Where
Will Culpepper Land?
By Andrew McCarten,
TheSportsStand.com (7/20/07)
Daunte Culpepper’s misery has come to an end now that the Dolphins have terminated his contract. The QB once famous for “getting his roll on” must now find a new home. After experiencing success early in his career with the Vikings, Culpepper moved to Miami in 2006. In an injury-shortened season in which he only played 4 games, Culpepper threw for 929 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Let’s take a look at some of the possible destinations for Daunte.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
The Redskins have 2 possible starters in the ancient Mark Brunell and the untested Jason Campbell. Campbell, a 3rd year player from Auburn, certainly has the physical ability. He started the last 7 games for the Skins last year, in which he went a dismal 2-5 as a starter. In those 7 games, he threw for 1,297 yards with 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, 53.1 completion percentage and a 76.5 QB rating. He may not be proven enough to lead the Redskins in the fiercely competitive NFC East, probably the toughest division on football. Culpepper would make this team immediate contenders for a playoff spot. He would also have Clinton Portis, Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle-El and Chris Cooley on his side of the ball, as well as a veteran coach in Joe Gibbs.
BUFFALO BILLS
The Bills have not had great success in recent years.
Last year was J.P. Losman’s first full year as a starter, and he led the
Bills to a modest 7-9 record while compiling pretty much average numbers.
The Bills may think it is time for a change at QB. Last year, Losman threw
19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions on 3,051 yards of passing, and had an
impressive 62.5% completion percentage. The Bills lost a lot o
f
talent, with both Willis McGahee and Nate Clements leaving the team. The WR
core is average, as they have Lee Evans, Roscoe Parrish, Peerless Price and
Josh Reed. The TE and RB groups both leave a lot to be desired, as there is
no real marquee player in either set. Also, the weather isn’t that great.
Culpepper will only journey to upstate New York if a lot of money and
guaranteed starting position and promised.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
There’s also the possibility Culpepper could return to his original home in the land of 1,000 lakes. Though unlikely, due to the emergence of Tarvaris Jackson, Culpepper could come back. Culpepper spent the best years of his career there, and nostalgia could bring him back. But I get the feeling that Minnesota will go with Jackson, with Brooks Bollinger backing him up.
HOUSTON TEXANS
The Texans released their only QB in franchise history, David Carr, who went to the Panthers. They then signed former Atlanta backup Matt Schaub, who is highly rated by many scouts and has done quite well with playing time during the preseason and when Vick is injured. But the Texans could be enticed by the possibility of having Culpepper. He would have one of the best wideouts in the league on his team, Andre Johnson, as well as a quality TE in Owen Daniels. Houston, coming off their 2nd best season, have a lot of young talent, a good stadium and money to spend. I wouldn’t be surprised if Culpepper headed to Houston.
ATLANTA FALCONS
Last on our list, but probably the most intriguing, are the Atlanta Falcons. With the Vick case pending, if the NFL takes action they have Joey Harrington as the number 1 backup, along with 2nd year player DJ Shockley and 5th year Chris Redman. Culpepper would easily be the most talented QB on this roster, not to mention the most successful, considering Vick wasn’t there. He could sign either a one year deal, or the Falcons could want to lock him up long term and get rid of the troublesome Vick. He would have good targets: Alge Crumpler, Joe Horn, Michael Jenkins, Roddy White and Brian Finneran, to name a few. He would also have a strong RB in Warrick Dunn.
In the end, no one knows where Culpepper will go. I think that he is a good QB who could be an asset to any team in the league, and still has some good years in front of him. I guess we’ll all find out soon enough who will win the Daunte Culpepper sweepstakes.
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