wit33 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 13 minutes ago, KDawg said: No. That doesn’t lower his ceiling. His ceiling is his maximum potential. Which is as high as any prospect in this draft class. It lowers his floor. Because if miscast, he won’t be able to play to his ability. That’s where Young’s biggest edge on him is. It’s tougher to **** him up. Using totally arbitrary values on a scale of 1-10, in a perfect situation, Simmons and Young are 10s. In a poor situation, Young is a 7, Simmons is a 4. Sorry if already done, but what would be your Simmons and Young comps and your thoughts on how those comps compare to one another? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carex Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 (edited) 52 minutes ago, KDawg said: No. That doesn’t lower his ceiling. His ceiling is his maximum potential. Which is as high as any prospect in this draft class. It lowers his floor. Because if miscast, he won’t be able to play to his ability. That’s where Young’s biggest edge on him is. It’s tougher to **** him up. Using totally arbitrary values on a scale of 1-10, in a perfect situation, Simmons and Young are 10s. In a poor situation, Young is a 7, Simmons is a 4. I just feel like at the end of his career if he hasn't lived up to his potential people are more likely to decide he wasn't as good as advertised, his maximum potential was less than everyone thought than coaching screwed up his entire career. I mean, look at Lavar Arrington Edited April 2, 2020 by carex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 13 minutes ago, carex said: I just feel like at the end of his career if he hasn't lived up to his potential people are more likely to decide he wasn't as good as advertised, his maximum potential was less than everyone thought than coaching screwed up his entire career. I mean, look at Lavar Arrington LaVar was exactly as advertised. Athletic freak who had zero discipline, hit like a dump truck, could range and was a playmaker. But he usually found himself out of position and was in business for himself. In college he was so much better of an athlete and could range so he got away with it. He didn’t in the pros. But he and Simmons are entirely different as players. @wit33 I’m not sure either has comps. Simmons is Derwin Jamesish, but that’s not a great comp, but it gets the point across. Young... doesn’t have one either. I’m not even sure there’s a guy like him. I’ve seen Peppers, Kearse, Clowney, Danielle Hunter. I don’t see Peppers, Hunter or Clowney at all. But Kearse? I can see a bit. A do everything kind of edge that can make plays. A freak. If I’m picking a knock on Young, it’s his pad level. That’s just about it. And he doesn’t play with his hands as much as he should... which is scary that he did what he did without them. He’ll need to utilize them more in the league, but he will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98ORAKPO98 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 (edited) 7 hours ago, KDawg said: LaVar was exactly as advertised. Athletic freak who had zero discipline, hit like a dump truck, could range and was a playmaker. But he usually found himself out of position and was in business for himself. In college he was so much better of an athlete and could range so he got away with it. He didn’t in the pros. But he and Simmons are entirely different as players. @wit33 I’m not sure either has comps. Simmons is Derwin Jamesish, but that’s not a great comp, but it gets the point across. Young... doesn’t have one either. I’m not even sure there’s a guy like him. I’ve seen Peppers, Kearse, Clowney, Danielle Hunter. I don’t see Peppers, Hunter or Clowney at all. But Kearse? I can see a bit. A do everything kind of edge that can make plays. A freak. If I’m picking a knock on Young, it’s his pad level. That’s just about it. And he doesn’t play with his hands as much as he should... which is scary that he did what he did without them. He’ll need to utilize them more in the league, but he will. Why don't you see Peppers in Young? They both are freaks that move fluidly and effortlessly for their size. Both pass rushing, fumble forcing, freakish lengthy defensive ends. Imo his comps are Peppers and Myles Garrett. https://www.nfl.com/prospects/chase-young?id=3219594f-5514-6550-d662-263c81d981b1 NFL Comparison Julius Peppers https://www.nfl.com/prospects/isaiah-simmons?id=32195349-4d18-2419-c53f-8beeda539963 NFL Comparison Darius Leonard Edited April 2, 2020 by 98ORAKPO98 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 He seems less “bulky” than Peppers. Despite Peppers athleticism he always “seemed” like a bulkier athlete type (even if his weight didn’t say so). Young is more slender and, I think, more fluid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Acre Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 6 hours ago, 98ORAKPO98 said: I would take Chase Young, Julius Peppers, Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, J.J. Watt over Aaron Donald. Or over Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Joe Greene, Ronnie Lott, etc. Unless you lumped him into "etc.", I notice you omitted Sean Taylor. Granted, we have to extrapolate from his murder-shortened career, but.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 (edited) 2 minutes ago, GothSkinsFan said: Unless you lumped him into "etc.", I notice you omitted Sean Taylor. Granted, we have to extrapolate from his murder-shortened career, but.... I find it odd, that while knowing the career trajectory of the players he listed, that he’d take a rookie who has done nothing in the NFL except have a tremendously high ceiling. Edited April 2, 2020 by KDawg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Acre Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 1 minute ago, KDawg said: I find it odd, that while knowing the career trajectory of the players he listed, that he’d take a rookie who has done nothing in the NFL except have a tremendously high ceiling. I get what he's saying: take whoever you think is the best edge rusher and whoever you think is the best non-edge rusher (defensive side), and he thinks the edge rusher has the bigger impact on the game. Generally, I agree (if the guy can at least contribute in run D). The closer the defensive player plays to the ball, the bigger impact he has on the game. (In this sense, it's not straight line distance per se -- a DT might have the shortest straight line distance, but if he has to get through a couple of big uglies, he's far from the ball.) Deion Sanders, arguably one of the top 3 CBs in NFL history, could not shut down the Posse. If your QB can't get the ball out, OTOH. . . Edge rusher is also the position that can best utilize athletic freakism. That 330# OL who can run a 4.7/40 -- that 4.7/40 is mostly wasted at OL, though, yeah, when he goes looking for work downhill he has an advantage over his peers running a 5.30, but he's generally position-limited. Even Darrell Green couldn't cover two guys going in different directions. The edge rusher (again, assuming he's not a liability in run support) can have the single, biggest impact on the game. He's going to attempt to give himself the best path to the ball and he doesn't directly depend on anyone else to enable him to make the play. One guy can potentially shut down the Posse (or any great receiver trio), but it ain't a CB. OTOH, if your edge is a liability in run support, keep on truckin'. So, assuming he lives up to his average potential, and toss on 10# for being in an NFL weight program (and the guy's 6'5 - he can add 10# w/o losing a step, you've got an edge who will utterly terrorize QBs and who can't be neutralized by running at him. My only problem with taking Chase Young is that I seriously think Cinci could trade with Detroit and Detroit takes Young. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 I disagree that an edge rusher has the biggest impact on the game. I can expand in a post later but I am my kids teacher now so I only have fleeting moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 11 hours ago, mistertim said: You know perfectly well that's not how he rolls. That was my thought. Gotta let that pea**** fly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 1 hour ago, KDawg said: He seems less “bulky” than Peppers. Despite Peppers athleticism he always “seemed” like a bulkier athlete type (even if his weight didn’t say so). Young is more slender and, I think, more fluid. Don't know why I'm quoting you for this exactly, but.... If we were still going to be a primarily 34 base/nickle defense, I would value Simmons at 2 over Young, even with our previous debacling coordinator, because his floor at OLB on 1rst and MLB in Dime is just too high to ignore and Young wouldn't fit as well at DE/OLB and I'd hate seeing him in coverage, which they absolutely would have done to him. Now that we've got a 43 based coach, Young at DE is just too perfect to even question. While "pass rusher" generically is not the be all, I agree with you, DE is incredibly important and having 2 (Young and Sweat) that happen to excel against the run AND be good enough to be considered "pass rushers", really makes it a home run pick. The hair splitting and "in a vacuum" PR vs Coverage argument isn't really the entire story. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98ORAKPO98 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 21 minutes ago, KDawg said: I find it odd, that while knowing the career trajectory of the players he listed, that he’d take a rookie who has done nothing in the NFL except have a tremendously high ceiling. If he stays healthy, Young is guaranteed to be a superstar. You can tell by watching his tape, he moves like Peppers and his pass rushing skills are second to none. He also has the desire, motivation, and work ethic to be great. If he stays healthy, he'll be a first ballot hall of famer and the best Redskins player of all-time. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.espn.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/39500/redskins-jack-del-rio-grasps-impact-of-pass-rushers-like-chase-young%3fplatform=amp "Having a guy like Von Miller or a guy like Khalil Mack, who are premier pass-rushers, they put a lot of pressure on the offense and help the defense," Del Rio said. "It all starts for us with the penetrative, disruptive defensive linemen." "He's an explosive guy that can bend and do things you need to do to be an elite pass-rusher, a little like Von," ESPN NFL analyst John Fox said. "It starts up front," Fox said. "The best pass defense in the world is a pass rush. ... Most teams that are good every year [on third down] have a good four-man rush. You can be a lot more intricate in the coverages you run. The minute you bring that five-man rush you're limited to single-high coverages. That's what makes San Francisco so good is their four-man front is probably better than everyone else." "You can't have too many of them because you only have five pass protectors and you've got four rushers and you can't double everybody," Fox said. "The more guys you have the better." https://www.google.com/amp/s/247sports.com/Article/NFL-Combine-2020-Chase-Young-Julius-Peppers-Ohio-State-Buckeyes-football-144513954/Amp/ "You know, I try not to model myself after anybody — but if I would, I like Julius Peppers a lot," Young said. "That was the first defensive end that I was attracted to. My dad always loved Julius Peppers. So that's definitely somebody, growing up, that I watched a lot — especially when I first made a transition to defensive end. That was definitely No. 1 on my mind, of who I wanted to be like." "I would say that the things that (Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson) teaches us in college works on the next level," Young said. "I would definitely say that. We call it drinking the Kool-Aid. That's what Coach J always says. And the stuff that I used in college, right now — that (former Buckeyes defensive ends) Nick (Bosa) used, Joe (Bosa) used — they're using it in the league right now and racking up sacks. So it's something that I'm excited about because it's something that works. But yeah, that's definitely something that's in my back pocket." Young has the potential to be the best edge rusher of all-time. Watch video below, that's what that guy thinks. Now if you'll please excuse me, I need to lay down for my nap. 