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Childress On the Way Out
It is hard to imagine that a coach could be on his way out after only recently being hired, but Brad Childress has exhibited zero worthiness of being an NFL Head Coach during his tenure thus far.
This is not just sour grapes for his comments about Daunte Culpepper. The simple fact of the matter is that in his press conferences he has not shown a natural feel for what he can say and what should not say. This has been evident in his addresses on all subjects, not just ones relating to Daunte Culpepper.
The league has taken notice. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there are many league insiders that are already wishing Brad would just shut his pie hole.
The bottom line is Childress has not been a head coach at any level of football, and has not shown a feel for handling the press, or his own players. He never called the plays in Philadelphia. Heaven only knows how much a of a hand Andy Reid had in formulating offensive game plans that called for 70 percent passing and only 30 percent running in Philadelphia.
If a new head coach wants to walk into a team situation, kick some keester and tear the roster apart in order to get out with the old and in with the new, that is fine. Brad has shown a willingness to do that, and quite frankly it is a time-honored tradition for new head coaches. When engaging in such draconian tactics, one must be swift and thorough. Otherwise, you run the risk of bending noses out of shape by engaging in a little house cleaning among high profile players, and leaving those discontented players in the locker room to destabilize the chemistry. The problem with Childress, is he has only engaged in this roster clean-up at half-speed. He targeted Daunte Culpepper as a means of giving the roster a makeover, but he did not target enough other players to make the efforts successful.
I am struck by the words of some of the Vikings' most esteemed players when asked about the possibility of a Culpepper trade in late February. Standouts like Jermaine Wiggins, Bryant McKinnie, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, and Antoine Winfield (all of which have earned pro bowl consideration) all spoke vehemently in favor of keeping Culpepper.
McKinnie was the most vocal, and was quoted saying, "We already made one mistake (trading Moss). Don't do it twice. If that's the case, let me go."
Antoine Winfield pointed out that Culpepper was one of the primary reasons he signed with the Vikings over the Jets in the 2004 off season.
"I want him here," Winfield said. "I enjoy playing with him; he's a great guy to be around, and he's definitely a leader. I mean, he had a few bad games last year. But he's had a great career. He'll bounce back, whether it's here or somewhere else."
Pat Williams spoke up as well, saying "I'm not saying Brad wouldn't get the job done. But we still need Culpepper."
It is safe to say that in trading Daunte for the pick the team would later use on offensive lineman Ryan Cook of New Mexico (a pick largely considered a reach by draft evaluators), Childress has started his regime off on the wrong foot with a number of the team's veterans. The roster move defies conventional wisdom.
Later, Childress' open and blatant character assassination attempts on a guy that each of the players in the locker room knew as a standup person and leader, had to call into question the players' respect for Childress as a person.
If Culpepper turns out to lead the Miami Dolphins to a significant amount of success, while the Vikings struggle under Childress, the trade will hang over his head for a long time and serve as a constant reminder of Childress' incompetence as a decision-maker.
My crystall ball is telling me that Rod Marinelli will lead a revival of tough man football in Detroit, and his team's discipline will edge them over the loosely-ranked Vikings in the quest to produce an NFC North team that can attempt to compete with the Bears. Brad Childress' coaching regime will end in failure within three years.
Bryant McKinnie to Miami by 2008
Speaking of the situation in Minnesota, Bryant McKinnie's statements regarding the potential trade of Daunte Culpepper are very suggestive of his future as a Viking.
This meaning, he has no future as a Viking. The New Jersey native spent his entire college career (both junior college and university) in south Florida. He practically begged the Dolphins to find a way to get him when he came out of the 2002 NFL Draft. The Dolphins never got the chance.
In the 2002 Draft, the Vikings missed on an opportunity to select a player they badly wanted in Ryan Sims. The Dallas Cowboys were on the clock at the #6 pick, and allowed time to expire as they tried to wrap up trade negotiations that would see the Kansas City Chiefs moving up to steal Sims before the Vikings could get their hands on him. All the Vikings needed to do to get the player they wanted was turn their card in immediately after the Cowboys' time expired. There were rumors that representatives of the Chiefs physically blocked the Vikings' floor representative from turning his card in, which gave the Chiefs the time needed to turn in the trade and the pick.
Bryant McKinnie was not the guy the team wanted, and the ensuing contract negotiations reflected it. They attempted to lowball McKinnie into accepting a contract with millions less than the man picked one slot after him. The holdout was ugly, and lasted 100 days. There was a very real possibility that McKinnie would have held out until he could re-enter the draft in 2003. The team and McKinney agreed on a contract that expires after the 2007 season.
Most recently, the Vikings have negotiated a restricted free agent contract with left guard Steve Hutchinson containing a poison pill clause that would result in the entire contract becoming guaranteed if he is not the most highly paid offensive lineman on the team. The deal will put an automatic roof on any contract negotiations between McKinnie and the team.
There is also the infamous 'Love Boat' scandal to consider. McKinnie was on the boat and eyewitnesses claim they saw him performing oral sex on a naked stripper. Daunte Culpepper, according to his own testimony, as well as that of a witness, was present on the cruise as well but stayed in the back of the boat shooting craps all night. According to testimony of Culpepper and a witness, he never received so much as a lap dance. If Culpepper's fortunes could go from so high to so low in part for just being at the party, how will the team react to McKinnie's more direct involvement, and subsequent plea bargain?
Given his past history with the club, his affinity for the Miami area, the presence of the Hutchinson deal, his involvement in the 'Love Boat' scandal, and his recent public disillusionment over the Moss and Culpepper trades, my crystal ball shows me Bryant McKinnie wearing aqua and orange at the very latest by 2008, with a strong possibility for a trade or release by 2007. The Dolphins recently signed L.J. Shelton to a modest three-year contract, but his career play should not discourage the team for finding a franchise bookend when one falls in their laps.
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