Panthers open talks with DE Peppers

Eight is Enough Looking for immediate impact? Need to upgrade the defense? Here are eight players, including North Carolina's Julius Peppers, who will be first-round draft choices this year. Photo Gallery, click here.

By Don Banks, Sports Illustrated

In a move that all but assures that Carolina will select Julius Peppers with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, the Panthers on Friday informed the North Carolina defensive end that he will be their selection barring a blockbuster trade offer, a league source said.

While Carolina on Friday discussed contract parameters with Peppers, a source said it would be inaccurate to describe the talks as formal negotiations.

As of Thursday, Texas cornerback Quentin Jammer remained a possibility in the No. 2 slot. But now that talks with Peppers have been started, it appears the top two players will be Fresno State quarterback David Carr by the expansion Houston Texans and Peppers.

In this week's Monday Morning Quarterback, Panthers first-year head coach John Fox told Sports Illustrated's Peter King that Carolina "kind of floated all over the place about the pick.

"Now it's come down to Joey Harrington, Julius Peppers and Quentin Jammer. More than likely, it'll be one of those three," Fox said. "We haven't had any communication with anybody about trading the pick, so we'll probably sit right at two and take one of those players. I've never done this before, obviously, but we need to take a guy, picking second, who we feel will be able to be an impact guy this year."

Seemingly, Peppers, 6-foot-6, 283 pounds, is that impact player.

TYF Draft Preview's Tony Pauline says Peppers is a "tremendous athlete and a prospect who may have more upside potential than any other player in this draft. [Peppers] can twist or stunt, and catches the ballcarrier from the backside and is rarely moved out of his angle of attack."

 

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