PEPPERS WILL ASK FOR TRADE IF TAGGED

In a conference call with local reporters, Julius Peppers reiterated that he wants out of Carolina, especially if the Panthers use the franchise tag on him. “If they decide to use the tag on me the first thing I will be doing is request a trade,” Peppers said, according to Steve Reed of CarolinaGrowl.com. Peppers was asked if he planned on holding out if the Panthers couldn’t complete a trade. “Anything after that is basically I don’t know,” Peppers said. “I don’t know what would be the next course of action.” Franchising Peppers would cost the Panthers about $17 million. If Carolina can’t agree to a deal with offensive tackle Jordan Gross before the deadline, they could face a decision on which player to tag. The way Peppers sees it, Carolina’s decision is an easy one. “Jordan Gross has came out and said he wants an extension,” Peppers said. “We have one player who says he does want to stay and one player who wants to move on. I would try to accommodate the guy who wants to be there.” Peppers once again said he would be better utilized in a 3-4 defense, something he doesn’t see happening in Carolina. “Coach (John) Fox is a 4-3 guy and I could never see him changing,” he said. Teams have until Thursday to designate the franchise tag.