Daunte Culpepper likely out (Trent Green in) before camp.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.miamiherald.com/588/story/131385.html

Posted on Thu, Jun. 07, 2007

DOLPHINS Daunte likely out before camp

BY JEFF DARLINGTON
jdarlington@MiamiHerald.com

It might be time to install a revolving door at the Dolphins' facility in Davie.

Hours after quarterback Daunte Culpepper left the building for one of his final times Wednesday, quarterback Trent Green arrived as his eventual replacement. Culpepper likely will be released or traded before this weekend's minicamp.

Dolphins coach Cam Cameron and general manager Randy Mueller informed Culpepper during an early-morning meeting Wednesday that they are ''going in a different direction,'' Culpepper said.

'They would like to trade me in order to `get something for me,' '' Culpepper said in an e-mail Wednesday. ``However, it is my position that I have already been down that road and I am not interested in being traded.''

Whatever happens, Culpepper's one-year career with the Dolphins will soon come to its end.

Culpepper's trade value isn't likely to be very high, considering the team just gave him medical clearance to practice Tuesday.

Cameron was cryptic about his plans for Culpepper on Wednesday, as he attempted several times to deflect the attention during a news conference toward Green's arrival rather than Culpepper's departure.

Cameron and Mueller did not indicate to Culpepper how long they would attempt to shop him, but several reasons likely will lead to quick action.

First, Culpepper is scheduled to earn $5.5 million next season. If he sustains a significant injury during minicamp this weekend, they would be responsible for that payment.

The team could attempt to bar him from participation, but an arbitrator ultimately ruled against such actions last offseason when the Titans attempted to keep former quarterback Steve McNair out of their facility in a similar situation.

Culpepper said he has every intention to work out at the Dolphins' facility, which likely will force the Dolphins to move quickly.

''They have told me throughout the offseason that I am under contract to the Dolphins,'' Culpepper said.

``Therefore, it will be up to them to either keep me under contract or release me. In the meantime I will continue to work out at the facility.''

[wist43]

I'd take a flyer on him for cheap... Rodgers can't play, and Culpepper has done it b/4.

That said, TT won't be looking for another QB until at least '09... probably '10, after Rodgers has had two seasons to prove he can't do it... then the rebuilding begins anew. If Favre plays in '08, then everything gets pushed back another year.

I'd imagine that TT will be pushing hard to push Favre out the door after this season though.

[Partial]

I'd also take a flyer on him. We know what he can do first hand when healthy. Someday, that leg will get healthy again.

[BallHawk]

He just doesn't have it anymore. All the injuries have taken a toll. Everybody thinks that they are going to be the team that gets the Daunte of old, when, really, the Daunte of old doesn't exist any more. He's done. Sure, he might get to the point where he can be a serviceable QB, but never a QB that's going to lead a team to a Super Bowl or anything.

[wist43]

He just doesn't have it anymore. All the injuries have taken a toll. Everybody thinks that they are going to be the team that gets the Daunte of old, when, really, the Daunte of old doesn't exist any more. He's done. Sure, he might get to the point where he can be a serviceable QB, but never a QB that's going to lead a team to a Super Bowl or anything.

I tend to agree, hence I termed my tepid interest as a "flyer, on him for cheap"...

Really, I'd be surprised if he can turn his career around.

[KYPack]

Yeah, he's cut.

I've always thought of Daunte as a great back-up that's starting. I don't think we sign him. He probably won't ever get to his former level and that wasn't enough to get it done. I don't think Rodgers will ever make it, but this regime will ever cut Rodgers to make way for another player no matter what.

A team that needs a back-up QB will grab him quick.

How about the Chiefs?

[woodbuck27]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2007/06/08/friday_morning_practice.html

Friday morning practice

By Greg Bedard | Friday, June 8, 2007, 11:02 AM




Welcome back to the Dolphins live practice blog. Let’s get to it:

— Daunte Culpepper is on the field and doing drills on the side. Let the circus begin.

