Julius Peppers

Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers pledged $100,000 to support recovery efforts following Hurricane Florence, which has caused more than 40 deaths and widespread flooding on the Atlantic coast.

The Panthers announced Friday that Peppers is teaming with the Foundation For The Carolinas to create the Julius Peppers Hurricane Relief Fund starting with his initial donation. He posted a message on Twitter urging others to help the cause: 

https://twitter.com/juliuspeppers_/status/1043194802400108551

On Thursday, Dennis Romero of NBC News reported 41 deaths have been attributed to the storm and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said it caused an estimated $1.2 billion in damage to the state.

The storm's impact continues even though it's moved out of the southeastern United States.

Officials in the Carolinas urged residents to remain aware with the potential for more flooding throughout the weekend as rivers continue to overflow their banks, per Nicole Chavez of CNN.

Despite the lingering storm-related concerns, the Panthers are still scheduled to play a home game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said Wednesday that veteran defensive end Julius Peppers did not pass his physical, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer: 

https://twitter.com/JourdanRodrigue/status/1022202515889238016

Peppers will begin training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list, per Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk.

He underwent the labrum repair in February, though Hurney didn't appear worried about Peppers' status for the upcoming season: 

Hurney says no concern about Peppers’ health long-term.

— Joe Person (@josephperson) July 25, 2018

"Listen, you know what Pep's gonna bring," he said, Per Rodrigue. "I don't think you worry a whole lot about Julius Peppers."

Peppers, 38, played in all 16 games for the Panthers last season, registering 33 tackles, 11 sacks—his most since 2012—two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. That moved him to fourth all-time on the NFL sacks list with 154.5, trailing only Bruce Smith (200), Reggie White (198) and Kevin Greene (160). 

Catching Smith and White is almost assuredly out of reach. But with another healthy season, Peppers will move to No. 3 on the all-time list, an amazing accomplishment. For the nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-NFL selection, it will be the final feather in the cap of a Hall of Fame career. 

While Peppers remains sidelined, Mario Addison, Wes Horton, Daeshon Hall and Marquise Haynes should see the reps at defensive end. 

Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews doesn't get a say in personnel decisions, but if he did, he may have approached the 2018 NFL draft a bit differently than the team did.

Matthews recently voiced his concern, via ESPN's Rob Demovsky, about his team's lack of depth in the linebacking corps:

"Well, I wasn't surprised with the first two picks; I'll go ahead and say that. But obviously, you look at the depth at the outside linebacker position, and it's not that great. That's not a slight to the guys who are behind Nick [Perry] and myself, but you look around the league, a lot of times they're rotating in pass-rushers.

"You can look a couple years ago when we had Mike Neal and Julius [Peppers] here, Datone [Jones] as well. We had a pretty good rotation. Sometimes I'm sure it doesn't work out the way in which [the front office wants], and obviously they only get so many picks and only have so much cap money to spend."

Green Bay made defense a priority in the draft, but not at outside linebacker. The Packers used their first two picks on cornerbacks (Jaire Alexander, Josh Jackson) and their third on inside linebacker Oren Burks. It wasn't until their final pick, No. 248 overall, that they addressed the outside, taking Kendall Donnerson out of Southeast Missouri State.

It probably made Matthews scratch his head when the team traded out of the No. 14 spot with one of the draft's top edge-rushers—University of Texas-San Antonio's Marcus Davenport—still on the board. The New Orleans Saints took Davenport 14th after making a deal with Green Bay.

Matthews and Nick Perry give the Packers playmakers to lean on outside, although each is coming off injuries. The 32-year-old Matthews underwent a "cleanup" knee procedure in January, and Perry, 28, required hand surgery last year. Behind those two veterans, there's some uncertainty.

While Matthews would've liked the team to add depth, he did find a silver lining.

"At the same time, it does show their confidence in Nick and myself, as well as the guys we have," Matthews said. "At some time, I'm sure it will be addressed, but for the time being, the guys we have here are the guys who have to hold up their end of the bargain."