😄 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said: Don't know why I'm quoting you for this exactly, but.... If we were still going to be a primarily 34 base/nickle defense, I would value Simmons at 2 over Young, even with our previous debacling coordinator, because his floor at OLB on 1rst and MLB in Dime is just too high to ignore and Young wouldn't fit as well at DE/OLB and I'd hate seeing him in coverage, which they absolutely would have done to him. Now that we've got a 43 based coach, Young at DE is just too perfect to even question. While "pass rusher" generically is not the be all, I agree with you, DE is incredibly important and having 2 (Young and Sweat) that happen to excel against the run AND be good enough to be considered "pass rushers", really makes it a home run pick. The hair splitting and "in a vacuum" PR vs Coverage argument isn't really the entire story. Agree with all of this. My issue with the “pass rusher > all” stuff is that it’s not accurate. It’s more “playmaker that impacts the game > all”. Its an important distinction. Young fits in the latter. But, even with a 4-3 we’re going to see a lot of nickel and dime. It’s why not having a MIKE won’t kill us. Problem is I don’t think we really have a great OLB option outside of Davis/Foster. We do have guys capable. But that’s why we wanted to emphasize a slot corner I think. Gonna play a lot of nickel @98ORAKPO98 there is no such thing as a guarantee. He’s close. But even he has bust potential. It would do a lot of people well to realize that. He very likely will be tremendous. But again, no such thing as a guarantee. Edited April 2, 2020 by KDawg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 4 minutes ago, KDawg said: Agree with all of this. My issue with the “pass rusher > all” stuff is that it’s not accurate. It’s more “playmaker that impacts the game > all”. Its an important distinction. Young fits in the latter. But, even with a 4-3 we’re going to see a lot of nickel and dime. It’s why not having a MIKE won’t kill us. Problem is I don’t think we really have a great OLB option outside of Davis/Foster. We do have guys capable. But that’s why we wanted to emphasize a slot corner I think. Gonna play a lot of nickel @98ORAKPO98 there is no such thing as a guarantee. He’s close. But even he has bust potential. It would do a lot of people well to realize that. He very likely will be tremendous. But again, no such thing as a guarantee. Absolutely agree, which is why I kind of worded it to include nickle/dime. I think SDH has the speed to play in coverage and I know they said they want Collins closer to the line also. There is a bit of flexibility now in the back 7 to get creative with, while the front 4 should be pretty good to great. Outside of Collins, there isn't a stud in the back 7, but there is the speed and size to make up for it, with an excellent front 4. Also agree with the playmaker thing. It's not something we generally do on our roster. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anselmheifer Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 3 hours ago, KDawg said: Sure. But that’s not a Simmons problem. Young could wind up with a DC that tries him as a 3-tech. Having an idiot for a coach shouldn’t effect ceiling potential. Only floor. Simmons’ floor is lower due to that, because it’s easier to **** him up. But their ceilings are pretty even. I think I agree? I do generally think it would be hard to screw up with Chase. You don't have to flip him between LDE and RDE and twist him inside and stunt him and run games. You can just line him up at RDE and let him tee off. I actually think that Simmons would be extraordinarily impactful even without a particularly creative DC. He could be plugged in at WILL and have every bit the impact that a Derrick Brooks had for Tampa Bay. Or even SAM. He can rush the passer and cover a TE and has the length to be successful at that spot. If Simmons drops in the draft, as some posters have suggested, like a Derwin James, anywhere past the 10th -12th pick, and I'd be seeing what kind of package I could put together to move up. Chase, Ioannidis, Payne, Allen, Sweat, Simmons, is a Tampa Bay/Baltimore Ravens quality defensive core. Add in Landon Collins and we are 2 or 3 FA in the secondary away from a defense that can carry an anemic offense deep into the playoffs every year. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 4 minutes ago, Anselmheifer said: If Simmons drops in the draft, as some posters have suggested, like a Derwin James, anywhere past the 10th -12th pick, and I'd be seeing what kind of package I could put together to move up. I would absolutely do Trent and next years 1rst to move up for Simmons if I could. 100% 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 57 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said: Absolutely agree, which is why I kind of worded it to include nickle/dime. I think SDH has the speed to play in coverage and I know they said they want Collins closer to the line also. There is a bit of flexibility now in the back 7 to get creative with, while the front 4 should be pretty good to great. Outside of Collins, there isn't a stud in the back 7, but there is the speed and size to make up for it, with an excellent front 4. Also agree with the playmaker thing. It's not something we generally do on our roster. 50 minutes ago, Anselmheifer said: I think I agree? I do generally think it would be hard to screw up with Chase. You don't have to flip him between LDE and RDE and twist him inside and stunt him and run games. You can just line him up at RDE and let him tee off. I actually think that Simmons would be extraordinarily impactful even without a particularly creative DC. He could be plugged in at WILL and have every bit the impact that a Derrick Brooks had for Tampa Bay. Or even SAM. He can rush the passer and cover a TE and has the length to be successful at that spot. If Simmons drops in the draft, as some posters have suggested, like a Derwin James, anywhere past the 10th -12th pick, and I'd be seeing what kind of package I could put together to move up. Chase, Ioannidis, Payne, Allen, Sweat, Simmons, is a Tampa Bay/Baltimore Ravens quality defensive core. Add in Landon Collins and we are 2 or 3 FA in the secondary away from a defense that can carry an anemic offense deep into the playoffs every year. I think he could be impactful without a creative DC, for sure. But I think if he gets stuck in a system where they are trying to play him in the box rather than utilize his versatility off the edge as a rusher, in the slot as a cover man, playing deep as a safety as a change of pace, his floor comes into play more. Whatever team he goes to needs to let him show off his ability to make plays in various ways. He's the most well rounded defensive player in this draft. He can play in the box, you just don't want him doing that on a regular basis as he's not going to be able to consistently take on blocks from interior lineman and still be the effective weapon you want him to be. But he CAN do all of that. Imagine a coverage package with Simmons/Collins as the LBs, Fuller/Moreland in the slots, Davis as the FS, Moreau/Darby on the corners. Look at all that speed and range in the back 7. If he goes to a team that wants him to only be a safety, or only be a slot guy (or routinely be those things) then you're losing a big part of what makes him so special. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98ORAKPO98 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Koolblue13 said: Absolutely agree, which is why I kind of worded it to include nickle/dime. I think SDH has the speed to play in coverage and I know they said they want Collins closer to the line also. There is a bit of flexibility now in the back 7 to get creative with, while the front 4 should be pretty good to great. Outside of Collins, there isn't a stud in the back 7, but there is the speed and size to make up for it, with an excellent front 4. Also agree with the playmaker thing. It's not something we generally do on our roster. Foster and Holcomb have the potential to be studs. I think that Moreau does too. 1 hour ago, KDawg said: Agree with all of this. My issue with the “pass rusher > all” stuff is that it’s not accurate. It’s more “playmaker that impacts the game > all”. Its an important distinction. Young fits in the latter. But, even with a 4-3 we’re going to see a lot of nickel and dime. It’s why not having a MIKE won’t kill us. Problem is I don’t think we really have a great OLB option outside of Davis/Foster. We do have guys capable. But that’s why we wanted to emphasize a slot corner I think. Gonna play a lot of nickel @98ORAKPO98 there is no such thing as a guarantee. He’s close. But even he has bust potential. It would do a lot of people well to realize that. He very likely will be tremendous. But again, no such thing as a guarantee. Edge rushers have the potential to be game changing, game wrecking, play makers more than any other position. That's my point. Peppers QB hits / hurries, sacks, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, passes deflected, interceptions, tackles for loss, defensive touchdowns scored, blocked kicks, versatile play making ability by lining up all over the defensive line to take advantage of mismatches, taking on double teams to free up teammates, dropping into coverage (he was Mike Vicks kryptonite in Atlanta and Philadelphia). These are the reasons a player like Peppers or Young are so disruptive / dominant, and are more valuable to their team than any other defensive positions. Deion Sanders or Rod Woodson who made a ton of game changing plays himself, or Joe Greene or Ray Lewis etc. all were dominant, but didn't impact the game as much as Peppers imo. You say a DT can impact a game more, how? They can take on double teams and free up teammates or like Aaron Donald get lots of hurries and sacks, and are closest to the QB so can disrupt them quicker, but all that is mute considering Peppers could and would line up himself as a 3 tech DT to take advantage of mismatches. But could then line up at DE or OLB and drop into coverage on the very next play. Far more versatile. Chase Young has the ability to be a disruptive impact player like Julius Peppers and can make the Redkins defense elite. Young can line up all over the defensive line too, just like Peppers. https://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/threads/bill-belichick-on-peppers.224208/ Here is Bill Belichick talking about Julius Peppers before the Pats played them in 2005: Q: They didn’t seem to move Peppers around much. BB: I don’t think they need to move him. He causes plenty of problems where he is. He’s a hard guy to deal with. He’s hard to run at. He’s hard to throw at. That’s where most of the right-handed quarterbacks have to throw, into that left side. He’s a factor there one way or the other. Because the offense usually extends a little bit to try to take care of him, they like to bring to the linebackers and blitz them up inside, whether it’s [Will] Witherspoon or Morgan or [Brandon] Short, whoever it is. So, as the line widens, to take Peppers and give attention to Peppers, that opens up a lot of the inside pressures for them. So, they do a good job of that. He’s a good player. We talked about last week [Randy] Moss being kind of in a special category offensively for the Raiders. I think you have to put Peppers in that same, whatever category that is, defensively. You have to know where he is every play. If they move him, they move him. If they don’t, sometimes they drop him. Sometimes they stunt him. A lot of times when they move him, they move him after the snap. In other words, the ball is snapped and he’s stunts down inside or he’s on a gain or something like that. It’s not like he doesn’t move off of that spot. But, for the most part, he does align there. At times he reduces down. But for the most part, he is on that tackle. Q: What about when he was at receiver? Didn’t they throw him a couple of jump balls in the corner of the end zone last year? BB: Yes. Well, he has played tight end. Q: What do you do there? BB: It’s hard. He’s a hard guy to match up against. The guy could probably play… he certainly could play outside linebacker. We know he can play defensive end. I imagine he could probably move inside and play defensive tackle. There's no question he could play tight end. He probably could play offensive tackle. He's 290-something pounds. You're talking about a guy that could probably play six or seven positions on the field. That's pretty unusual. Q: I was wondering because in that game, that Super Bowl game, there were a number of plays that you guys went right at Peppers, whether it was with Daniel Graham or Richard [Seymour] on the goal line play and took care of him on those particular plays. Since then, how has Julius changed? BB: Well, I think any player that has had a couple of extra years in the league gets better and I think Peppers is better now than he was then, but he was pretty good then too. He's a guy that we had to account for heavily in that game and did take into consideration in terms of our protections and our calls and even the plays that we ran. I don't think you want to run every single play throwing away from a corner or run away from a certain player on every single play. I think you have to do enough to keep them honest. But, there's no question that Peppers is a guy that you have to game plan for offensively. You have to know where he is. He can ruin the game and we've seen that plenty of times. Q: [Julius] Peppers was really hot. Did you look at him that year?BB: Yeah, but we were picking 32nd that year, so the chances of him being there when we were picking were [small]. And there were a number of players that year—[Ryan] Sims was there that year if I am not mistaken, he came out that year and he went to Kansas City. I think they had somebody else too. Yeah, we saw him. He is a tremendous athlete. He can do pretty much anything you want him to do coming off the edge. He can run fast, jump over guys, but he is a big guy and has a lot of power. He plays the run well. He is strong at the point. He can get up field and beat the guys around the corner. He can come inside and power them. He is a terrific player. 