Panthers' Lucas Won't Accept Trade to Detroit, May Get Cut

NFL players typically don't have "no-trade clauses" in their contracts. Instead, the few players who are traded either have no leverage, are whining about their contracts and want new ones, or are so desperate for a change of scenery that they'd go practically anywhere.

In the case of Carolina Panthers cornerback Ken Lucas, he probably wishes he had leverage. Of course, having virtually no leverage apparently didn't stop Lucas from nixing a trade to a team he doesn't want to play for.

NFL.com's Adam Schefter reports Lucas has found a way to stop the Panthers from trading him to the Detroit Lions. Evidently, he doesn't want to play for a team that pulled off a 0-16 stinker last year.

Scheduled to make over $5.5 million next year, Lucas is apparently too expensive for the Panthers. Instead of trading him, Schefter reports that Carolina may cut Lucas. The club is busy right now trying to free up the necessary dollars so they can carry franchise player Julius Peppers' one-year tender while they figure out if they can keep him or if they will be forced to make a trade.

Officially, the Panthers aren't commenting on their plans for Lucas, who survived a round of cuts earlier this week.

"Ken is here at this point," (general manager Marty) Hurney said when asked about Lucas. "I'm not going to get into what we're going to do. I'm going to talk about what we've done.

"What we're going to do isn't something I want to talk about. We're obviously always working on things and talking about things, but I really would rather comment on what we've done at this point, because anything else is speculation."

Lucas is a very good player. Odds are that he didn't cost himself too many dollars by nixing the trade to Detroit, and assuming Carolina cuts him, he'll be able to pick his new team.

Now that I think about it, this might not have been a bad move at all. After all, not everyone thinks the way Matthew Stafford does.

(High-five: PFT)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-26-2009 @ 11:02PM

Mike said...

Good luck Ken...

2-27-2009 @ 6:57AM

tonymaner said...

The Panthers deserve all of the problems they have. Lucas is no better than a second string college player. Peppers is an above average player but by far no great hall of famer. The poor Panther fan has bought all of this greatness BS about Peppers from the Panthers organization, local TV and radio. Poor Carolina has had no Hall of fame players so they manufactured Peppers to be something he will never achieve. If Peppers and Lucas, both loosers by the way were so great teams would be in line to get them. If they want to play hardball the Panthers should play hardball in return. Make them show for every game in street clothes, sit on a bench provided for them away from the team. Don't allow cancer to spread. If they are on minute late for training, fine them. Do not allow them in team meetings, to work out with team, do not give them the play book. However they must be at each and every practice and team function, sitting in a room alone away from the team. If they don't show fine them heavy duty. My point is treat them like a disease and keep them away from the team. Never dressing in gear, always street clothes. Sitting on bench all year, no play, no knowledge of Panther playbook, no workouts, no meetings, but they must be on site. Then, next year the value of each will go down, one year older and a year with no play. That Mr. Richardson is the way to deal with these two loosers.