As Michael Lombardi said on NFL Network Total Access last night, the word around the league is that Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers will indeed become a free agent this year, and many teams are having a tough time determining what it will cost to secure his rights. Peppers won't make $16.6 million as a base salary next season, but he'll make a huge sum over the length of the deal. Lombardi says the leaders for his rights are still the Eagles and Patriots, teams that never mind paying for quality and need to add a blue chip player to their defense. Source: National Football Post