9/15/2005Q: How has Julius Peppers improved in since you last played him in the Super Bowl?BB: Well, we played him last year in the preseason. So, we got a good look at him down there too. He played a lot in that game. I think he is essentially the same player, but he is more experienced, he reads some plays quicker, reacts quicker, and uses his hands. He used them well, but he's even improved on that. He's a hard guy to fool and even if you do get him out of position a little bit, he's such a great athlete, he has a lot of speed and power that he can recover very quickly. Again, it's different, but similar to coaching a player like Lawrence Taylor who, in all honesty, was out of position quite a bit, but he was such an exceptional athlete and was so fast and explosive, even though he was out of position, he could recover and still get back in on the play, which most players really can't do, or they can't do it as well as he could. Peppers is a little bit in that category. He makes a lot of plays and then there's times when he is a little bit out of position, but he recovers very quickly.Q: How does he influence what an offense does?BB: Well, I think you have to account for him every play. You have to know where he is. He can ruin the game. Just like he did with the Giants. He ruined [Eli] Manning for about a month, too. He went in there, they had him double teamed, he blew past the tackle, strip sacked the ball and messed up Manning's elbow, scooped it up and ran in for a 60-yard touchdown. It doesn't get any worse than that. But, that is the kind of play he can make. And he was supposed to be doubled on the play, too. He's an impact player. You have to know where he is. You have to defend him. He beat us inside on a rush down there in the preseason game last year, I don't know, for about a 15, 17-yard sack, whatever it was. We don't have any quarterbacks that can run away from him. I can tell you that. If he's after us, he's going to get us. He's a lot faster than we are. By Nolan Nawrocki, Associate editorFeb. 22, 2002Julius Peppers seeks challenges, and he didn’t feel very challenged during offseason summer conditioning workouts while leading the pack of lineman running wind sprints. So Peppers took it upon himself to run with the wide receivers and defensive backs, where he would be held accountable for running eight 300-yard sprints in 55 seconds with 30 seconds rest between each sprint. Peppers didn’t miss a time, completing the workout regimen of skill-position players at 6-6, 290 pounds.After team workouts ended, Peppers was not content. He wanted more and would challenge defensive backs to footraces.North Carolina strength coach Jeff Connors said Peppers even won some races.What impressed Connors was Pepper’s commitment to the offseason program. After redshirting as a freshman, Peppers started all 11 games at defensive end his first season at North Carolina and then walked on to the Tar Heels’ top-ranked basketball program two days after the football season ended. Because of his involvement with the basketball program, where Peppers became a key component in Carolina’s improbable run to the Final Four, he missed offseason conditioning and spring football practice during his first two years at Carolina.[snip]North Carolina defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta says Peppers’ natural ability was evident in his interception against FSU. Peppers was responsible for the hook zone in 3-coverage. He lined up against a four wide-receiver set, dropped to his zone in the middle and saw a crossing pattern coming his way. He stepped in front of the crossing receiver, made a leaping catch and started for the endzone. Peppers, who rushed for 3,501 yards and 46 touchdowns as a tailback in high school and also competed four years in the triple jump and relays, tried to hurdle a Florida State tackler and nearly did before getting tripped short of the endzone. https://www.espn.com/boston/nfl/news/story?id=5900330 Peppers' versatility had Belichick, the former defensive coach, envisioning what could have been had Peppers elected to join the Patriots, though the coach didn't address that possibility directly."You could put him anywhere on the field," Belichick said. "He can play on the front line, he could play linebacker. He could play strong safety. He could play anywhere on the defensive line. He's tall. Richard Seymour was tall and he played there. Put him out at tight end, make a left tackle out of him. I wouldn't want to tackle him if he was carrying the ball. He's a great player." https://www.google.com/amp/s/vault.si.com/.amp/vault/2001/08/13/game-of-choice-he-always-loved-basketball-best-but-now-the-time-has-come-for-north-carolinas-julius-peppers-to-devote-himself-to-one-sport-yearroundand-its-football Peppers was the best basketball player and among the best football players ever at Southern Nash, where he received so many recruiting letters that he was given his own mail slot in the school office. In basketball he finished his career with more than 1,600 points, 800 rebounds and 200 assists and was heavily recruited by Duke. In football Peppers rushed for 3,501 yards and 46 touchdowns at tailback and manhandled opponents as a defensive lineman. In his final game, when Northeast Guilford High ran a sweep away from Peppers, he chased down the running back, stole the ball from behind and raced 90 yards the other way for a touchdown. As a senior, Peppers placed second in the triple jump at the state track meet, despite wearing spikes two sizes too small because size 18s couldn't be found. Having watched Big Head swing a bat, Davis believes he could have been a baseball star as well. The coach still shakes his head in disbelief as he recalls a three-hour football practice on a scorching summer day before Peppers's junior season, after which all the other Firebirds lay sprawled on the grass or huddled around the water spigot. Peppers strolled over to one end zone and began doing backflips the length of the field. No hands. For 100 yards. In full pads and helmet. On Peppers's left arm is a tattoo of the Tasmanian Devil holding a football in his left hand and a basketball in his right. The sports world has become accustomed to two-sport stars, from Deion Sanders to Bo Jackson to Brian Jordan. At 6' 6" entering his junior year of eligibility, Peppers may be the largest, most intimidating model to date. He bench-presses 425 pounds, runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds, has a 37.5-inch vertical leap and only 4% body fat. During Peppers's redshirt year the North Carolina football coaches couldn't decide at which position he might wreak the most havoc, so they listed him on the roster as athlete. "Julius is a freak of nature," says Ronald Curry, a Tar Heels senior who plays football (quarterback) and basketball (point guard). "The best compliment you can give him is he's such a natural at both sports that when he's playing one, you forget he's just as good at the other." Peppers has a HUGE impact on his team.... beyond just stats.Peppers has been dominating since he entered the league in 2002...*http://www.panthers.com/team/roster/...a-45bd307bd462*Peppers helped Panthers boast only defensive unit since the NFL merger in 1970 to improve from last in the League in total defense to second in one season. (His Rookie year.)*There's no defensive player in the NFL that has more impact for his team than Julius Peppers.*http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/pete...*Though Peppers had but eight sacks this year, he had a huge impact on a defense that went from 21st in the league in points allowed in 2009 to fourth this year; from 4.3 yards per rush last year to 3.7 this year; from 29 touchdown passes surrendered last year to 14 this year. He pushes the pocket. He buzzes around the quarterback. He makes other guys -- Israel Idonije, Tommie Harris -- better.*There's no question the return of Brian Urlacher at the pivot point of the defense has been a significant addition, but Peppers has been the most important reason the Bears have become the Monsters of the Midway again, and that's why he's my defensive player of the year.*He's the John Stockton of the Bears defense, the guy who makes everyone around him better.*http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ys-peppersbe...*Peppers makes plays in spite of double teams and he empowers Smith’s Tampa 2-based defense to stick to its roots, relying on a four-man rush instead of counting on linebackers and defensive backs to blitz. According to Football Outsiders, the Bears rushed six or more defenders on 16.7 percent of passes in 2009, the third-highest rate in the league. They also sent only four players on 56.4 percent of pass plays (22nd). This season, though, the Bears have sent six or more defenders just 1.4 percent of plays (25th), and they relied on a four-man rush 72.2 percent of pass plays, the third-highest total in the league.*The Bears’ run defense was ranked second – its highest since the 2001 season – and it also allowed the third-fewest points (16.0)* http://www.suntimes.com/sports/3423373-419/story.htmlBut Peppers is seemingly from the future, a 6 foot 7, 283-pound man who, on at least two occasions, chased down Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick from behind.One offensive coach said Peppers “keeps you up at night” because he can wreck a carefully thought out game plan.“He’s a match up nightmare,” he said.“He was the piece they were missing,” one source said. “He makes the people around him better.”Don’t just look at the most obvious defensive rankings. The Bears were 17th overall, and 23rd against the run and 13 against the pass in 2009. This season, they are ninth overall, 2nd against the run and 20th against the pass.But he’s been a key factor in points per game dropping from a tie for 21st to fourth, and third-down efficiency from 27th to sixth.“We thought he was good when he came here,” linebacker Brian Urlacher said. “We watched him play in Carolina and then once he got here he was everything we thought he would be and more. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...-hampton-bearsAnyone who watched the defensive end slide inside Sunday against the Lions would agree. On four plays as a three technique, or under tackle, Peppers had a sack, a quarterback hit and a pressure."He ran right by that guard," said Hall of Famer Dan Hampton, who knows a little about moving from defensive end to tackle. "How could he not do that every time? In a few plays in there he had more production than Henry Melton had in three games." Edited April 2, 2020 by 98ORAKPO98 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 (edited) Let's talk quickly about an edge guy being the most impactful guy on a D. Why do people think this? Because of their cost? An EDGE that can get home is absolutely important and impactful, but without an interior push that edge guy is going to be pedestrian. WIthout a secondary/linebacker unit that can cover guys well, especially in a quick passing type of system, that edge rush isn't ever going to get the chance to get home. Without a downhill attacking linebacker corps that can stop the run, the edge rush can have no effect on the running game. I think it is extremely important that all things exist in context. For some teams, an edge rusher is all they need to get themselves over that hump. For other teams it may be a linebacker. For others a safety. For others a corner. For us it's all of the above. Our interior tackles are fine. And that's about it. The primary idea here, is as I've said a few times, it's not about getting an elite edge player. It's about getting elite playmakers. Young is not just an edge. He is an elite playmaker. He fits the profile. But getting a good edge rusher isn't more important than an excellent linebacker or great DT. It's why I don't like the catch-all phraseology that "Edge rusher > All" RE: Defensive Impact. We do people think pressures or sacks are generated strictly from the EDGE player and not their impact? How often is it measured that a CB covered a guy and took away a first read so the EDGE could provide pressure? How often is it measured that a linebacker and interior DL stopped the run game and allowed the edge to rush more effectively? How often is it accounted for that an offensive gave the D a lead to work with and made the other offense more one dimensional? It's not. Edited