Following a successful return to the Carolina Panthers in 2017, Julius Peppers will be back with the team next season.

The Panthers shared video of Peppers as he signed his contract:

He's back. pic.twitter.com/E9e7chHTX2

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) March 14, 2018

Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer reported it's "expected" to be a one-year contract, which will mark his 17th NFL season.

Peppers has played for the Panthers, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers in his career. He has spent the bulk of his career with the Panthers, who drafted him No. 2 overall in 2002 and brought him back to help anchor their defensive line in 2017.

Even though Peppers played last season at the age of 37, he remained one of the NFL's best pass-rushing specialists. The North Carolina native led the Panthers alongside Mario Addison with 11 sacks.

With his sack of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz in Week 6, Peppers became the fifth player in NFL history to record 150 sacks. The other players on the list are Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Kevin Greene, and Chris Doleman, all of whom have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Peppers has another feather in his cap as the only player in NFL history with at least 150 sacks and 10 interceptions. He's only had one season with fewer than seven sacks.

Peppers' Panthers teammates were in awe of what he was able to accomplish at his age.

"I think he still looks like the Pep of old, man, with the way he goes out and has the ability to dominate football games," Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis told Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune in October.

The Panthers made Peppers a pass-rushing specialist last season, playing him on just 50 percent of snaps to keep his legs fresh over the course of 16 games.

That strategy worked well for him and the team. Peppers isn't the every-down defender he was at the peak of his career, but there will always be room for an edge-rusher who is able to bring down the quarterback on a consistent basis.

The Panthers will happily have Peppers back as they look to make another playoff push in 2018.

Julius Peppers is considering returning for a 17th season in 2018, the Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler reported Friday. 

Fowler spoke to a source who said Peppers is "leaning toward playing" but hasn't made a final decision. Fowler added that if Peppers were to come back, he'd only play for the Carolina Panthers.

Peppers appeared in all 16 regular-season games for the Panthers in 2017 and finished with 33 combined tackles and 11 sacks.

While those are strong numbers, Peppers turned 38 in January, and he's coming off shoulder surgery earlier this month. According to Pro Football Reference, only 13 defensive ends in NFL history have continued playing after hitting age 38, and of those 13, nine played the equivalent of a full season.

As much as Peppers means for the Panthers franchise, having spent nine seasons in Charlotte, the team may be wary of signing a player on the wrong side of 30 who had offseason surgery.

The Panthers' search for a new owner and a general manager could complicate matters as well. Both tasks add to a busy offseason for the team, and a new front-office regime may not value Peppers as much as interim GM Marty Hurney did in the event Hurney isn't named the permanent GM.

There's no question Carolina needs another pass-rusher to take some pressure off Mario Addison, who had a career-high 11 sacks.

In that sense, re-signing Peppers could give the Panthers a short-term stopgap at defensive end until they can identify his long-term successor.

Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers has been durable over the course of his career, but the team announced he underwent right shoulder surgery Thursday. 

According to the club, a post on Peppers' Instagram story was captioned: "Everything went smooth and I'm recovering well."

The nine-time Pro Bowler made his return to the Panthers in 2017 after spending the first eight years of his career with the franchise.

By season's end, he tied Mario Addison with a team-high 11.0 sacks while forcing a pair of fumbles. 

Few have been better at overcoming ailments than Peppers over the years, as he hasn't missed a game since 2007, so it wouldn't at all be surprising if he makes a full recovery in time for the start of the 2018 campaign. 

The 38-year-old, who will become an unrestricted free agent in March, has yet to announce if he'll return for a 17th NFL season.

The Los Angeles Lakers' desire for an active trade deadline sits in the gray area between a want and a need.

With transparent plans to go whale-hunting in free agency, they would like to shed salary and increase their spending power. But with their top (realistic) trade chips either under contract (Jordan Clarkson and  Larry Nance Jr.) or bound by restricted free agency (Julius Randle), they aren't forced to act now; different paths will be available around the 2018 NBA draft and later in the offseason.

