave of free-agent signees, there won't be a real sense of urgency on anyone's part again until closer to the April 25 NFL Draft.

Even after Peppers and his agent find the team that will allow him to maximize his potential -- his words again -- the process will be incomplete until that team works out compensation with the Panthers. Until then, the Panthers will be hamstrung by the $16.7 million salary-cap hit, unable to sign any significant free agents at other positions.

Peppers originally stated that he didn't want to "cripple" the Panthers as this evolved, but that's in essence what he has been doing.

Amazing? Well, the case could be made that nothing is really amazing when it comes to free agency, that posturing is part of the business and deals often aren't cut until the 11th hour. Jared Allen, who set the defensive end's compensation bar when he left Kansas City last year, didn't officially land with Minnesota until shortly before the draft, either.

But no recent free agent has been so publicly adamant about leaving his current team, and it's hard to come up with one who has torched his bridges the way that Peppers has. The last time that Peppers spoke to the media, on Feb. 14, he reaffirmed that he would never re-sign with the Panthers. He was given several opportunities to back off previous statements, to leave the door open to returning, but he wouldn't.

Options dwindling

Peppers' agent, Carl Carey, has failed to come to his client's rescue. There were reports out of Peppers' camp that he had a list of four teams that he would be willing to sign with, and later reports that the New England Patriots were one of those teams. But there have been no face-saving, fence-mending comments that would allow Peppers to return to the Panthers even if only for next season.

It probably wouldn't matter anyway. Peppers has always been uncomfortable in the spotlight in his seven seasons with the Panthers, and returning with the "franchise" tag would be even more awkward for him. He has heard boos before at Bank of America Stadium, but they were more like sighs of frustration from the crowd. They have never been anger-filled, and that's what he would get if he didn't produce. And anytime he didn't play well, the questions would resurface about his desire.

There is some sentiment around the NFL that Peppers will in essence be forced to return to Carolina, because he isn't able to command anything close to $16.7 million a year on the free market. With a limited number of teams far enough under the cap to cut a deal with Peppers, that would seem to make sense. But Peppers has already established that this isn't about going to the highest bidder; it's about getting away from the Panthers so as to maximize his talent and reach his personal goals.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have taken the high road, saying that they have wanted to keep Peppers all along. They have downplayed Peppers' and Carey's comments.

In doing so, the Panthers have gained even more bargaining chips. They're willing to pay Peppers the one-year, $16.7 million deal, so they won't be pressured into taking a low-ball offer in what would amount to a sign-and-trade deal. And the notion that he might really have to play for the Panthers again next season could be a scary one to Peppers, if he wants out as bad as he says he does.

The sense here is that Peppers will go to either New England or Philadelphia. Both have enough draft picks stockpiled to give the Panthers suitable compensation, both play 3-4 defenses and both are trying to upgrade the defensive-end position.

The Eagles have the 28th pick in the first round that they acquired from the Panthers on draft day last year, when the Panthers traded up to pick tackle Jeff Otah. Philadelphia also has the 21st pick in the first round, and the 53rd overall pick in the second round. New England owns the 23rd pick in the first round and three second-round picks -- 34th, 47th and 58th.

The next step is still up to Peppers, though.

■ John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com.