April 2, 2020 by KDawg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 @KDawg people think passrushers are more important because its a simple stat line to follow. The way people like dunks in basketball and wacking dingers in baseball. The value of a MLB or FS isnt always as obvious. When a reciever smokes a CB and takes it to the house, the CB sucks and we need a better pass rush will be mentioned before anyone asks why the FS wasn't behind them. A great MLB is what defines a defense and I'll probably always value the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98ORAKPO98 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 (edited) This is what we'll be getting in Chase Young. Please don't screw this up Redskins... Human highlight film Peppers leads Panthers' defense https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.myplainview.com/news/amp/Human-highlight-film-Peppers-leads-Panthers-8746934.php Mike Rucker and Brentson Buckner would make great directors of the Julius Peppers highlight film. His fellow defensive linemen on the Carolina Panthers already have some clips picked out. Rucker's favorite came in the preseason, when Peppers leaped to block a pass, was hit around his knees, flipped and still managed to land on his feet. The one Buckner remembers best was "seeing how quickly he goes from zero to 60" after Peppers intercepted a pass against Dallas in the playoffs and returned it 34 yards. They're both good picks. Yet there's one thing missing _ something from his specialty, rushing the quarterback. His versatility is typical of what makes Carolina's defensive line so tough. Any offensive line that concentrates on trying to stop Peppers is risking Rucker getting to the quarterback from the other side, or letting Buckner or Kris Jenkins come up the middle. "Stopping their front four is the key to being successful against Carolina, and it's probably the toughest thing to accomplish," said New England left tackle Matt Light, who will mostly face Rucker in the Super Bowl on Sunday. "All those guys are very good athletes, very talented and had a lot of success this year. It's going to take a great effort to beat them." Led by the line, Carolina's defense was one of the best this season. They've been even better in the playoffs. They started by shutting down a Cowboys offense that had its way against the Panthers six weeks earlier, then kept it up against St. Louis. While Rams coach Mike Martz was criticized for playing conservatively in that game, Carolina should be credited for influencing his decision. The Panthers were at their best in the NFC championship, holding Philadelphia to just a field goal. Carolina intercepted four passes, recovered a fumble and knocked out quarterback Donovan McNabb. The Patriots will be another stiff test. Their line hasn't allowed a sack in the playoffs, despite losing starter Damien Woody to an injury before the AFC championship. New England's offense isn't fancy. Quarterback Tom Brady manages a balanced run-pass system that lacks a headliner at receiver or running back. It works because they're efficient and have few weaknesses. Whatever the Patriots try, Carolina will be ready, especially up front. Rucker said the beauty of the line is that they stop running backs as well as quarterbacks. "When a team comes in here, they're not saying, `Hey, this guy is just going to run upfield, so we can trap him or we can draw him or just block down against him,'" Rucker said. "They can't do that. We're all going to stop the run, we're all going to pass rush." Rucker led the team with 12 sacks. Peppers had seven, although he pressured quarterbacks another 32 times, 12 more than Rucker. Jenkins had five sacks, as did reserve end Al Wallace. Still, the unquestioned attention-getter is Peppers. After playing football and basketball at North Carolina, he was the second overall pick of the 2002 draft. He had 12 sacks in his first 12 games, then was suspended from the final four for taking a banned dietary supplement. He won rookie of the year anyway. Although his numbers were down this season, Peppers thinks he's playing better, especially against the run. And he still makes plays others can't even fathom. Rucker said there are times when he's barely out of his stance and Peppers is going into his third step. "He definitely does some crazy things with his body," he said. "You would think you'd tear a muscle doing the things he can do." The craziest was the flip. "It looked like he was going to land on his neck, but he landed on both feet," Rucker said. "We rewound that probably 10, 15 times because we didn't understand how he did that. He's just so flexible, such an athlete, that it wasn't really a big problem. He just started laughing." Peppers laughed again when asked about it Thursday. That's easier than trying to explain how he did it. "What I do is just freestyle," he said, comparing his on-the-fly technique to a basketball player who comes up with a fancy dunk after leaving the ground. "When that ball is snapped and I'm running at the passer, I don't have a clue what I'm going to do. I'm just reading him and going off whatever he does." Look out, Tom Brady. The cameras will be rolling Sunday. https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/panthers/2006-11-22-peppers-cover_x.htm WHAT MAKES 'PEPP' SPECIAL? "Julius Peppers is the best defensive player in football today." That's according to ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Joe Theismann, who witnessed Peppers' three-sack performance in the Carolina Panthers' 24-10 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 13. Peppers' size, speed and strength are evident. Here are some other factors that make Peppers outstanding in the words of the people who see him on a daily basis: Instinct In a 20-12 win against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 8, Peppers made a play they're still talking about in Charlotte. Browns fullback Lawrence Vickers took a handoff right but pulled up to pass the ball. Peppers, playing left end, read the play before it began to develop, sprinted downfield and tipped the ball away from tight end Kellen Winslow II. And he wasn't in a zone blitz. "No, no," Carolina coach John Fox says. "We were running a combo stunt where the tackle comes out and (Peppers) goes in. That week I was sitting in my office and (a member of the) defensive staff came in and said, 'Foxy, have you seen this yet?' I went back in and watched the tape, and we just shook our heads." Agility "It must have been his first or second year," Carolina defensive end Al Wallace says. "Julius was down at the goal line and a running back tried to chop-block him. Julius tried to jump (over) him, but he got caught and the back flips him over, a 360. "Well, any mere mortal would probably fall down, and that would be the end of that play. But he lands on his feet, keeps his bearings and gets a solid hit on the quarterback. In the film room we rewound that tape, and nobody could say anything. We were thinking, 'Did someone edit that tape?' I mean, how is that possible?" Flexibility "His flexibility is his best attribute, no doubt," Carolina safety Mike Minter says. "Thing is, he doesn't stretch! He's got that natural flexibility, and that's what makes him so scary, because it's so natural. This guy could get out of bed, drive over here and go straight to practice." Work ethic "He's got unbelievable talent, but the most impressive thing is the way he practices," Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme says. "I was lucky enough to play with Willie Roaf, one of the best offensive linemen ever. And let me tell you, Willie Roaf practiced hard. In his ninth or 10th year, he could easily miss a day of training camp. "One day he was sore and I asked him, 'Willie, why don't you take an afternoon off?' " Delhomme remembers. "He said, 'Jake, I can't do that to the other guys. They'd be taking more reps. It's not fair to them.' And that's the way Peppers is." -- Chris Colston, USA TODAY Enlarge By Joe Giza, Reuters Peppers' speed, athleticism and ability to get to quarterbacks have earned him comparisons to another UNC star -- Lawrence Taylor. CHARLOTTE — Julius Peppers cannot fly. He cannot save the polar ice caps from melting or end conflict in the Middle East. But when he's on a football field, he certainly seems capable of the impossible. Ask those who see him daily about his amazing exploits, and their voices acquire the tone of a child describing a first roller-coaster ride. They rave about his size (6-7, 283 pounds) and his speed — he has run down Atlanta's Warrick Dunn. They gush so much about his greatness — and his agility, his flexibility, his work ethic, his energy — that the effusive praise almost seems cloying. Peppers, the Carolina Panthers' Pro Bowl defensive end, is a great football player. The question is: How great? "Because we see him every day, I don't think we realize how lucky we are," Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme says. "Before our eyes," Carolina defensive end Al Wallace says, "we're seeing the maturation of a Hall of Fame-caliber player." After watching Peppers notch three sacks, bat down a pass and recover a fumble in a 24-10 win against Tampa Bay, ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Joe Theismann put Peppers in rarefied air, comparing him to Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor. "This is the best way to put in perspective the way we viewed Lawrence, and I think this is the way people should view Julius," Theismann says. "When coaches draw up defenses, they use letters to denote defensive players: 'C' for corner, 'S' for safety, so on. In Washington, we would use letters until it came to Lawrence. For him, we used No. 56, and it was always bigger than everything else. That visually put everything into context, saying, 'This guy is better than anybody else on that board.' " Tall defensive ends are nothing new to the NFL. But Peppers, 26, stands out because he possesses the speed, quickness and agility of a basketball player. "He's changing the sport," Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker says. "A defensive end, 280, 290, with his speed? You don't see that. You might get an end who is 290 pounds, but he's not moving that fast." At the University of North Carolina, one of the nation's premier hoops programs, Peppers helped the Tar Heels to the 2000 Final Four. He once scored 21 points in an NCAA tournament game. As a sophomore he led UNC in field goal percentage (.643). Playing basketball meant Peppers missed the offseason football weightlifting program and portions of spring practice, which "had a significant effect" on his football development, according to John Bunting, Peppers' coach at North Carolina. "But it also helped develop his competitive nature and his athleticism." In Peppers' three seasons in Chapel Hill, he started 33 of 34 games and notched 30½ sacks, one short of the school record. "Now ordinarily that wouldn't mean much," Panthers coach John Fox says, "but the guy who had the record was Lawrence Taylor. And Julius played one less year." Peppers' gridiron potential was obvious to his coaches. "We knew we were seeing just a glimpse of what he was capable of," says Bunting, who even considered using Peppers at tailback. "I knew once he became totally focused on football alone, the sky was the limit." Peppers entered the draft after his junior season, and the Panthers chose him with the second overall pick. "No disrespect to anybody else available, but to take him No. 2 was a no-brainer," Fox says. "I count my blessings daily that we did that." Peppers is notorious for his reticence. "I understand it comes with the territory," he says of the media interviews that he rarely grants. "I can deal with it. If I could have it my way, it would be another way. But it is what it is." Peppers keeps a tight inner circle of confidants. It includes his high school coach, Brian Foster; a female friend who chooses to remain anonymous; a couple of teammates; and his academic adviser at UNC, Carl Carey. Because they worked together year-round, Peppers came to trust Carey; he would allow nobody else to tutor him. Peppers remained close to Carey after leaving college and hired him to be his agent after Carey became certified in 2005. "Julius has had to deal with a lot of people trying to surround him for the wrong reasons — rap groups, friends and others," Carey says. "I really believe the success everybody is seeing on the field now is Julius eliminating clutter from his life — people who meant him no good." Peppers hasn't forgotten the experience of his rookie year when a trusted friend suggested he use a supplement. What Peppers didn't know was the supplement contained ephedra, a banned substance that resulted in a four-game suspension for Peppers. "A lot of people want to be close to him, so he's careful," Rucker says. "He grew up in North Carolina, played high school ball here, two-sport star at the University of North Carolina, and now he plays professionally in his