"We've gotta make moves to [become a contender], we know that, so we're constantly assessing that," Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said on Spectrum SportsNet (via Silver Screen and Roll). "And if there's things this trade deadline that help us take steps up the mountain on that journey, we'll absolutely do them. But if those things don't present itself, then we'll stay the course with what we have."

In other words, action isn't guaranteed—but don't be surprised if it happens.

As L.A.'s top executives settle in at the trade table, let's examine the most likely players to be moved.

          

Going Nowhere

Before the 2017-18 campaign commenced, Lakers president Magic Johnson had already scratched three names off any potential trades list.

Johnson dubbed high-ceiling sophomore Brandon Ingram untouchable last May, per ESPN's Baxter Holmes. One month later, Johnson anointed No. 2 pick Lonzo Ball "the new face of the Lakers," per ESPN's J.A. Adande. And in September, Johnson declared Kyle Kuzma "the steal of the draft," via Lakers Nation.

As liquid as the Lakers roster seems, that trio feels cemented into all future plans.

But the list of untradables extends well beyond those three. Luol Deng's deal (two years, $36.8 million remaining) is immovable. The only way the Lakers deal the 32-year-old is if Ingram, Ball or Kuzma goes along with him, per Bill Oram of the Orange County Register.

That's not happening, so neither is a Deng deal.

Expect the same for Brook Lopez and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The former is collecting $22.6 million and averaging 21.1 minutes. The latter has a .408/.354/.752 shooting slash that makes his $17.7 million salary seem preposterous.

Anyone willing to accept either contract would want to ditch a bad one of their own. And since the Lakers can't take on any long-term money, that's another brick wall.

Finally, there's a select group of youthful long shots who could potentially sweeten a deal but probably make more sense to keep. Rookies Josh Hart and Thomas Bryant haven't established enough value to justify cutting them loose so quickly. Ivica Zubac's appeal is trending in the wrong direction, and there's no reason to believe two-way contract players Alex Caruso and Gary Payton II have interested suitors.

The remaining quintet, though, all are more viable trade options, and they're ranked by their likelihood of being moved—determined by production, appeal to other clubs and contract situation.

          

5. Tyler Ennis, PG/4. Corey Brewer, SF

Corey Brewer is slightly ahead of Tyler Ennis on the trade hierarchy, but they're lumped together for a reason: Think of them more as 4a and 4b, since both are trade candidates but more so as filler than standalone commodities.

That's the same path Brewer followed to L.A. at last year's deadline, providing the necessary salary for the Lakers to flip Lou Williams for a first-round pick. The well-traveled Ennis—four teams in four seasons—came to L.A. in a salary dump last season and was previously moved in a 2015 five-player swap.

If Brewer (career 28.0 three-point percentage) or Ennis (31.5) were more consistent marksmen, this might be a different conversation. But that's one of the worst weaknesses for a perimeter player in today's NBA, and neither does enough to compensate for the shortcoming.

Brewer does provide playoff experience, some defensive versatility and transition verve. Ennis is always good for twice as many assists as turnovers, and his pass-first style would play better on a club with more weapons.

There is no financial commitment to Brewer beyond this season. Ennis' $1.6 million salary for 2018-19 is non-guaranteed. While each could supplement a trade, their warts are big enough to likely prevent them from moving by themselves.

          

3. Larry Nance Jr., PF

Nance is a curious addition to this list, as his season seems to be a tale of diverting narratives.

In September the third-year bouncy big man was looking to build off two solid—if unspectacular—seasons. He didn't come across as either a surefire keeper or an obvious trade chip, until Johnson showered him with effusive praise that loudly suggested the former:

Magic Johnson w/ some HUGE words of praise for Larry Nance Jr., calls him 'secret weapon,' that they’ve gotten a lot of trade calls for pic.twitter.com/kaD5QSleR3

— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) September 12, 2017

Since then, Nance has elevated multiple categories to career-best levels, including points per 36 minutes (14.1), rebounds per 36 (10.9), field-goal percentage (60.5) and player efficiency rating (19.7).

