Why Hasn't a Team Signed Daunte Culpepper?

I am having difficulty believing that some team has not grabbed Daunte Culpepper off the free agent market. NFL.com says that “he is being selective, waiting for the right opportunity with the right team.” If that is the case…why hasn’t a team given him an offer he can’t refuse? Culpepper has many question marks, but a solid QB is very tough to come by in this league. In this article I’ll explore the question marks concerning Culpepper and discuss possible locations for him.

Could Daunte Culpepper’s success in the NFL be attributed exclusively to Randy Moss? I say no. Randy Moss is a once in a generation talent and he definitely helped Culpepper in similar fashion to how he helped Tom Brady. Culpepper was and is a good QB and Randy Moss just enabled him to explode. Culpepper still has a ridiculously strong arm, which is a blessing and a curse. Culpepper fits the ball into very tight spots the second those spots open. Five times in 2007 Culpepper tried to thread the needle and got picked, but most of the time he got a completion out of the exchange. He also has some mobility. Although hampered by his knee injury, he is mobile in the pocket and even beat a linebacker to the edge for a touchdown against Miami in 2007. Culpepper is talented and Randy Moss only enhanced that talent.

Should Daunte Culpepper’s injury history be a concern? I say not necessarily. Culpepper damaged three ligaments in his knee and had surgery to repair those ligaments. However, I agree with Culpepper that an injury of that nature and the surgery required to repair the knee takes two years to recover from. Culpepper and Miami both rushed his return to the field. He should not have been on the field that soon. In four games he was sacked 21 times and Saban benched him. Saban reportedly stated that Culpepper’s problem was “further north of the anatomy chart” implying that he felt Culpepper’s knee was fine, but rather his head was the reasoning behind his benching. Culpepper has had some decision making problems, but I attribute this to faith in his arm. Gunslingers always throw interceptions and considering he has a career completion percentage of 63.8% I think he knows the ins and outs of the game. Culpepper played in seven games in Oakland and put up a decent showing. He injured his hamstring at the end of the season, but this should be of little concern to his knee. Culpepper, from what I read and hear, is fully healed and ready for a football season.

Should Culpepper’s mediocre stint in Oakland be an indication of his abilities? I say no. In 2006 Culpepper got sacked 21 times in 4 games and in seven 2007 games he was sacked 21 times again. That’s an improvement…it’s not great, but Oakland doesn’t have that great of an offensive line and Culpepper wasn’t incredibly mobile. Five touchdowns to five interceptions is not great, but it is better than many QB’s. Culpepper did lose three of nine fumbles, but his small hands have always made fumbling a problem. Any team that hires him should be prepared for fumbles, but Culpepper is experienced in getting on top of those fumbles. Culpepper, if given the right atmosphere and talent, could one again become a dominant QB in the NFL.

What team should sign Daunte Culpepper? With the draft having passed there are few options left for Culpepper. Green Bay, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Miami all took QB’s in the draft. Culpepper could be signed if there is an injury. The team I would most like to see Daunte Culpepper going to would be the Carolina Panthers. Deangelo Williams & Jonathan Stewart will provide Carolina with a great running game. Carolina has one o the better offensive lines in the NFL. Plus, Steve Smith, D.J. Hackett, Muhsin Muhammad, and Dwayne Jarrett will make a fierce receiver corps. Daunte Culpepper would be a terrific insurance policy in the event that Jake Delhomme gets injured. In so many ways, Carolina would be a great fit for Daunte Culpepper. However, many teams could benefit greatly from having Culpepper on their roster and I sincerely hope that somebody snatches him up. Culpepper has a rocket arm and ability that I definitely want to see more of and I look forward to seeing him on the field once again.

Why the Oakland Raiders Don't Need Darren McFadden

I often pass time during the off-season by looking at various mock drafts. Sometimes I agree and am even intrigued with what the mockers (for lack of a better word) are going for. However, on some occasions I am disheartened by what some believe and when multiple people display the same disheartening belief in their mocks, I get upset. Over the past few weeks, I was particularly disturbed to find that almost every mock draft I looked at had the Oakland Raiders selecting Running Back Darren McFadden of Arkansas. In my own mock I claimed it as a possibility considering that Al Davis is always on the lookout for a game-changing player, but I did not have the Raiders actually taking Run DMC. I do not think that the Raider’s with their second straight top five pick should draft the dynamic HB for a number of reasons.

Al Davis loves a great player, and in my view there is no greater player in this draft than Darren McFadden. However, when drafting, sometimes going for the best player available is not necessary and for the Oakland Raiders, this is one of those times. The Oakland Raiders had the 6^th Best Rushing Attack in all of the NFL, which is phenomenal considering they also went 4-12. I was amazed by the contrast of those two stats until I looked at the defensive statistics and saw that the Raiders hemorrhaged rushing yards on defense as well, giving up the second most rushing yards in the NFL. A solid defensive line is critical to stopping the run. Evidence will show that the Raiders did not have and still do not have stability along the defensive line. With the amount of defensive line talent available to the Raiders with the 4th overall pick, such as Chris Long, Vernon Gholston, Glenn Dorsey, and Sedrick Ellis, it would seem to make perfect sense for Oakland to try to fix their mediocre defensive line as opposed to stack their already good running back corps.

So, why not draft McFadden and then pursue D-Line later? For one the defensive line talent available later in the draft is not nearly as good as that which will be available with the 4^th overall. Second, the 6^th best rushing attack in the league is returning. Fargas and Rhodes are both definitely going to be back. Lamont Jordan may be cut, but he could be considered a drain on this rushing attack considering his 3.8 yards per carry. Dominic Rhodes could easily take over Lamont’s carries and improve this offense. Another running back may not be necessary.

Darren McFadden is a touchdown machine though and the Raiders were 26^th in points. Ok, this is a valid point. A young, dynamic running back that is hard to bring down and has a nose for the end zone would be useful to the Raiders. That is why they drafted former Louisville standout Michael Bush last year. This is the main reason I am frustrated with mock drafts that have Oakland taking McFadden. Has everyone forgotten that Michael Bush is waiting in the wings? Why draft McFadden for the reasons just mentioned when you can get all of that from Michael Bush. Bush runs with power (I rarely saw him brought down by his upper body), he has stupendous vision finding a running lane in sometimes atrocious blocking, and phenomenal footwork to get into the aforementioned slim running lane. The Raiders don’t have to look any further than their own roster to find a dynamic young running back. So in conclusion, because of their pressing need at D-line, the talented defensive lineman available, the already talented running back corps, and Michael Bush, the Oakland Raiders don’t need Darren McFadden.