Tuesday, July 23, 2002

ProFootballWeekly.com asks personnel expert Joel Buchsbaum for his thoughts on the hottest topics in football. 

Peppers avoids salting rookie wound, signs with Panthers

With Texans QB David Carr and Lions QB Joey Harrington signed, the Panthers reached a deal with second overall pick DE Julius Peppers. A speed rusher, Peppers has natural ability and athleticism but needs polish on his technique and must develop a better football acumen in training camp.

Buchsbaum: Carolina made a big signing, getting Peppers into camp. Peppers needs all the work he can get. He is a tremendous athlete who needs to develop more of a football mentality, which he can develop in training camp. He also needs a lot of technique work. It would have been a disaster for Peppers if he held out. It is a good sign he realized it, as did Carolina.

First-round picks will start flowing in

Six first-round picks have signed with their new teams, but expect more movement as training camps open around the NFL. The pegs are starting to fit in at the top of the first round and the bottom, but middle-of-the-round names like Jeremy Shockey of the Giants and Albert Haynesworth of the Titans getting deals done would go a long way toward the rest of the draft choices getting to camp.

Buchsbaum: It will be interesting to see with the first few picks of the first round signed. Generally, the hardest picks to sign are the middle of the first round. If the Giants can get Shockey to sign, it would break that logjam. The bottom of the first round will take shape quickly and you should see a rash of signings in the next few days.

Jaguars sign Scott, proving they want to stay competitive

The Bengals cut WR Darnay Scott, but not because of diminished skills, they cut him to save nearly $3 million against the salary cap. Ironically, the team that entered the offseason in the biggest salary-cap bind, the Jaguars, added Scott to replace Keenan McCardell — the player the Jags were forced to cut to save money.

Buchsbaum: By signing Scott, the Jaguars are sending a message to their players. Scott still has something left and the Jaguars are saying they are conceding nothing despite salary-cap problems. They aren’t writing anything off, but won’t go crazy and put themselves in a salary-cap bind once again down the road.

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2001 - 2002 Season