Culpepper Barred From Dolphins Practice

[Hostile]

Barred from practice drills, Culpepper says he will block any trade

By Alex Marvez
Sun-Sentinel.com
Posted June 8 2007, 1:35 PM EDT



[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]DAVIE -- Quarterback Daunte Culpepper said he has taken his last practice snap for the Dolphins.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]Culpepper left the practice field early during today's minicamp practice and didn't return. He was escorted by Dolphins security director Stu Weinstein to the team's locker room.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]After the session, Culpepper said that quarterbacks coach Terry Shea told him that he wouldn't be receiving any repetitions beyond one-on-one drills early in the practice.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]"I understand totally what's going on," Culpepper said. "Instead of wasting time out there watching practice, I went into the weight room and got a little bit stronger."[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]While NFL rules prevent the Dolphins from barring him from participating outright in the minicamp, Culpepper said he would not practice in this weekend's remaining four practices under those circumstances.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]Culpepper also said he would refuse to restructure his current contract, which would essentially block the Dolphins from trading him to any other team. Culpepper is set to earn $5.5 million in base salary in 2007, which is considered too lofty a figure for a quarterback who has experienced major knee problems the past two seasons. Culpepper is serving as his own agent and would almost assuredly need to agree to a restructured contract before a trade could be completed.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]"They're going to do what's best for them. Obviously, I'm going to do in my opinion what's best for me," Culpepper said. "I'm going to work out every day I'm here and continue to get myself healthier and physically better the best way I can."[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]Coach Cam Cameron refused to shed light on the situation following practice because he didn't want to "jeopardize" anything regarding Culpepper's status.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]"We're working to get something done," Cameron said. "Comments can be misconstrued in negotiations and we're not going to go there."[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]Culpepper briefly participated in position drills today along with the team's other four quarterbacks (Trent Green, Cleo Lemon, John Beck and Gibran Hamdan). Culpepper took snaps from center and either handed off the football or threw short swing passes. He also wasn't wearing a brace on his surgically repaired right knee.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]It was Culpepper's first notable on-field work of the offseason, as he hadn't received medical clearance to practice this offseason until Tuesday while recovering from a November knee surgery. The Dolphins could potentially be responsible for all of Culpepper's 2007 salary if he were injured during a minicamp session.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]Culpepper said he was happy he got to briefly test his knee during today's session but still has "a ways to go" to regain the form that made him one of the NFL's top quarterbacks. Culpepper tore three knee ligaments while playing for Minnesota in October 2005 and said he injured his patella tendon in the second game of the 2006 season.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]He was benched for the rest of the season after two more games and ended the year on injured reserve.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]Culpepper said that he already has spoken with other teams about potentially signing as a free agent.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]"I'm not saying I'm angry because I understand that's how this business goes," Culpepper said. "The main thing is I know I've got a lot of football left in me. When the day comes I'm released, I'm going to sit down and [again] have some conversations I've already have with different clubs."[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]In an e-mail sent to select news media Thursday, Culpepper said he didn't want to get traded and preferred being released so he can "not bring the excess baggage of my present contract to a new team." Culpepper's contract runs through 2013 and is worth a total of $51.5 million.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]Culpepper's departure from the squad is considered inevitable, as Green was acquired in a trade with Kansas City on Wednesday to become the Dolphins' new starter.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]In his Thursday e-mail, Culpepper said the Dolphins showed "impatience" while "encouraging me to rush back on the field last year and then rushing me out the door this year is disappointing. However, I understand that they have the right to make that business decision. It is now my turn to make some decisions." [/FONT]

 

[Yeagermeister]

That reminds me of what TN did to McNair last year.

 

[1fisher]

Barred from practice drills, Culpepper says he will block any trade

By Alex Marvez
Sun-Sentinel.com
Posted June 8 2007, 1:35 PM EDT



<snip>

This thing could get a little ugly!

 

[Eddie]

Wow, the Dolphins could have had Brees for free. How many draft picks did they give up for Culpepper?

 

[Big Dakota]

IMO the best thing DC can do fo himself is get his knee straight this year, collect his 5.5 and get ready to be a FA next winter.

 

[Q_the_man]

IMO the best thing DC can do fo himself is get his knee straight this year, collect his 5.5 and get ready to be a FA next winter.

What 5.5 mil, they will cut him b4 they pay him

 

[Yeagermeister]

What 5.5 mil, they will cut him b4 they pay him

They will still owe him the balance of his signing bonus.

