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Culpepper steps up rehab (may 25th)


cliaz
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Daunte Culpepper's surgically-repaired right knee has responded well to treatment, and the quarterback is ready to step up his rehab. "Daunte has done more than we ever thought he could at this time in terms of his physical ability," coach Nick Saban told the Miami Herald. "He's been cleared to do things at his position as the next part of his rehab – to start taking three-step, five-step, seven-step drops, hand the ball off on some of the zone plays, drop back and throw it."

 

Saban stopped short of predicting whether or not Daunte would be ready to play by September, and all reports of Daunte's progress are to be taken with a grain of salt until training camp, at which point it will become clear how ready Culpepper actually is.

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Early report: Daunte `elite'After only two weeks with Daunte Culpepper, Dolphins receiver Chris Chambers, among others, said the QB is 'right up there' with the best.

BY JEFF SHAIN

jshain@MiamiHerald.com

 

JARED LAZARUS / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

EXCITED: 'Even from just doing routes out there, you can tell it's a different type of ball. He knows when to throw it hard, he knows when to put touch on it. And right now he's just feeling out what we as receivers can do,' said Dolphins receiver Chris Chambers of new quarterback Daunte Culpepper, above.

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For Chris Chambers, one of the fringe benefits of being named to last season's Pro Bowl was the chance to spend a week catching passes from Peyton Manning.

 

''Right then and there, I knew there was a difference between some of the quarterbacks we've had before and the ones at the elite level,'' the Dolphins' top wideout said Thursday.

 

That knowledge tucked away, Chambers happily is getting the same vibe from his first two weeks of working with Daunte Culpepper.

 

''He's right up there with them,'' Chambers said.

 

``Even from just doing routes out there, you can tell it's a different type of ball. He knows when to throw it hard, he knows when to put touch on it. And right now he's just feeling out what we as receivers can do.''

 

Though it's still iffy whether Culpepper's surgically rebuilt knee will be ready by September, teammates haven't exactly been cautious in their enthusiasm.

 

And not just those on offense.

 

''He's still got the deep ball,'' linebacker Zach Thomas said. ``He hit us [Thursday] on a deep ball.''

 

Allow Chambers to pick up the narrative from there:

 

''He threw a ball I thought was never going to come out of the air,'' the receiver said. ``I just kept running, and it was right on the money. It felt good to get that kind of connection with him early on.''

 

Coach Nick Saban would be the first to caution that this was simply a May passing drill without pads. But Thursday's reports build on Saban's hint one day earlier that Culpepper is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation.

 

Nine weeks remain before training camp commences July 28. The Dolphins open the season Sept. 7 at Pittsburgh.

 

''He's looking good and sharp to me now,'' Chambers said. ``How many months do we have -- two, three months? I think there would be a great chance that he'd be out there.''

 

Culpepper earned three Pro Bowl selections while in Minnesota, but went through a trying season last year that came to an abrupt end when he was injured Oct. 30.

 

The Vikings let him go for a second-round draft choice, and Chambers suggested that has been as much a motivator for his new teammate as the injury comeback.

 

''Back before we actually got him,'' Chambers said, ``I spoke with him, and you could kind of sense the chip he had on his shoulder about coming out here and proving to everybody he can come out and play at the elite level he had a couple years ago.''

 

After seeing Culpepper's 6-4, 265-pound frame moving around in drills, Thomas is glad he won't have to try and tackle him in a game situation.

 

''He's the first quarterback I would ever hit low,'' Thomas said, ``because he outweighs me by 40 pounds.''

 

THROW HIM A BONE

 

Though fullback Fred Beasley understands his role is to be Ronnie Brown's lead blocker, the former 49er also hopes offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey doesn't forget his worth as a receiver.

 

''I like blocking -- don't get me wrong, that's my M.O.,'' he said. ``But there's nothing wrong with a little bone every so often.''

 

When Steve Mariucci coached the 49ers, Beasley had three seasons of at least 22 receptions. A shift to a one-back attack under Dennis Erickson cut into his time, and he had only two catches in 2005.

 

NO GUARANTEE

 

Chambers tried to downplay any fallout from bold words he made at the team awards banquet two months ago.

 

Noting next February's Super Bowl will be in South Florida, he told banquet attendees that ``I'll be damned if we're not the ones playing in our own stadium.''

 

''It really wasn't a guarantee,'' he said Thursday. ``I was just feeling the moment right then. It felt like a pep rally, so I wanted to get them up a little bit. . . . It was for the fans.''

 

• Brock Berlin is back from NFL Europe, adding to the glut of quarterbacks taking part in team drills. The former UM passer made six starts for the Hamburg Sea Devils, throwing for 1,041 yards and seven TDs.

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After the bums they (Miami) have had there in the past few years of course C-pep is going to look "elite". :D Just wait till he has to read a defense and has lineman running at him! :D

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