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Culpepper plans on staying with Vikings


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Culpepper plans on staying with Vikings

 

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (Feb. 16, 2006) -- Daunte Culpepper wanted to make sure there was no misinterpretation: He's concerned with getting healthy, not speculation about his future with the Minnesota Vikings.

 

And Culpepper, unless he's told otherwise by owner Zygi Wilf, plans to play quarterback for the Vikings this fall.

 

He didn't respond specifically to a report that the team is considering trading him because of his recent requests for more money. But Culpepper offered his take on the rumors that have surrounded him since the season ended.

 

"I have found over the years that people with knowledge of the situation are usually the most ignorant, and anonymous sources are usually synonymous with cowards who don't want to go on the record," Culpepper said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "My position has been and continues to be that I am focusing on rehabilitating my knee so that I can come back and play the game I love at the highest level.

 

"Until I hear different from Mr. Wilf or the new 'triangle of authority' at the Vikings, I plan on playing quarterback for Minnesota. Trying to delve into speculation, innuendo, rumor or anything else of this nature would be a waste of energy. I choose at this time to spend my energy on getting healthy. Thank you for relaying this message to the public."

 

The Star Tribune of Minneapolis, citing an anonymous person with knowledge of the situation, reported that the team is gauging Culpepper's trade value in response to his contract demands. The newspaper, citing three anonymous sources with knowledge of the situation, also reported that Culpepper tried three times in a six-week period ending Jan. 31 to upgrade his deal.

 

Culpepper let his longtime agent, Mason Ashe, go last month. He has been representing himself since then, saying he wanted to be more involved in his financial business.

 

The Vikings, coincidentally, introduced their new vice president of player personnel, Fran Foley, at a news conference at their headquarters. But Foley wouldn't address this subject, or much of anything else, and Wilf didn't take questions.

 

"My position will be that we're not going to talk about our football business in public," Foley said. "It's just not going to happen. It's not the way that I do business, and it won't be the way that we'll do business from this point forward."

 

Foley, who spent the last three seasons with San Diego and the nine years before that with Jacksonville as a personnel official, was asked twice more for general comments on Culpepper. He declined.

 

"Whether it's Daunte or another player," Foley said, "I can't give you an evaluation on him as a performer -- or our plans with the player."

 

Culpepper, who was picked for his third Pro Bowl following a record-setting year in 2004, struggled badly through the first part of the 2005 season before tearing the anterior cruciate, medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in his knee during a game against Carolina last Oct. 30.

 

He had surgery Nov. 15 and has since spent most of his time rehabilitating in Florida. He spoke last month by phone with new coach Brad Childress, who said at his introductory news conference that the 29-year-old Culpepper "right now, is the franchise quarterback."

 

But that doesn't mean he will continue to be, despite Wilf's previous pledge to pay Culpepper a $6 million bonus he's due in March.

 

Though he has maintained his innocence, Culpepper's image was tainted after a wild boat party produced three misdemeanor charges for him and three teammates. The Vikings also must judge his on-field value, considering veteran quarterback Brad Johnson 's success in relief and the uncertainty of Culpepper's health following such a catastrophic injury.

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unless he's told otherwise by owner Zygi Wilf, plans to play quarterback for the Vikings this fall.

 

Everybody thinks he is going to far trying to get a better contract and might me making the Vikings front office pissed.

 

"I have found over the years that people with knowledge of the situation are usually the most ignorant, and anonymous sources are usually synonymous with cowards who don't want to go on the record," Culpepper said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "My position has been and continues to be that I am focusing on rehabilitating my knee so that I can come back and play the game I love at the highest level.

 

 

They might be ignorant, but they might also be the most accurate...

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As far as I know, Culpepper is under contract for the foreseeable future. Considering the injury he is rehabbing, he has far less flexibility in trying to renegotiate a contract.

 

Any talk of the Vikings trading Culpepper for as litlle as a 2nd round draft choice are assinine. What would a 2nd rounder get them in return? Certainly not one of the top tier QB's in the draft. They might trust Brad Johnson at the helm for a year, but not much beyond that. Besides, the Vikes were able to trade a cancer (the superstar Randy Maw) last year for more.

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Culpepper is making a huge mistake by trying to represent himself without an agent. Instead of hiring someone as a buffer to represent his financial interests, he goes face-to-face with the new regime, playing hardball and making demands. When an agent does that, it is expected... when a player does it himself, it comes off quite differently and very negative (whether that's fair or not, that's just reality).

 

I don't like the way any of this has gone down so far. Culpepper is insane for trying to demand more money this off-season while rehabbing a major injury after a horrible half-season, and the Vikings are insane for feeling out trade offers when Culpepper's value is at an all-time low. Both parties need to just sit back and relax for another full year until they both will have more leverage.

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Any talk of the Vikings trading Culpepper for as litlle as a 2nd round draft choice are assinine.  What would a 2nd rounder get them in return?  Certainly not one of the top tier QB's in the draft.  They might trust Brad Johnson at the helm for a year, but not much beyond that.  Besides, the Vikes were able to trade a cancer (the superstar Randy Maw) last year for more.

 

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Randy Moss has turned out to be a choir boy compared to what Culpepper is/has been putting the Vikes through.

 

And if you think that the Vikings can get out of Culpepper what they got out of Moss you are nuts.

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Culpepper is making a huge mistake by trying to represent himself without an agent.  Instead of hiring someone as a buffer to represent his financial interests, he goes face-to-face with the new regime, playing hardball and making demands.  When an agent does that, it is expected... when a player does it himself, it comes off quite differently and very negative (whether that's fair or not, that's just reality).