home state. Very rarely do you see that. So more people have followed him all the way through, and a lot of people in this state want to be his friend. So he's cautious of people wanting to get inside his circle." Peppers, the youngest of three children, grew up in Bailey, N.C., a small town in the eastern part of the state. His father left the family when Julius was 8. His mother, Faye Brinkley, is a quiet woman — a trait she passed on to her son. "I'm not exaggerating when I say that his freshman year of college, Julius gave one- and two-word answers to almost every question," Carey says. "If he gave a three-word answer, it was, 'I don't know.' I'm literally not kidding. His mother is very quiet, and I think he grew up only speaking when it was necessary." While his teammates call him "J.P." or "Pepp," Peppers prefers to be called Julius. He was named after basketball star Dr. J — Julius Erving. Peppers' middle name, Frazier, honors former New York Knicks star Walt Frazier. A few more details from Peppers' closely guarded personal life: He drives a black Range Rover; he enjoys reading Donald Goings, John Grisham and John Maxwell; he lives in an uptown Charlotte condominium, where he lounges in baggy sweat pants and often listens to classical music. In his spare time, he says, "I just like to hang out. I like to chill out at home alone. I watch some TV and surf the Internet." Peppers helped a Raleigh, N.C., church rebuild after a flood destroyed its chapel in the late 1990s. He also gives money to Charlotte-area church programs to feed the homeless. "He's not one of those guys you're going to see out at a club," Wallace says. "The same guy you see shy and reserved in here is the same way off the field. He'd never come off like, 'Hey, I'm Julius, and you guys are my sidekicks.' " While Peppers does relish his privacy, he's not a hermit. The PlayStation and Xbox sessions with his teammates can get lively. "We're big fans of Madden Football," Wallace says. "So when we're not playing football we're. ... playing football. He's very competitive at that." Peppers is a bit of a jokester and uses his quiet reputation to his advantage. "Little things, like tapping someone's shoulder then ducking away," Rucker says. "If two of us are standing there, Julius isn't going to be the first suspect. "He gets away with a lot of stuff. Three or four of us might be in a crowd, and he'll call someone's name then duck back into the crowd. There are always some jokers in the bunch, so automatically you think they did it, while he's over there laughing." Because of his size and speed, Peppers presents an unusual challenge to NFL coaches. He can line up anywhere on the field; he can rush the passer; he can drop into coverage. "You can't block him with one person," Theismann says. "You can say, 'Well, we'll just run at him.' But he's big enough to handle that. So then you say, 'I don't want to go at him; let's go away from him.' But then with his speed and motor he'll chase everything down." When asked how much time he'd spent game-planning for Peppers before the Rams' 15-0 Week 11 loss to the Panthers, St. Louis coach Scott Linehan said, "I'm not sure we have enough time to talk about all the problems he presents. Between him and that whole front and that secondary, it's hard to focus on him. But you must because he can wreck the game before you get the fifth step on a drop-back pass. And now he's starting to blow up the running game." Peppers has played at a high level since he entered the league in 2002, but he's having his finest year, leading the NFL with 11 sacks. "This year, and what I haven't seen in the past, is his desire not just to be the best defensive lineman, but to be the best, undisputed defensive player in the league," Wallace says. "When he decides to get a sack, it's impossible to stop him." Case in point: Before Tampa Bay's last possession in the Nov. 13 MNF game, Peppers turned to his teammates and said without a hint of arrogance, "I'm gonna go steal me a sack." Rucker blinked, and Peppers said: "Watch me." His 9-yard sack of Buccaneers quarterback Bruce Gradkowski on fourth down sealed the win. "Afterwards I'm thinking, that was kind of like Babe Ruth, pointing to the outfield and then hitting a home run," Rucker says. "To be able to go out and back your words up is absolutely scary." Perhaps because they both attended North Carolina, the Peppers-Lawrence Taylor comparisons are inevitable. Of all the players in today's game, Theismann says Peppers is "the one I liken to Lawrence. The thing that separates them from a lot of players is instinct. A lot of coaches have to teach guys to take angles. But he's the kind of guy who can weave through traffic and be at the point of impact before everyone else." Panthers safety Mike Minter often sits with Peppers in team meetings, and the two are close. Last year Minter told his friend, "Pepp, you have the ability to be like Lawrence Taylor. That guy had the mentality 'I don't stop. No matter where the ball is, I'm going to get to it. No matter how many people they send at me, I'm going to get to it.' " This year, Minter says, Peppers has taken on that kind of mind-set. He has refused to let the double- and triple-teams frustrate him; he rarely gives up on any play, no matter where the ball is on the field. "With that kind of attitude, what can you do?" Minter says. "You can't do nothing except hope he don't play that week." Rucker says: "To be honest with you, if he keeps playing like this, I see the career sack record going down. I see a lot of numbers going down in a lot of categories. Forced fumbles, fumble recoveries. ... The longer he plays, those records are just going to fall." All of which presents a question: Is it possible to over-hype Peppers? "You know what? I don't think so, especially when it's coming from his peers," Wallace says. "You'll never hear him over-hype himself; you probably won't even hear him say much at all." But Wallace thinks his teammate will ultimately validate the Taylor comparisons and carve his own path to Canton: "To be in this locker room with him, to see the things he's capable of ... most of us realize now we're in a very rare moment in time when we get to play with a guy who, one day, is going to own one of those nice yellow (Hall of Fame) jackets." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Peppers Carolina PanthersEdit 2002 seasonEdit On September 8, 2002 against the Baltimore Ravens, Peppers played in his first career NFL game, in which he made an impact by deflecting a pass by Ravens quarterback Chris Redman that was intercepted by linebacker Dan Morgan, who proceeded to race 22 yards down field with under two minutes remaining in the game to preserve the victory; the Panthers won the game by a score of 10–7.[6] In Peppers' second career NFL game, which came on September 15, 2002 against the Detroit Lions, he lived up to his billing with three sacks and a forced fumble for Carolina. Peppers also had five tackles including one for a loss, and a deflected pass. Peppers, the second overall pick in the draft, got his first NFL sack early in the first quarter. He got another a few minutes later, and registered his third on the final play of the first half when he drilled Lions quarterback Mike McMahon from behind, knocking the ball loose and leaving McMahon motionless on the ground for several moments. The game ended up being a 31–7 rout of the Lions.[7] Later that season, in a 14–13 loss against the Dallas Cowboys in week 6, Peppers produced three tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one pass defensed, and an interception of Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter that he returned 21 yards, before lateralling the ball to linebacker Mark Fields, who gained an additional 30 yards. Peppers' second three-sack outing of the year tied the NFL rookie record for three-sack games in a season, set by Leslie O'Neal of the San Diego Chargers in 1986. Peppers during his rookie season also helped the Panthers boast the only defensive unit since the NFL merger in 1970 to improve from last in the league in total defense to second in one season. Peppers would finish his rookie season with 28 solo tackles, 7 assisted tackles, 12 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 5 passes defensed, and 3 stuffs.[8] For his efforts Peppers would earn the NFL Rookie of the Month Award in October 2002 and the 2002 Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.[9] With four games remaining in the season, Peppers was suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy for taking a banned dietary supplement. Peppers would go on to say that he was given a dietary supplement by a friend to help him fight off fatigue. The pills contained an ephedra substance that was banned by the NFL. Peppers said it was an honest mistake on his part and that he would be more cautious in the future.[10] 2003 seasonEdit In Peppers second season, he was part of a defensive line that also included Brentson Buckner, Kris Jenkins, and Mike Rucker. Together, the unit would be a key cog that would help the Panthers reach the Super Bowl.[11] Peppers would finish the season with 37 solo tackles, 7 assisted tackles, 7 sacks, three forced fumbles, 3 passes defensed, 4 stuffs, and 1 blocked kick. In the wild card round playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, Peppers would make a couple of extraordinary highlight reel plays. In the first quarter, Peppers would chase down Cowboys Receiver Joey Galloway who was one of the fastest players in NFL history, and run him out of bounds after a 28-yard gain. And then later in the fourth quarter as the Cowboys were trying to mount a comeback, Peppers would intercept Dallas Quarterback Quincy Carter and return it 34 yards to the Cowboys 11 yard line. Peppers recorded 1 tackle, 1 interception, and 1 pass defensed in the game. The Panthers won the game 29–10. In the divisional round against the St. Louis Rams, Peppers would again have a dominant performance by recording a sack, 2 passes defensed, and 4 tackles, one of which came on a shuffle pass in the second quarter to running back Marshall Faulk. The game would go into double overtime, as the Panthers defeated the Rams 29–23. The next week in the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Peppers would record 2 tackles in helping to lead a dominant defensive performance for the Panthers as they held the Eagles to just 3 points. Panthers would win by a score of 14–3. The Panthers reached the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history and matched up against the New England Patriots, the game would be an instant classic as both teams went back and forth throughout the game. Peppers would record 2 tackles and pressure New England QB Tom Brady all throughout the game. On the first defensive snap of the game for the Panthers, Peppers stormed into the Patriots backfield with a speed rush from his left Defensive End spot pressuring and hitting Tom Brady right as Brady released the ball for a completion to WR Deion Branch. Two plays later on the Pats opening drive Peppers was cut blocked by Patriots Offensive Tackle Tom Ashworth, but Peppers recovered quickly and nearly deflected the pass as it whizzed by. On the very next play Peppers again ripped into the Patriots backfield along with blitzing Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan hurrying Tom Brady into a rushed throw for an incompletion, and then again on the following play Peppers man handled Tom Ashworth with a hump move made famous by former great Defensive End Reggie White, as Peppers tossed Ashworth to the side like a rag doll, leaped into the air with both arms up and hit Tom Brady altering his hurried throw for an incompletion. The Patriots missed a field goal on their opening drive. On the next Patriots possession Peppers helped force a three and out by pushing Pats Running Back Kevin Faulk to the ground, who was assigned to block him on the third down play, and then leaped into the air to alter Brady's pass as it was completed short of the first down marker. On a play towards the end of the first half with 32 seconds remaining on the clock, Peppers exploded off the line of scrimmage exhibiting great speed and power, rushing against a double team, and drove both the tackle and guard back towards Brady narrowly missing out on a sack, as Brady just did side step him. On the Panthers first defensive snap of the second half, Peppers shrugged aside the New England Tight End Christian Fauria to tackle Running Back Antowain Smith after a gain of just one yard. On the Patriots second possession of the second half, on third down and 5, Peppers bull rushed Ashworth right at Brady and nicked Brady on the helmet with his left hand just after Brady released the ball, the pass was completed for a first down. After the play sports commentator Phil Simms commented that Peppers "was a star waiting to happen." On the same drive, second down and 6, on a running play by the Patriots Peppers tossed Ashworth to the ground as he was in