 

[slick325]

Why aren't people screaming for the Phins to "honor the contract"? They traded for him and agreed to those terms. Suck it up and pay him what you agreed to pay him. Right? Why does he need a pay cut? "Honor the contract".

 

[Hostile]

Why aren't people screaming for the Phins to "honor the contract"? They traded for him and agreed to those terms. Suck it up and pay him what you agreed to pay him. Right? Why does he need a pay cut? "Honor the contract".

Aren't you?

My bad.

 

[ZeroClub]

In his Thursday e-mail, Culpepper said the Dolphins showed "impatience" while "encouraging me to rush back on the field last year and then rushing me out the door this year is disappointing. However, I understand that they have the right to make that business decision. It is now my turn to make some decisions."

A mature and reasonable response, IMO. Good for him.

 

[slick325]

Aren't you?

My bad.

Guess I am Hos. I just don't understand why fans are so one-sided with the "honor the contract" thing. Oh well.

 

[Hostile]

Guess I am Hos. I just don't understand why fans are so one-sided with the "honor the contract" thing. Oh well.

Maybe it's because the best thing that could happen to him is for the Dolphins to release him. That way he has a chance to catch on with any team of his choice, negotiate a new contract with a new signing bonus, and maybe be a starter instead of a backup.

I don't know. I'm just throwing it out there as possible.

 

[slick325]

Maybe it's because the best thing that could happen to him is for the Dolphins to release him. That way he has a chance to catch on with any team of his choice, negotiate a new contract with a new signing bonus, and maybe be a starter instead of a backup.

I don't know. I'm just throwing it out there as possible.

Or, since he is coming off of a major injury he may not get 5.5 mil as a base salary in '07. He may not get a hefty signing bonus. Most likely he'd get an incentive laden deal.

I don't know either. I'm just throwing it back.

 

[Hostile]

Or, since he is coming off of a major injury he may not get 5.5 mil as a base salary in '07. He may not get a hefty signing bonus. Most likely he'd get an incentive laden deal.

I don't know either. I'm just throwing it back.

Regardless, it still isn't even close to the same situation as Ellis. Ellis has been told he's the starting OLB. Culpepper has been told he's not in their plans.

Ellis wants more money. Culpepper hasn't asked for anything other than a chance to compete and when told he won't have that chance for his release.

They simply are not synonymous situtations nor actions.

 

[slick325]

Regardless, it still isn't even close to the same situation as Ellis. Ellis has been told he's the starting OLB. Culpepper has been told he's not in their plans.

Ellis wants more money. Culpepper hasn't asked for anything other than a chance to compete and when told he won't have that chance for his release.

They simply are not synonymous situtations nor actions.

Hos, I'm not comparing he and Ellis' situation. I am talking in general. Most fans bemoan players for not honoring a contract but rarely if at any time gripe about teams asking a player to restructure or cutting a player under contract due to cap reasons. The double standard is all I am talking about.

 

[THUMPER]

I must have missed it. Where are all the "we should trade for him" threads?

Don't tell me the board has finally grown up a little. Nah.

 

[Yeagermeister]

I must have missed it. Where are all the "we should trade for him" threads?

Don't tell me the board has finally grown up a little. Nah.

Yeah you'd expect RCF to at least chime in

 

[THUMPER]

Yeah you'd expect RCF to at least chime in

 

[Hostile]

Hos, I'm not comparing he and Ellis' situation. I am talking in general. Most fans bemoan players for not honoring a contract but rarely if at any time gripe about teams asking a player to restructure or cutting a player under contract due to cap reasons. The double standard is all I am talking about.

Can you show me where Culpepper is asking for more money? That drives fans crazy.

Can you show me where he is threatening the team? He wanted to compete for a job. He wasn't asking for anything.

Can you show me where he is hiding behind an injury? He got clearance from Dr. Andrews and the Dolphins then showed up to practice.

Forgive me, I don't see what anyone would shout him down for. For wanting to compete for a job? For wanting to practice? For understanding that the team is doing what they have to?

The closest thing you can fault him for is asking to be released. he didn't do that until they told him he was not in their plans. All he's wanting is to move on if they are going to.

 

[kTXe]

Hos, I'm not comparing he and Ellis' situation. I am talking in general. Most fans bemoan players for not honoring a contract but rarely if at any time gripe about teams asking a player to restructure or cutting a player under contract due to cap reasons. The double standard is all I am talking about.

Part of the contractual agreement is that the team can cut the player at any time and not be responsible for the remaining base salary. There is no double standard, and they are doing nothing to violate said contract.