And yet, his seemingly ironclad future with the Lakers was hit with this wrinkle: ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported L.A. had "made it clear" Nance was one of the players made available in trade talks.

If your reaction to that is the shrug emoji, then you have something in common with Nance. As he told Alex Kennedy on the HoopsHype Podcast, the news caught him off guard like the rest of us:

"I was a little bit surprised [by the rumors], but at the end of the day, it's a business. If something like that were to happen, if I were to get traded to a different team, it would be a team that would value me. I try to look at it like that, just as an opportunity, if that were to happen. Obviously, I'd love to stay in L.A. But if it happens, there's nothing that I can do about it, but it would be a new opportunity and hopefully one that I can seize and make the best of."

There are many reasons for Nance not to worry about a midseason move.

His rookie deal extends another season ($2.2 million for 2018-19), so any financial motivations to trade him are minimal at best. He's also the type of low-maintenance player who could complement both L.A.'s developing roster and the kind of star-studded squad it hopes to assemble this summer.

Oh, and he's an electrifying above-the-rim finisher who's Slam Dunk Contest-bound because of ferocious flushes like these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrfInTz4h-g

But if Wojnarowski hears Nance is available, we'd be remiss not to include him. Not to mention, he'd surely interest a robust number of deadline shoppers, and the ascension of Kuzma has arguably solidified the 4 spot going forward.

That's why Nance can't get completely comfortable until after the deadline has passed, although any deals involving him would have to bring back a difference-maker.

             

2. Julius Randle, PF/C

Randle's longterm future with the Lakers was in jeopardy before they opted against extending his deal in October.

He's not the easiest player to mold a roster around, as bigs who can't shoot or protect the rim are struggling to meet the modern demands for interior positions. Since an extension never seemed probable, his impending restricted free agency was always going to be messy given this group's clear intention of big-game hunting.

That's not to suggest the Lakers should just give him away; but rival clubs know his contract situation and will tailor their offers accordingly. For instance, the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly tried to pry Randle loose for Alexis Ajinca (an injured center who's averaged 13.3 minutes for his career) and a second-round pick, league sources told The Athletic's Michael Scotto.

If that's the market for Randle, then subtracting him will worsen L.A. in the short term. That isn't the worst thing that could happen to a draft lottery-bound team—although the Lakers won't tank since they don't own either of their 2018 picks—but it's at least a reason to temper expectations for the return on Randle.

He could leave for nothing this summer, so maybe that's the motivation to move him. But L.A. understands—or should understand, at least—that ambitious plans for free agency often don't come together. With DeMarcus Cousins seemingly off the table and Paul George sounding like he's enjoying his time in OKC, the Lakers must be careful about emptying the cupboards and discovering there's no way to refill them.

While Randle has his faults, he offers a unique size-skill combination. There aren't many 6'9", 250-pound players who can handle and create the way he does. Last season, he was one of only nine players to average at least 13 points, eight rebounds and 3.5 assists. And while his distributing has declined this year, the 23-year-old has never been more efficient (55.1 field-goal percentage, 19.2 PER).

It feels safe to assume L.A. will shop him heavily in the coming days, which is why he's plugged in second on our list. But he won't have as many suitors or offer as much financial relief as the No. 1 choice.

      

1. Jordan Clarkson, PG/SG

Even though multiple Lakers have been labeled (or assumed) available all season, Clarkson stands out as the clear-cut likeliest to go.

Dollars drive a lot of that distinction. Besides the unmovable Deng, Clarkson is the only player on the payroll with guaranteed, non-rookie-scale money owed to him after this season ($25.9 million for the next two years). Most of L.A.'s paths to two max-contract slots require Clarkson's removal.

Moving beyond economics, Clarkson might be the most coveted player they're willing to dangle. One Eastern Conference executive told Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus his order for the rumored players: Clarkson, Nance and then Randle in terms of attractiveness.