good position defending against the run, the tackle was made by the Panthers defense for a short gain. In a play early in the fourth quarter, Peppers dropped into coverage and made a tackle on Receiver Troy Brown. On a third and goal play in the fourth quarter with 7:48 remaining on the clock, Patriots leading 21-16, Peppers bull rushed Ashworth and pushed him to the ground, as Peppers was closing in on Brady fellow Defensive End Al Wallace got to Brady sooner and forced Brady into a hurried throw that was intercepted by Cornerback Reggie Howard. On the first play of the next Patriots possession, Peppers dominated Ashworth yet again, bull rushing him back into Tom Brady nearly getting a sack on the play, as he and fellow Panthers Defensive End Mike Rucker hurried Brady into a quick throw which he completed for a 1 yard gain. On the Patriots final drive of the game near the end of the fourth quarter, on the Pats first snap Peppers used an outside speed rush to get around Ashworth and hit Tom Brady knocking him to the ground just as he released the hurried throw for an incompletion. Peppers was double team blocked for the remainder of the Patriots final possession. Peppers was a highly disruptive force all throughout Super Bowl XXXVIII. With 1:08 remaining in the game, and the score tied 29-29, the Patriots were given a short field when Panthers kicker John Kasay kicked the ball out of bounds on the kickoff, giving the Patriots the ball at their own 40 yard line with just over a minute left and three timeouts to use. Brady got the Patriots down the field into field goal range, and Pats kicker Adam Vinatieri kicked a 41 yard field goal through the uprights with 4 seconds remaining for the victory. It was a crushing defeat for Peppers and the Panthers but they fought hard until the final whistle. The Patriots went on to win their 2nd Super Bowl title in 3 years. Peppers and Donovan McNabb were the only people to ever play in both the NCAA men's basketball Final Four and the NFL's Super Bowl.[12] 2004 seasonEdit On October 10, 2004 versus the Denver Broncos, on third-and-3, he was fooled on the play at first but recovered in time to push Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer out of bounds on a bootleg after a 2-yard gain. Then on fourth-and-1, he intercepted Plummer's pass and ran it back 97 yards which was an NFL record for a defensive lineman.[13] Peppers would record 4 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass defensed in a losing effort to the Broncos by a score of 17–20. In a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12, Peppers produced one of the NFL's most dominant performances of the season by blocking a 26-yard field goal attempt, recording a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown, which was Peppers first career touchdown scored and was the first interception returned for a touchdown by a defensive lineman in Carolina Panthers history. Also recorded 1 pass defensed, 1 sack and 4 tackles including one stop in which he chased down Bucs running back Michael Pittman from behind on a 68-yard screen pass in the second quarter. The Panthers would defeat the Bucs 21–14. Peppers would also make a memorable play in Week 15 against the Atlanta Falcons, which was a Saturday night game held on December 18, 2004, Peppers would grab a fumble in midair by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and race 60 yards the other way for a Panthers touchdown.[14] Peppers also harassed and chased Michael Vick all over the field during the game as he recorded 3 tackles one being for a loss of yards, 1 pass defensed and the 60 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. Peppers would also line up as a wide receiver in the red zone towards the end of the second quarter, and catch a pass just outside the end zone, that if thrown more accurately by Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme would have resulted in a touchdown catch for Peppers. It was a hard-fought game with the Falcons but the Panthers would lose in the end by a score of 34–31. Peppers would also set an NFL record by recording 143 total interception return yards which is the most ever recorded in a single season by a defensive lineman. He also had a combined 203 interception and fumble return yards which is the most ever by a defensive lineman in a single season since the NFL merger in 1970.[15] Peppers would finish the season with 52 solo tackles, 12 assisted tackles, 11 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 2 interceptions, 9 passes defensed, 4 stuffs, 1 blocked kick, and 2 defensive touchdowns. For his accomplishments Peppers was named to his first NFL Pro Bowl while also earning a spot on the NFL's All Pro First-Team. Peppers would also be named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month in November 2004 and finished fourth overall in the voting by the Associated Press for the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.[16] He would also be named the NFC Defensive player of the Year by the Kansas City Committee, as well as the NFL Alumni Defensive Lineman of the Year. 2005 seasonEdit Peppers broke a bone in his right hand in the sixth game of the season against the Lions, but would return to the game with a cast and help the Panthers get a win 21–20. He would play the next few games with a cast on his hand. Peppers would record two impressive 3 sack games during the season, one against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9, in which addition to his 3 sacks, Peppers also recorded 5 tackles. His other 3 sack effort came against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, in this game Peppers also recorded 8 tackles, 1 pass defensed, and 1 blocked kick.[17] Peppers was an absolute menace and was all over the field for the Panthers defense, but despite Peppers efforts, the Panthers would lose the game 20–24. For the season Peppers recorded 38 solo tackles, 12 assisted tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 6 passes defensed, 5 stuffs, and 1 blocked kick. Peppers would make his second Pro Bowl for his efforts. In the wild card round of the playoffs, Peppers was part of defensive effort that held scoreless the New York Giants offense that ranked third in the NFL in points per game. The Giants managed just 132 yards total offense. Panthers became the first team to register a shutout on the road in the playoffs since 1980 when the Los Angeles Rams posted a 9-0 victory at Tampa Bay (1/5/80) in the 1979 NFC Championship. Carolina shutout was third in team history. Panthers coach John Fox had Carolina prepared for everything New York attempted, rattling Eli Manning into four turnovers and sacking him 4 times, pressuring him throughout the game en route to a 23-0 victory. Peppers contributed 2 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 pass defensed. In the divisional round against the Chicago Bears, Peppers hurt his shoulder while driving Bears running back Thomas Jones out of bounds near the goal line in the fourth quarter. Peppers went to the locker room after the play, then returned to the bench but not the game. Peppers recorded 3 tackles and helped the Panthers get the win 29-21. In the NFC Championship Game, against the Seattle Seahawks Peppers would play well with a hurt shoulder and record 6 tackles 1 being for a loss of yards, but the Panthers would lose the game 34–14, and miss out on a chance to play in the Super Bowl.[18] 2006 seasonEdit Peppers would again record two three-sack games during the season, his first against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, in which he recorded 8 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 stuff, 1 pass defensed, and 1 blocked kick.[19] In week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, Peppers, who was playing with a sore ankle, would be a nightmare all game long for QB Charlie Frye and the Browns offensive line. Throughout the game Peppers would record 5 tackles one being for a loss of yards, a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery on the same play, 5 other QB hits and a pass defensed in which Peppers made an extremely athletic play. Browns fullback Lawrence Vickers took a handoff right but pulled up to pass the ball, Peppers, playing left end, read the play before it began to develop, sprinted downfield and tipped the ball away from tight end Kellen Winslow II. Peppers dominant play helped the Panthers defeat the Browns 20-12. In Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens, Peppers became the Panthers' all-time sacks leader after registering 2 sacks during the game.[20] Peppers also had 8 tackles and a forced fumble in yet another game that Peppers looked like the most dominant defensive player in the NFL. .[21] In Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Peppers recorded 4 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 pass defensed, and one fumble recovery in helping to defeat the Buccaneers 24–10.[22] Peppers was so dominant in the game that ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Joe Theismann compared him to Lawrence Taylor, whom Joe had played against while he was a Quarterback for the Washington Redskins, and Taylor a Linebacker for the New York Giants.[23] Taylor ended Theismann's career when he broke his right leg during a Monday Night Football game in 1985. Peppers earned the NFC Defensive Player of the Month Award for the month of October 2006, his second such award. Peppers finished the season with 49 solo tackles, 9 assisted tackles, 13 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 6 passes defensed, 7 stuffs, and 2 blocked kicks. For his efforts, Peppers earned a trip to his third consecutive Pro Bowl and was also named NFL First-Team All Pro for the second time in his career. 2007 seasonEdit Following Panthers safety Mike Minter's retirement after the 2006 season, Peppers was named as the Panthers defensive captain. Peppers had a down season in 2007 after only recording 30 solo tackles, 8 assisted tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, 5 passes defensed, 1 stuff, and 2 blocked kicks. Before the season started, Peppers suffered from an undisclosed illness and lost weight which is assumed[by whom?] to have played a part in his down season. Peppers also missed the final two games of the season with a sprained MCL in his right knee. 2008 seasonEdit The 2008 season was a bounce back year for Peppers who reverted to his usual dominant self after recording a career-high 14.5 sacks. Peppers would change from left defensive end to right defensive end before the season, which was the position he played in college at the University of North Carolina.[24] Julius’ best performance of the season came against the Oakland Raiders in Week 10, a game in which he recorded 7 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass defensed,[25] Peppers moved all along the defensive line and dominated against the Raiders, leading the Panthers to a 17–6 victory. He would earn his second NFC Defensive Player of the Week Award after his performance. Peppers finished the season with 40 solo tackles, 11 assisted tackles, 14.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 5 passes defensed, 4 stuffs, and 1 blocked kick. After the season, Peppers earned a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl team, which was the fourth of his career. He also earned Second-Team All Pro honors. The Panthers made the playoffs after the 2008 NFL regular season but lost in the divisional round to the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 33–13. On January 16, 2009, ESPN reported that Peppers told ESPN's Chris Mortensen he did not intend to re-sign a long-term deal with the Panthers and would like to explore options with another team, specifically one with a 3-4 defensive formation. He also expressed the desire or willingness to convert from a defensive end to an outside linebacker. Peppers said he would request a trade if franchise tagged. However, despite his request, the Panthers would place the Franchise tag on him on February 19.[26] 2009 seasonEdit The 2009 season ended Peppers' first stint with the Panthers. Peppers began the season well by recording 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defensed, and 1 blocked kick in a Week 1, 38–10 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. But Peppers went without a sack during the next two games against the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys, both losses as the Panthers started the season 0–3, causing Panthers linebacker Jon Beason to question Peppers' intensity on a radio show in Charlotte, North Carolina. Beason would later admit that he was wrong about saying this about Peppers and said he thought that Julius would go down as one of the best players to ever play in the NFL.