Julius Peppers has made it clear that he wants out of the 4-3 defense, and that there’s four teams — one of them the Cowboys, and two others teams in the NFC South — that he’s willing to go to.

As it turns out, the Panthers have tagged their former first pick, and Peppers is set to receive $16.83 million for 2009. Peppers’ agent expected the franchise tag, but also expects him to be traded. The problem with the trade is that, under the rules, no other team can sign Peppers without giving up two first round picks, which is a hefty amount for a guy that’s had 16.5 sacks over the last two years, with 14.5 of them coming last year.