 

I don't like the way any of this has gone down so far.  Culpepper is insane for trying to demand more money this off-season while rehabbing a major injury after a horrible half-season, and the Vikings are insane for feeling out trade offers when Culpepper's value is at an all-time low.  Both parties need to just sit back and relax for another full year until they both will have more leverage.

 

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Or....as I said yesterday, none of these things have actually happened. No legitimate team source has confirmed it. Culpepper has not confirmed it. Somehow the story has expanded over the last 24 hours from Daunte demanding his contract be renegotiated once, to now he's done it 3 times over the last month. But yet the same reporters rip him for not being in MN and instead doing his rehab in Florida. So how does he meet 3 times with the team, but yet never come to MN?

But since it's in the papers, every one is quick to jump on the Culpepper is insane and an idiot bandwagon.

Edited by BillyBalata
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Randy wasn't rehabbing from a triple ligament rupture.

 

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No, he was just rehabbing from TOpersonalititis.

 

The prognosisis of recovering from a triple ligament rupture is much higher, although most NFL teams believe that they can at least attempt to tolerate the fatal personality flaws of certain unbelievably talented NFL players.

 

 

 

Randy Moss has turned out to be a choir boy compared to what Culpepper is/has been putting the Vikes through.

 

And if you think that the Vikings can get out of Culpepper what they got out of Moss you are nuts.

 

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You might be right about Moss in Oakland, although he was also close to a non-fantasy factor last year, at least compared to his earlier production. I can promise you that Culpepper's actions have done much less to hurt the team than any one of the many actions that Moss perpetrated over the years.

 

And if you would read my first post carefully, I never said that Culpepper could get what Moss did in trade. I just said that whatthe Vikes would purportedly receive would be of poor value in return.

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From the Star Tribune...

 

No denials by Vikings or Culpepper

Neither the Vikings nor Daunte Culpepper addressed reports that he has been put up for trade.

Kevin Seifert, Star Tribune

Last update: February 17, 2006 – 12:55 AM

 

Neither the Vikings nor quarterback Daunte Culpepper on Thursday would address the news that Culpepper is now available via trade, possibly for as little as a second-round draft pick.

Fran Foley, the team's new vice president of player personnel, said the team will no longer discuss its football business in public. Culpepper, meanwhile, said in an e-mailed statement that "trying to delve into speculation, innuendo, rumor or anything else of this nature would be a waste of energy."

 

Pointedly, neither side denied the essence of a report that the team began shopping Culpepper this week -- partially in response to his request for an additional $10 million in compensation this season. Profootballtalk.com, a well-connected website, reported that the Vikings have told some teams Culpepper could be had for a second-round draft choice.

 

Foley, introduced Thursday to the Twin Cities media, wouldn't comment on Culpepper's availability or discuss any aspect of Culpepper's status.

 

"I won't talk on any evaluation of any current player," Foley said. "Whether it's Daunte or another player. I can't give you an evaluation on him as a performer or our plans with the player."

 

Coach Brad Childress was not available for comment. Owner Zygi Wilf did not comment while attending Foley's news conference. Regardless, a person with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday that the Vikings have in fact called multiple NFL teams to determine their interest in trading for Culpepper.

 

Baltimore, Miami, Oakland and the New York Jets all are teams expected to pursue quarterbacks this offseason. Culpepper is due a $6 million roster bonus March 14, and the Vikings seemingly would want to make a decision by then.

 

Culpepper, who is scheduled to make a total of $8 million in 2006, has sought a raise on three separate occasions this offseason. According to two people with knowledge of the situation, Culpepper demanded a total of $18 million for 2006 during a Jan. 31 meeting with Wilf and other members of the organization. Wilf turned down that request, and the Vikings have since decided to determine his market value -- which, most observers agree, will remain low as he rehabilitates three torn ligaments in his right knee.

 

In his statement, Culpepper did not doubt the veracity of those details but questioned why the sources did not agree to have their names published. He said that he will assume he is remaining with the Vikings until told otherwise, but he didn't say whether he wanted to continue his connection with the franchise.

 

"My position has been and continues to be that I am focusing on rehabilitating my knee so that I can come back and play the game I love at the highest level," Culpepper wrote. "Until I hear different from Mr. Wilf or the new 'triangle of authority' at the Vikings, I plan on playing quarterback for Minnesota."

 

 

 

Points of Interest...

1. Fran Foley, newly hired VP of player personnel says that whatever the team does, it will be none of anyone's business.

 

2. Except when Zygi announces a stadium plan THAT VERY SAME DAY, now that WILL be everone's business.

 

3. Daunte took a shot at the new "Triangle of Authority" that Zygi has created for the team.

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This situation is very much like the one Fran Tarkenton was in many years ago. He couldn't tolerate working with Norm Van Brocklin. Norm was the original drill seargant coach of the Vikings and the role is now being played by Childress.

 

At the end of the 1966 season, Tarkenton announced his "retirement" and used this ploy as a way to force a trade to the NY Giants.

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This situation is very much like the one Fran Tarkenton was in many years ago.  He couldn't tolerate working with Norm Van Brocklin.  Norm was the original drill seargant coach of the Vikings and the role is now being played by Childress. 

 

At the end of the 1966 season, Tarkenton announced his "retirement" and used this ploy as a way to force a trade to the NY Giants.

 

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I am thinking this season could be a total disaster for the Vikings. All good news for the Bears. :D

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