— Starting offensive units (surprises in italics):

FIRST TEAM
QB Cleo Lemon
TB Ronnie Brown
FB Cory Schlesinger
TE David Martin
WR Chris Chambers
WR Marty Booker
LT Vernon Carey
LG Drew Mormino
C Samson Satele
RG Rex Hadnot
RT L.J. Shelton

SECOND TEAM
QB Trent Green
TB Lorenzo Booker
FB Reagan Mauia
TE Justin Peelle
WR Derek Hagan
WR Kelly Campbell
LT Tala Esera
LG Chris Liwienski
C Johnathan Ingram
RG Dan Stevenson
RT Julius Wilson

— Ted Ginn is on the field and participating. He is wearing a regular white jersey, not a red (hands off) one;

— G Joe Toledo (foot), T Anthony Alabi (knee) and CB Andre Goodman (shoulder) are out. DT Keith Traylor (knee) is watching on the side. RB Patrick Cobbs (groin) is back and is the third-team tailback;

— Ginn appears to be limping on his left foot, the one that he sprained. That doesn’t mean he’s still hurt. When you sprain anything, you lose a lot of strength in that area. It takes some time to get it back up to full strength;

— They are working on punt returns now. Ginn, Az Hakim, Marty Booker, Lorenzo Booker, Travis Daniels, Kelly Campbell, and Chris Chambers field them in that order;

— Somebody asked about Wright practicing with the first team. That is not unexpected because the starter, Keith Traylor, is getting his usual rest;

— Toledo’s right foot is in a boot;

— Culpepper just walked off the field — waving to the media. Not sure what that means yet;

— Updating that previous note, Culpepper was escorted off the field by Stu Weinstein, the team’s head of security. That usually means something has transpired. A Dolphins spokesman said he hasn’t been told anything;

— The Dolphins are in 7-on-7 drills. Most of the passes by the quarterbacks have been dump offs, but all three QBs: Lemon, Green and Beck have looked sharp;

— They are now in 11-on-11.

Lemon fumbled his first snap. That’s not a good omen.

Traylor is back at his DT position, by the way;

First team offense is struggling a bit. We had a couple of Brown runs, a dump off to Brown and then a sack of Lemon.

— Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said Culpepper needed to get into the locker room, which is locked during practice, so that’s why Weinstein accompanied him off the field. Greene couldn’t explain why Culpepper needed to get into the locker room — or why he has yet to return to the field;

— Seems like the Dolphins are really sticking to the basics as far as playcalling in this practice. A lot of runs and short passes;

— Mormino and Satele just got worked over by Holliday and Traylor, leading to a sack/bad throwaway by Lemon. Of course, that happens to a lot of players with more experience than two rookies;

— First big play: Green just hit Chambers on a perfect 35-yard fly pattern down the right sideline over Jason Allen. Great pass by Green. Better catch by Chambers;

— Rodrique Wright, Soilai, Evans and Abe Wright seem to be the second-team defensive line;

— Practice just broke. Now it’s time to see where the Culpepper circus is right now. That situation made this practice a little hectic (plus it was boring). Hopefully this afternoon I’ll be able to get more specific on performance. But overall I thought everybody looked pretty good. Ginn’s obviously is very early in his comeback.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

POSTED 12:09 p.m. EDT, June 8, 2007

FINS SECURITY ESCORTS CULPEPPER FROM PRACTICE FIELD

Greg Bedard of the Palm Beach Post reports that Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper has been escorted off of the practice field during a team minicamp by Stu Weinstein, the team's security chief. (We once hung out with Stu.)

Culpepper has been working out on the side. His sudden departure, with an escort, suggests that he either has been released or traded.

The other possibility is that the team has decided not to risk exposing Culpepper to injury, since if Culpepper were to suffer a serious injury the team would be on the hook for his full $5.5 million salary.

Last year, the Titans locked quarterback Steve McNair out of the facility for that very reason.

