Not even 30 minutes into the launch of the free agency period, ESPN’s Adam Schefter says that there’s a “league-wide expectation” that defensive end Julius Peppers is heading to the Bears.
Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune reports that a visit already has been arranged, and that Peppers has a “strong interest” in joining Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Tommie Harris on the Chicago defense.
Bryant McKinnie just peed a little.
Meanwhile, a league source tells us that the Redskins are out. For most of the first half hour of free agency, G.M. Bruce Allen was communicating with persons other than Peppers’ agent, Carl Carey.
We’ve spoken with Lance Zierlein of KGOW and the Houston Chronicle regarding the change, given that Zierlein was convinced Peppers would be heading to D.C. -- and given that Zierlein had it nailed last year regarding the signing of Albert Haynesworth by the Redskins. Zierlein says that, even though everything was pointing to the Redskins and Peppers on Thursday night, “something happened” to put the Bears in the driver’s seat. It could be that Peppers simply wants to play for Rod Marinelli, and that he wants to avoid a 3-4 defense.
