Clarion Content

Former University of North Carolina Tar Heel and current Carolina Panther defensive end Julius Pepper declared through his agent last night that he wishes to play with a different team. He becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

The Clarion Content's reaction, "Don't let the door hit you in the butt!" Anyone who has watched the Panthers games closely, as our editorial staff has for years, knows Peppers takes a lot of plays off. He is a go hard for a play, stand around for a couple, go hard for another play, then stand around for a couple plays again kind of guy. His efforts are at best inconsistent and at worst lackadaisical. Peppers has scads of natural talent, but he is lazy. He likes to rush the quarterback, but can hardly be bothered to attempt to stop the run. Panthers fans know, too, that down the stretch the defense's inability to put pressure on the opposing quarterback was one of Panthers biggest failures.

Peppers was part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. He is a front-runner, a guy who is at his weakest when the going is toughest. Sure his statistics look good, and he makes the spectacular highlight reel play, but down in and down out his inconsistent efforts are quite evident.

He wants to leave. We say, "Fine. Get lost!"

Labels: NFL, sports