Weeks later, McNair won a grievance regarding the matter. But, in the interim, the Titans didn't have to worry about Steve popping an Achilles' tendon. So it was in hindsight a smart move.

Stay tuned. Meanwhile, we encourage Dolphins fans (and non-Dolphins fans looking for an insomnia cure) to check out Bedard's live blog of the minicamp practice.

(Alex Marvez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel is on the scene, too. We point that out to avoid be accused of playing favorites.)

Comment woodbuck27:

This seems like a deja vous experience with Dante Culpepper.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

POSTED 7:04 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 7:28 a.m. EDT, June 8, 2007

CULPEPPER DEMANDS RELEASE

Immediately after news broke that quarterback Trent Green was being traded to the Dolphins, quarterback Daunte Culpepper (who still serves as his own agent and thus still has a fool for a client) took the high road, expressing a desire to compete for the starting job and saying nothing about wanting out.

As we read the tea leaves at the time, we think that Culpepper knew there was a very good chance he'd be dumped, and thus he wanted to appear to be the bigger man in all of this.

The next morning, however, the Fins told Culpepper that he no longer fit into the plans, and that the team was trying to trade him. Initially, Culpepper said that he did not wish to be traded, and that he wanted to either remain on the team or be released.

He now has asked the team to cut him. Now.

"I feel it is necessary to obtain a release rather than seek a trade so that I would not bring the excess baggage of my present contract to a new team,'' Culpepper said in his latest media e-mail (for some reason, we're not on the distribution list).

"I feel like my next team should have the opportunity to get to know me as a man and a player before they make any long-term commitment.''

Frankly, Culpepper's position makes no sense. He can avoid bringing the "excess baggage" of his current contract to a new team by renegotiating the deal in conjunction with the trade discussions.

It's what Trent Green's agent did several months ago when the possibility of Green being traded to Miami from Kansas City was first discussed.

The Fins didn't want to pay Green a $7.2 million salary in 2007; thus, an agreement was reached on a reduced salary.

And if someone wants to trade for Culpepper without a reduced deal, he should be thrilled. Why? Because it means that someone is actually willing to pay him a salary of $5.5 million in 2007.

Does he think he'd get $5.5 million on the open market until he proves that he is truly healthy?

Culpepper also says that he fully intends to participate in the team's minicamp that opens on Friday, if he is not released before then.

This means that, if he re-injures his knee or suffers some other serious injury, the Fins could end up on the hook for the $5.5 million salary.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A TRADE IS STILL POSSIBLE?

Despite an unwillingness by quarterback Daunte Culpepper to be traded and a salary of $5.5 million that would be owed to him in 2007, teams apparently are willing to consider taking a chance on Culpepper.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the powers-that-be in Jacksonville met on Thursday to discuss the possibility of pursuing Culpepper. Through an intermediary, Culpepper let it be known that he'd like to play for the Jags. Schefter notes that, in 1999, Jags V.P. of player personnel Shack Harris was lobbying for his team at the time, the Ravens, to draft Culpepper.

So with Harris and former Vikings coach Mike Tice (who spent seven years with Culpepper in Minnesota) in Jacksonville, there's at least talk of bringing him aboard.

But if Culpepper comes, who goes? Byron Leftwich has been re-embraced as the starter, even as he enters the last year of his contract. Quinn Gray signed a one-year restricted free agent tender. The odd man out, then, could be David Garrard.

Not long ago, there were folks in the organization arguing that Garrard should be the starter. But he never fully capitalized on his chances to play when Leftwich was out due to injury (or due to a benching that was called an injury).

Garrard is signed through 2008 at salaries of $1.1 million this year and $1.25 million next year.

Schefter also says that the Ravens could try to trade for Culpepper, and that the Rams would be interested in him only if he is released.

[packinpatland]

I noticed that Culpepper is his own agent. How wise is that? And how many other players do the same?

Actually, Vince would approve.

[woodbuck27]

Where should Culpepper go?