[27] Peppers bounced back in Week 5 of the 2009 season against the Washington Redskins by recording 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and along with the help of Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis, tackled Redskins Running Back Clinton Portis in the end zone for a safety. Peppers helped the Panthers to their first win of the season defeating Washington 20–17. In Week 8, in a 34–21 win against the Arizona Cardinals, Peppers recorded 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception for a 13-yard touchdown, and 1 pass defensed earning him his third NFC Defensive Player of the Week Award. In Week 9, in a 30–20 loss against the New Orleans Saints, Peppers broke his right hand, but continued to play with a cast on his hand over the next few games.[28] In Week 15 against the Minnesota Vikings, Julius Peppers played one of his best games of his career, although only recording 1 tackle, 1 sack, and 1 pass defensed, Peppers also had 5 quarterback hurries and was all over the field, causing sports writer Peter King to say that Peppers looked like Lawrence Taylor and Deacon Jones rolled into one dominant force. Peppers played so well he caused Vikings Pro Bowl left tackle Bryant McKinnie to be benched by Vikings head coach Brad Childress. Peppers' effectiveness not only prompted Childress to switch tackles, but to also consider making a quarterback change, which Vikings quarterback Brett Favre strongly resisted. Childress said he wanted to protect Favre, who he said was getting his rear end kicked and was taking a beating.[29] In Week 17, which came on January 3, 2010, in a 23–10 win against the New Orleans Saints played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, Julius Peppers played in his final game as a member of the Carolina Panthers during his first stint with the team. Peppers recorded 3 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass defensed. The interception Peppers recorded was, at the time, thought to be the final play of his Panthers career,[30] but Peppers would eventually return to his home state team before the 2017 NFL season. Julius finished the season with 36 solo tackles, 6 assisted tackles, 10.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defensed, 3 stuffs, 1 blocked kick, and 1 defensive touchdown. Peppers was voted to his fifth Pro Bowl and also earned Second-Team All Pro honors. On February 22, 2010, Adam Schefter reported that the Panthers would not place the franchise tag on Peppers, leaving him an unrestricted free agent, free to pursue a contract with another team.[31] Chicago BearsEdit 2010 seasonEdit [32] On March 5, 2010, the Chicago Bears signed Peppers [33] to a six-year contract worth $91.5 million, with $42 million guaranteed in the first three years.[34] Peppers made an immediate impact in Week 1 vs. the Detroit Lions by sacking quarterback Matthew Stafford and forcing a fumble with 29 seconds to go in the first half. The hit Peppers put on Stafford knocked him out for the remainder of the game. In Week 3 against the Packers on Monday Night Football, Julius Peppers recorded just two tackles, but was a thorn in the side of the Packers offensive line and Quarterback Aaron Rodgers all game long, forcing multiple false start and holding penalties, and hurrying Rodgers in the pocket all game long. Peppers also blocked a field goal that ultimately would prove to be the difference in the game as the Bears went on to defeat the Packers by 3 points by a score of 20–17. In Week 5, Peppers went back to his home state to play against his former team, the Carolina Panthers,[35] a game in which he and the Bears won by a score of 23–6. His biggest play of the game was when he tipped a Jimmy Clausen pass and proceeded to intercept it, by diving underneath the ball, after the play, Peppers proceeded to hush the booing crowd by raising his index finger to his lips.[36] Peppers finished the game with 4 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass defensed. In Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins, Peppers recorded his first three-sack performance as a member of the Chicago Bears, he finished the game with 6 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 pass deflection that was intercepted. He earned the fourth NFC Defensive Player of the Week Award of his career for his efforts. Peppers would also win the NFC Defensive Player of the Month Award for November 2010 making it the third time in his career he earned the award. Peppers finished the season with 43 solo tackles, 11 assisted tackles, 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, 9 passes defensed, 5 stuffs, and 1 blocked kick. His impact was most felt with regards to putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, redirecting running plays, or assisting on the tackle. Julius was voted to his sixth Pro Bowl and was named to his third, First-Team All Pro team. Peppers also finished fourth in voting for the NFL's 2010 AP Defensive Player of the Year Award, which was won by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.[37] In Peppers first year as a Bear, he helped them make the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season, and helped the Bears secure a victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round by a score of 35–24. Peppers and the Bears came within one game of reaching the Super Bowl, but ultimately lost to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game 21–14. "Though Peppers had but eight sacks this year, he had a huge impact on a defense that went from 21st in the league in points allowed in 2009 to fourth this year; from 4.3 yards per rush last year to 3.7 this year; from 29 touchdown passes surrendered last year to 14 this year. He pushes the pocket. He buzzes around the quarterback. He makes other guys -- Israel Idonije, Tommie Harris -- better." "There's no question the return of Brian Urlacher at the pivot point of the defense has been a significant addition, but Peppers has been the most important reason the Bears have become the Monsters of the Midway again, and that's why he's my defensive player of the year. He's the John Stockton of the Bears defense, the guy who makes everyone around him better." -Sports writer Peter King[38] 2011 seasonEdit Peppers improved on his 2010 season in 2011 starting all 16 games and leading the Bears defense with 11 sacks despite facing constant double teams, and also playing much of the season with a sprained MCL in his left knee that he injured in Week 5 against the Detroit Lions.[39] But Peppers was still able to record 33 solo tackles, 4 assisted tackles, 11 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 4 passes defensed, 6 stuffs, and 2 blocked kicks. Peppers was awarded his fourth career NFC Defensive player of the month award for November as he collected 6 tackles, 4 sacks, and 3 pass breakups.[40] In Week 17 facing the Vikings, Peppers was awarded a .5 sack by the league, that he originally split with fellow Bears defensive lineman Matt Toeaina, giving him his 100th career sack making him the twenty eighth player in NFL history to achieve that milestone.[41] For his efforts Peppers was elected to the Pro Bowl which was the seventh of his career. 2012 seasonEdit During the 2012 season, Peppers played with plantar fasciitis,[42] though he was able to record 11.5 sacks on the season, becoming the first Bears player to record ten sacks or more in back-to-back years since Rosevelt Colvin,[43] and the first Bear to record at least 11 sacks in two consecutive seasons since Richard Dent.[44] Peppers also recovered a career-high four fumbles, which tied for the league lead.[45] In Week 16, in a 28–13 win against the Arizona Cardinals, Peppers recorded 5 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 stuff, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass defensed making it the ninth time in his career that he had recorded at least three sacks in a game, for his efforts Peppers earned his fifth career NFC Defensive Player of the Week Award. Peppers finished the season with 32 solo tackles, 7 assisted tackles, 11.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 fumble recoveries, 2 passes defensed, 3 stuffs, and 1 blocked kick. He was named to the 2013 Pro Bowl, his fifth consecutive, and eighth of his career, and was also selected to the NFL's 2012 All-Pro Second Team. Peppers also received the Bears Brian Piccolo Award given annually to the player that best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Bears running back Brian Piccolo.[46] On June 5, 2013 Profootballtalk.com named Julius Peppers to their Carolina Panthers Mount Rushmore as one of the teams most significant players in franchise history.[47] On July 31, 2013 EA Tiburon revealed that Peppers was named to their "Madden NFL All-25 Team."[48] 2013 seasonEdit During the Chicago Bears 2013 training camp, Peppers said after one of the Bears practices that he felt 25 years old, and that he wanted to win the first Deacon Jones Award, which was to be given to the player that led the league in sacks.[49] In Week 3 of the 2013 NFL season in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Peppers returned a fumble recovery 42 yards for a Bears touchdown with under four minutes remaining in the game to help seal a Bears victory by a score of 40–23. It was the second fumble recovery Peppers had returned for a touchdown in his career, as well as his fourth touchdown scored.[50] In the Bears Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens, Peppers recorded a career-high 11 tackles as well as two sacks and two more tackles for loss in helping the Bears defeat the Ravens in overtime by a score of 23–20.[51] Peppers finished the season with 31 solo tackles, 14 assisted tackles, seven sacks,[52] two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception, three passes defensed, two stuffs, and one defensive touchdown. On March 11, 2014, Peppers was released by the Chicago Bears after attempts to trade him were unsuccessful.[53] Green Bay PackersEdit 2014 season Peppers signed a three-year deal with the Green Bay Packers on March 15, 2014. The deal was worth $30 million with $8.5 million in first year, and $7.5 million guaranteed. In Week 3 of the 2014 NFL season, Peppers recorded his first sack as a Green Bay Packer and also recorded his 40th career forced fumble and 15th career fumble recovery on the same play. It happened in a losing effort against the Detroit Lions by a score of 19–7. In Week 5 of the 2014 NFL season Peppers recorded his tenth career interception and raced across the field and down the sideline 49 yards to score the fifth touchdown of his career. In doing so, Peppers became the first player in NFL history to record at least 100 sacks and 10 interceptions,[54] he also recorded 3 assisted tackles 1 being for a loss of yards, a pass defensed, and a half-sack in helping the Packers defeat the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 42–10. For his efforts against the Vikings, Peppers was named the NFC defensive player of the week for the sixth time in his career, making him along with Chris Doleman the only two players to win the award with three different teams. Peppers also became the first player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to record at least a half-sack and an interception-return touchdown in three different games.[55] Peppers recorded 4 tackles, 2 passes defensed, and a sack, forced fumble, and fumble recovery on the same play against Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. The Packers blew out Peppers' former team by a score of 55–14. In Week 11, Peppers recorded 2 tackles and his 11th career interception which he returned 52 yards for a touchdown, becoming the first player in NFL history to record at least 100 sacks and 4 interception-return touchdowns.[56] It was Peppers sixth career touchdown scored including both interceptions and fumble recoveries returned. The Packers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 53–20. Peppers finished the season with 29 solo tackles, 15 assisted tackles, 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions, 2 defensive touchdowns, 11 passes defensed, and 4 stuffs.[57][58] Peppers also ranked first among all linebackers and defensive linemen in the NFL with 101 interception return yards. In the Divisional playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, Peppers would have a dominant performance by leading the Packers in tackles on the day with 6, sacking Dallas quarterback Tony Romo and forcing a fumble on the third play of the game, then drew a holding penalty, and later forced a fumble of running back DeMarco Murray in the third quarter that the Packers recovered and prevented what looked like a clear run to the end zone for Murray. It was yet another game changing play made by Peppers, who has made plays such as this all throughout his outstanding career, and has been one of the biggest playmakers in NFL history as a game wrecking dominant defensive force, the likes of which the NFL hasn't seen since the days of Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White. The Packers went on to defeat the Cowboys 26–21.