Delhomme And Peppers – Too Expensive For Carolina

Thursday night the Carolina Panthers made the to cut ties with one of their signature players and release their veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme.

Team officials offered no comment Thursday night, but in a news conference Friday morning Panthers head coach John Fox was clearly emotional and team general manager Marty Hurney said “Sometimes you have to force yourself to give (young) guys that opportunity and that experience”

Matt Moore will be stepping in as the team’s starting quarterback unless things drastically change before next season.

The Panthers still have a $13 million contract with Delhomme, but team management made the decision to release him anyhow.  It sounds like a bad move on paper but it is all about the money.

The NFL is about to enter into an uncapped year and this will allow them room for Julius Peppers without any salary cap ramifications.

The structure of Delhomme’s multiyear contract will allow the team to spread out money over the next few years, but is Peppers worth that much?

Delhomme’s performance has been in decline, there is no debating that, and Peppers would be an excellent addition to the team.  Is he worth a hefty salary, plus the $13 million dollar buy out?

What this will mean for the team beyond the next season is the real question.  The NFL could reinstate the salary cap, but this preemptive move should prevent any possible penalties to the team, but is that all there is too it?

Only time will tell how Peppers performs, Delhomme started out doing very well for the team with a 4-7 record.  He then went on to lead the Panthers to a Super Bowl and two NFC Championship Games before he started to decline.

In the 2009 season he had a record 18 interceptions until an injury caused him to miss five games, during that time Moore managed to rack up the wins.  The “writing was on the wall” after that and many expected the cut.  But it will be an expensive gamble for the team with potential long term implications.