According to Dan Pompei of the National Football Post, one year after letting Julius Peppers walk, the Panthers believe they are set at the defensive end position with Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy starting and Eric Norwood and Everette Brown coming off the bench. Some people wondered why the Panthers would sign Johnson to a $72 million contract after allowing Peppers to leave for $91.5 million the year before. Allowing Peppers to walk was not a budgetary decision though. It happened because Peppers did not want to be in Carolina. Source: National Football Post