By Pat Kirwan
NFL.com Senior Analyst

(June 7, 2007) -- Daunte Culpepper is not going to be a Dolphin much longer and where he winds up is an interesting situation. Right now it doesn't appear that any team is going to hand the starting QB position to him, so landing up with the right team to revitalize his career is critical.

A team that has an older quarterback who has a year or two left in his career is probably best for Culpepper.

The next most important factor is a place where the offensive coordinator and/or the head coach has worked with Culpepper in the past. Culpepper really does need to reinvent his career and he probably needs a little time behind the scenes to help him return to the form he had in 2003-2004 when he threw 64 touchdowns to just 22 interceptions, while converting 50 percent of his third-down attempts.

Wherever Daunte Culpepper ends up, the veteran QB may have to settle for backup duties.

Culpepper will undoubtedly have to restructure his contract, whether he's traded or not.

A quality 'backup' QB contract in the neighborhood of $1.5 to $2 million in salary with lots of incentives makes the most sense. His production was poor last year, so there are endless possibilities to writing unlikely to be earned incentives that would not hurt the salary cap. If he has to play and performs well, he will be rewarded. If he just sits and prepares for 2008, then he could be a nice security blanket. His second and third years could provide much higher base salaries, which would drive the team to either release him if he turned out to be a bust, pay him to be its starter, or renegotiate a long-term deal.

I'm not sure which teams have interest in him for sure, but Baltimore has an aging starting quarterback and a head coach (Brian Billick) who did not coach him. Billick, however, is the kind of teacher, along with quarterbacks coach Rick Neuheisel, where Culpepper could flourish. Billick is a disciple of Bill Walsh and I'm sure the situation where Steve Young came to back up Joe Montana in San Francisco is vivid in his mind.

Another possible landing spot for Culpepper might be Jacksonville and reunite with assistant coach Mike Tice, who was Culpepper's head coach back in Minnesota. Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich isn't an aging starter, but he is in the last year of his contract and the Culpepper leverage might work for the club.

Finally, keep in mind last year about this time a lot of people didn't give the Eagles much credit for signing Jeff Garcia. But as the season wore on, it became clear that it was a great move for Philadelphia and Garcia.

[4and12to12and4]

I always felt that Culpepper's success was directly related to Moss catching EVERYTHING and his supportin cast, they had a hell of a receiving core there during his success, and a great offensive line. It used to piss me off watching him stand back there for 5 seconds deciding who to throw to. It's harder for heavier guys who have a lot of weight in the ass and thigh area to recover from knee problems, for obvious reasons. If he is going to be an immobile QB, it ain't gonna cut it, he needs his escapability, it's what made him better than average. Without it, he's Marino without an arm.

[packinpatland]

I always felt that Culpepper's success was directly related to Moss catching EVERYTHING and his supportin cast, they had a hell of a receiving core there during his success, and a great offensive line. It used to piss me off watching him stand back there for 5 seconds deciding who to throw to. It's harder for heavier guys who have a lot of weight in the ass and thigh area to recover from knee problems, for obvious reasons. If he is going to be an immobile QB, it ain't gonna cut it, he needs his escapability, it's what made him better than average. Without it, he's Marino without an arm.

Sure explains why I'm not 'running' around after my recent knee surgery!

[The Shadow]

No interest in Culpepper.

[Fritz]

It used to drive me nuts to watch Culpepper sit back for half an hour, waiting for someone to get open against the Pack...and then, when Kampman or KGB finally got near, Culpepper would simply slip from their grasping hands and run up the middle for twenty yards, or throw to a wide-open running back or H-back for twenty yards.

He had a few seasons in which he was very, very good. But he also now sounds like a major pain in the keister, and it seems his injuries have taken a toll on his body - and apparently his head, as he sounds like a head case.

I wouldn't want him on the Pack. First time Favre throws three interceptions in a game, the rumbling will begin...no way. No thanks. Let the Lions sign him so they can have yet another QB controversy.