– Against his wishes, the Panthers placed the franchise tag on defensive end Julius Peppers and have no intentions on trading him at this time according to GM Marty Hurney. Peppers has already stated publicly that he wants out of Carolina, but the Panthers were wise to tag him in order to gain compensation if they do trade him. Either way, this will be one of the most talked about storylines this offseason and things could get messy if Carolina stands firm on not trading him.
– The Charlotte Observer is reporting that the Falcons may be the leading contenders for free agent defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, which makes sense given Atlanta’s need at the position. Haynesworth and John Abraham on the same defensive line? Shut your mouth…
– Speaking of the Panthers and all things Charlotte, Carolina signed left tackle Jordan Gross to a brand new six-year contract. The deal is worth nearly $60 million and includes $30.5 million in the first three years according to Rotoworld.com.
– The Steelers assigned left tackle Max Starks the franchise tag. He’ll receive a one-year deal worth $8.451 million if he signs the tender. Offenisve line was supposed to be a major weakness for Pittsburgh last season, but the unit gelled over the last month and a half of the season and obviously played well enough for the Steelers to win their second Super Bowl title in three years.
– In a rather surprising (although not shocking) development, the Falcons appear to be on the verge of re-signing outside linebacker Keith Brooking. At the start of the week, it looked as if Atlanta and the long-time veteran would part ways this offseason, but apparently the Falcons still value his leadership. This doesn’t guarantee that the team won’t draft a linebacker to push for the starting weak-side linebacker position, but at least the team is showing loyalty to a player that has served them well over his career. Brooking has definitely lost a step, but he’s a tremendous leader and could serve as a solid mentor for whoever the team brings in to supplement him in the future. This move might also signal that the Falcons won’t re-sign outside linebacker Michael Boley.
