Next Stop for Culpepper
Now that the Dolphins have finally acquired Trent Green from the Chiefs, Daunte Culpepper sits in limbo. The Dolphins are trying to shop him around, but there do not appear to be any takers at this moment, and Culpepper has requested his release. Either way, things do not look good for for the QB who had one of the greatest seasons (statistically) in NFL history in 2004.
Although he is a three-time Pro Bowl player, there aren’t many teams that are going to be interested in a QB recovering from a devastating knee injury that has essentially sidelined his career since 2005. Before the injury, Culpepper was an unimpressive 39-41 in the 5 seasons in which he started full-time for the Vikings.
Minnesota head coach Brad Childress has gone on record as saying that Culpepper was more concerned with money than his team when they were in contract negotiations that led to his trade to the Dolphins. Also during this time, Culpepper refused to rehab his knee in Minnesota when the Vikings requested that he do so.
Considering the fact that the Dolphins are dumping Culpepper for a QB that is almost 7 years his elder, you’ve got to wonder if any team in the league will want to add him to the roster. Culpepper wants a shot to compete for a starting QB spot and with that in mind There are only 4 teams that I can see giving him the chance.
4. The least likely team is the Philadelphia Eagles. Rumors out of Philadelphia have Donovan McNabb on his way out if he has anything less than a stellar campaign this year. Considering that Culpepper is still rehabbing his knee, the Eagles could keep him on the roster and let him get familiar with their system so that he is ready to take the helm next year. That’s if McNabb falls and Culpepper’s knee recovers.
3. The next team on this list is the Oakland Raiders. If Culpepper’s knee has him ready to play in the pre-season, the Raiders could use him to help groom Jamarcuss Russell. Both players are big bodies with excellent arms so Russell could get familiar with the playbook and have some experience in the NFL before taking over next year. Chances are, however, that Culpepper is unwilling to go to a team where he will be a one-and-done player.
2. The Houston Texans are another team that aren’t completely locked up at the QB position. Although they’ve made it clear that they believe Matt Schaub is the QB of the future for them, not everyone around the league is so sure. Culpepper would be a solid insurance policy, but if he ever did get a start for them he better hope that their offensive line has improved. With his knee, he does not have much for mobility and unless things have improved he would be another sitting duck.
1. The Detroit Lions are a team with a great set of tools for a QB to step in and produce with. With Culpepper’s arm, playing indoors, and speedy receivers, this could be a great match for both parties. Jon Kitna is an older QB and is far from being a franchise leader, so Culpepper could have a great shot at winning the starting position over Kitna.
It will be interesting to see if any of these teams give Culpepper a shot this year. If not, his NFL career may be a very short one. If he is going to get a chance he needs to be traded or released now so that he can get into training camp and learn the system for whichever team he goes to.
