Julius Peppers gets the franchise tag Carolina Panthers. It was announced yesterday.
The move was made by the Panthers after they agreed on a new contract with left tackle Jordan Gross. The contract cleared the way for Carolina to use the team’s franchise tag on Julius Peppers. He is having in his credit 141/2 sacks last season but expressed his desire to leave Panthers and also their 4-3 scheme for a team that do not plays 3-4 but a 3-4 defense.

This move by the Carolina Panthers came on the final day for teams to make an application for a franchise designation. This will keeps him under the control of current team for the average salary of the top five NFL players at his position.

Others who are tagged franchise apart from Peppers yesterday were cornerback Dunta Robinson of Houston, linebacker Leroy Hill of Seattle, tight end Bo Scaife of Tennessee, and offensive tackle Max Starks of Pittsburgh.

The most intriguing move of Carolina involves Peppers, which is the second overall pick in the 2002 draft. His good season followed a 2007 in which he had just managed 21/2 sacks.
In the non-exclusive franchise tag rules, Carolina offered him a 1-year guaranteed deal that was worth $16.7 million. This will immediately count against the salary cap.

Tags: carolina, franchisee, peppers