[59][60] The Packers would advance to play the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. Peppers would put on another dominant playoff performance by recording 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hits, and put lots of pressure on Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson throughout the game, but ultimately the Packers would fall short in overtime by a score of 28–22.[61] 2015 seasonEdit Peppers started his fourteenth NFL season off with a bang against his former team, the Chicago Bears. Peppers recorded 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks on the day and in doing so passed former Kansas City Chiefs great Derrick Thomas for fifteenth most sacks in NFL history, as well as helping the Packers defeat the Bears by a score of 31–23. In Week 15 against the Oakland Raiders, Peppers recorded 4 tackles and 2.5 sacks which moved him past fellow North Carolina alumni and former New York Giants legendary linebacker Lawrence Taylor into tenth place on the all-time NFL sacks list, giving him 135 career sacks. The Packers beat the Raiders by a score of 30–20. Peppers finished the season with 25 solo tackles, 12 assisted tackles, 10.5 sacks, and 2 stuffs. He was also selected to his ninth career Pro Bowl. Peppers helped the Packers reach the playoffs and win their wild card round playoff game against the Washington Redskins by a score of 35–18, he had several quarterback pressures and 2 tackles in the game. In the next round against the Arizona Cardinals, Peppers would record several more quarterback pressures and a sack, but the Packers would go on to lose the game in overtime 26–20. 2016 seasonEdit Before the season started, the top three living NFL sack leaders of all time, Bruce Smith, Kevin Greene, and Chris Doleman all said that Julius Peppers should be a Hall of Famer once he retires. In Week 13, Peppers sacked Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler, moving into the top five on the NFL's all-time sack list with 142.5, passing former New York Giants Hall of Fame Defensive End Michael Strahan for fifth place. Peppers finished the game with 5 tackles and 1 sack, helping the Packers defeat the Texans by a score of 21–13. In Week 15 against his former team the Chicago Bears, Peppers recorded 4 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery on the first play of the second half to help the Packers win by a score of 30–27. Peppers finished the season with 15 solo tackles, 8 assisted tackles, 7.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 3 passes defensed, and 1 stuff. In the NFC wild card playoff round against the New York Giants, Peppers sacked Giants quarterback Eli Manning in the first half on a third down play to force a Giants punt. Peppers also ended another Giants drive on third down when he batted a pass that was nearly intercepted, and another on a later play by hitting Eli Manning just as he released the pass, causing an incompletion. Peppers finished the game with 3 tackles, 1 sack, 2 quarterback hits, and 2 passes defended helping the Packers beat the Giants by a score of 38–13 and advance to the divisional playoff round against the Dallas Cowboys. Peppers helped beat the Cowboys the following week 34–31, but the Packers lost a week later to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC championship game 44–21. Carolina Panthers (second stint)Edit 2017 seasonEdit On March 10, 2017, Peppers signed a one-year contract to return to the Carolina Panthers.[62][63] Peppers stated that while he was away from his home state of North Carolina and his home state team, and team that drafted him, the Carolina Panthers, he realized how much he missed the place saying "home is where the heart is." He also said he always wanted to return to the Panthers and repair the relationships with the team and fans and give them another chance to see him wear the Panthers uniform once again. Peppers was given the jersey #90, which was the same number he wore for the first eight years of his career while playing for the Carolina Panthers.[64] In week 1 of the 2017 NFL season, and Peppers first game back as a member of the Panthers, Peppers recorded a half sack and 2 QB hits in helping the Panthers beat the 49ers by a score of 23-3. In week 2 and in Peppers homecoming game in Charlotte, North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium, Peppers would be the last player to be introduced to the crowd as he came out of the tunnel to a huge standing ovation, excited to be back playing for his home state team, and team that drafted him with the second pick in the 2002 NFL draft. It had been nearly eight years since the Panthers legend had suited up for his home state team in Charlotte, and he was ready to put on a show for the home crowd, and the 37 year old future Hall of Famer did just that, having a great performance by recoding 6 tackles and 2 sacks in helping to shut down the Buffalo Bills running game, and helping to harass Bills QB Tyrod Taylor all game long. It was a special day for North Carolina's prodigal son as he helped the Panthers defeat the Bills by a score of 9-3. After the game Peppers would go on to say that this defense is the best he's ever been a part of. In week 4, Peppers helped the Panthers defeat the New England Patriots 33-30. Peppers had another dominant performance recording 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 QB hits, and nearly had another sack and forced fumble right before halftime as he helped to disrupt Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, (who suffered an ac joint sprain in his left shoulder on one of Peppers sacks, but was able to finish the game) and the New England offense throughout the game, despite playing through a right shoulder injury of his own that he had in a brace. For his efforts, Peppers was named the NFC Defensive Player of The Week for the seventh time in his storied career.[65] In Week 5, Peppers recorded a sack of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and also had a big 4th down tackle for a 4-yard loss which resulted in a turnover on downs. The Panthers would defeat the Lions by a score of 27–24. In Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Peppers recorded his 150th career sack, making him the fifth player in NFL history to achieve that milestone. He also forced a fumble on the same play, which gave him 48 career forced fumbles and tied him for second most all time with former Defensive End John Abraham. However, the Panthers lost 28–23. In Week 8 win against Tampa Bay, Peppers recorded his 151st sack, moving him past Chris Doleman for fourth most all-time. Peppers also recorded his 49th career forced fumble on the same play, which moved him into sole possession of second place on the all-time forced fumbles list. The sack also gave Peppers 7.5 sacks for the season, tying him with Bruce Smith for the most seasons with at least 7 sacks (15). In Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers, Peppers recorded a half sack late in the fourth quarter on a fourth down play against quarterback Aaron Rodgers, helping the Panthers ultimately win 31–24. The half sack gave Peppers 10 sacks on the season and 10 total seasons with double digit sacks, becoming only the fourth player in NFL history to achieve that milestone. Peppers also became only the third player in NFL history at age 37 or older to record at least 10 sacks in a season. Peppers finished the season with 21 solo tackles, 12 assisted tackles, 11 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 3 stuffs. Peppers helped the Panthers make the playoffs, and they faced off against the New Orleans Saints in the wild card round. Peppers would record 2 tackles in the game including a huge tackle for loss on third down with 2:27 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Saints would go for it on fourth down and Saints' quarterback Drew Brees would throw an interception thereby giving the Panthers offense one more chance to win the game, but the Panthers offense was unable to score, causing the Panthers to lose by a score of 31–26. 2018 seasonEdit On March 14, 2018, Peppers signed a one-year contract extension with the Panthers.[66] In week 6 against the Washington Redskins, Peppers recorded a sack and a forced fumble which gave him 50 forced fumbles for his career. Peppers is only the second player in NFL history to record at least 50 forced fumbles, the first being Robert Mathis. The Panthers would lose the game though 17-23. In week 7 against the Eagles, Peppers recorded a sack and forced fumble on fourth down late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for the Panthers by a score of 21-17. In week 17 against the New Orleans Saints, in what would be his last NFL game, Peppers would have yet another dominant performance, one of many in his Hall of Fame worthy career. Peppers recorded 4 solo tackles, 1 sack, 2 other tackles for loss, and 1 pass defensed as he looked to be all over the field in helping to defeat the Saints by a score of 33-14. Peppers finished the season with 14 solo tackles, 8 assisted tackles, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 6 passes defensed, and 3 stuffs. After a 17-year career in the NFL, Peppers announced his retirement on February 1, 2019. [67] Peppers finished his legendary NFL career with 716 total tackles and 159.5 sacks (fourth most all-time - trailing only Bruce Smith (200), Reggie White (198) and Kevin Greene (160)). He sacked 77 different quarterbacks, tied with Hall of Famer Reggie White for the most since sacks became official in 1982. Peppers recorded at least one sack against 30 of the NFL’s 32 franchises. The exceptions were the Bengals (three games against) and the Colts (four games against). He also had 51 forced fumbles (second most all-time) 21 fumble recoveries, 11 interceptions, 82 passes defensed, 6 defensive touchdowns scored (four interceptions returned, and two fumble recoveries) 60 stuffs, and 13 blocked kicks (second most all-time). He played in 266 of a possible 272 games in his career - the sixth most games played by a defensive player in NFL history. Edited April 2, 2020 by 98ORAKPO98 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumplestilskin Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 That last post is longer than the Old Testament. LOL Peppers was a superfreak. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommandB11 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 31 minutes ago, rumplestilskin said: That last post is longer than the Old Testament. LOL Peppers was a superfreak. I think it includes his entire Wikipedia page. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTTRDynasty Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 1 hour ago, KDawg said: Let's talk quickly about an edge guy being the most impactful guy on a D. Why do people think this? Because of their cost? We do people think pressures or sacks are generated strictly from the EDGE player and not their impact? How often is it measured that a CB covered a guy and took away a first read so the EDGE could provide pressure? How often is it measured that a linebacker and interior DL stopped the run game and allowed the edge to rush more effectively? How often is it accounted for that an offensive gave the D a lead to work with and made the other offense more one dimensional? It's not. SportsInfoSolutions is one of the best stats sites out there. It attempts to account for each player's total EPA (Expected Points Added) with their Total Points metric. Here is the 2019 breakdown for LB, CB/S and DE/DT. An EDGE player like TJ Watt can have an enormous impact on the game. He had a higher EPA than most QBs. But, as you can see below, you can still have a big impact, regardless of defensive position. So it does lend credence to your playmaker > all argument, which I think most would agree with. Points Saved - Pass Defense: The total of a player’s EPA responsibility while in coverage using the Total Points system that distributes credit among all players on the field for a given play (with positive numbers being good). For pass defenders, this includes accounting for pass rush, broken tackles, dropped interceptions, turnovers, and turnover returns. Points Saved - Pass Rush: The total of a player’s EPA responsibility while rushing the passer using the Total Points system that distributes credit among all players on the field for a given play (with positive numbers being good). For pass rushers, this includes accounting for sacks, blown blocks forced, turnovers, turnover returns, and other disruptions at the line of scrimmage. Points Saved - Run Defense: The total of a player’s EPA responsibility on run plays using the Total Points system that distributes credit among all players on the field for a given play (with positive numbers being good). For run defense, that includes accounting for defenders in the box, blown blocks forced, broken tackles, turnovers, and turnover returns. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 Somebody needs to shot that pea**** 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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