Assuming Clarkson would wind up in a reserve role (he's made just 21 starts over this season and last), he'd offer immediate plug-and-play potential. He's an instant offensive spark and conveniently peaking at the optimal time.

He's outpacing his personal-best per-36-minute production in points (22.4), nearly matching it in assists (4.9) and enjoying career highs in PER (17.3) and true shooting percentage (53.6).

It seems every win-now bench would welcome a scoring boost this time of year. (Lou Williams and Bojan Bogdanovic both netted first-round picks at the 2017 deadline.) Even though Clarkson's shooting has been inconsistent, he's been a quick-strike point-producer all season. In fact, no one owns a better scoring average while playing fewer than 24 minutes (14.7, minimum 25 appearances).

Need more reasons to think Clarkson's days in Hollywood could be numbered? Wojnarowski's report stated there's a "mutual desire" to get him elsewhere "sooner than later." And Scotto's said the Pellies put their first-rounder (since dealt to the Chicago Bulls) on the table for Clarkson.

If the Lakers can sniff out a favorable deadline deal, expect Clarkson to be involved.

          

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball Reference or NBA.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.

Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers picked up a half sack in Sunday's 31-24 win against the Green Bay Packers. After Sunday's game, Peppers now has 10 sacks for the season, marking the 10th time in his career that he has logged at least that many, per NFL.com.

Peppers is just the fourth player in NFL history to have at least 10 seasons with 10 or more sacks. He joins Hall of Famers Bruce Smith (13 seasons), Reggie White (12 seasons) and Kevin Greene (12 seasons) in that club.

Peppers, who turns 38 in January, had surpassed the 10-sack mark just once over the last four seasons. However, a return to his roots in Carolina for the 2017 campaign appears to have drawn a resurgence from the veteran.

Peppers played the first eight of his 16-season career as a member of the Panthers. Over those eight campaigns, he logged more than 10 sacks on six occasions. After spending some time with the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, Peppers has returned to Charlotte and remains a solid contributor to a tough Panthers defense. 

Carolina ranks sixth in terms of yards allowed per game with 307.9, also ranking fifth against the run (91.6 yards per game). The team has also been effective at keeping opponents out of the end zone, allowing just 20.4 points per game to sit 11th in the league.

The Panthers enter Week 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the midst of a heated battle for the NFC South title and a playoff spot. With a win, the club would lock down a spot in the postseason, per the team's official website. However, the Saints own the tiebreaker, meaning the Panthers would need some help to take home the division title.

Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers recorded a sack, two tackles (both solo) and a forced fumble in Saturday's 17-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With Saturday's tally in the sack department, Peppers moved ahead of Hall of Famer Chris Doleman (150.5 sacks) and into sole possession of fourth on the all-time sacks list, per NFL Communications. Only Bruce Smith (200) Reggie White (198) and Kevin Greene (160) have totaled more than Peppers since the sack was instituted as an official statistic in 1982.

Peppers began his career with the Panthers in 2002, totaling 12 sacks as the second overall pick out of North Carolina. After eight seasons in Charlotte, Peppers made his rounds in the NFC North with the Chicago Bears (four seasons) and Green Bay Packers (three seasons) before coming full circle and rejoining the Panthers for 2017.

Despite turning 37 in January, Peppers continues to defy his age to the tune of 7.5 sacks through eight games this season. While his pace will likely slow as the season wears on, Peppers is on pace to near or top his career-best 14.5-sack season in 2008 through eight games.

Carolina's defense as a whole has vastly improved in 2017 as well. After allowing the seventh-most points per game (25.1) in the league during 2016, the Panthers rank on the opposite end of the spectrum this season. Through Week 8, the team has allowed the fifth-fewest points per game (17.8) in the NFL and has also allowed the second-fewest yards per game (264.0).

Peppers and the Panthers head into their bye in Week 9 before returning to the field to battle with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10.