Teammate Predicts Peppers Will Attend Training Camp

The dispute with Carolina Panthers franchise player Julius Peppers, who has yet to sign his one-year, $16.7 million tender or show up for offseason workouts, won’t lead to Peppers missing training camp, according to Panthers linebaker Jon Beason. Beason has been talking with Peppers and predicted that the star defensive end will show up at training camp at some point, according to the Associated Press. It may not necessarily be the first day of camp, though, on August 2. Peppers is free to skip training camp and all offseason activities without penalty under NFL rules governing unsigned franchise players. “I talked to him last weekend,” Beason told reporters today. “He said he’s doing good, he’s training and he’ll be ready to go when training camp gets here. . . . “I’m hoping it’s the first day. When I talked to him I said, ‘Hey, if you come in, at least come in on the first day. Don’t be like me.’” A trade hasn’t developed despite Peppers’ request to be dealt to another team. And the Panthers have lost several key reserves due to the salary-cap space that the four-time Pro Bowl selection is occupying. Panthers coach John Fox is clearly getting tired of the turmoil, but seems confident that Peppers will eventually show up. “This has been worn out as a subject, but I anticipate he’ll be at camp,” Fox said. All of which sounds good on paper, but until Peppers breaks his silence about his plans or reports to camp, this situation is likely to keep bubbling underneath the surface.