Why Daunte Culpepper Should Accept a Trade

Miami Dolphins QB Daunte Culpepper has taken his plight to the NFL Players Association.

On Tuesday, the NFLPA filed a grievance on behalf of Culpepper against the Dolphins, arguing that Miami has breached Culpepper's contract by prohibiting him from participating in team drills at minicamp.

The NFLPA ultimately wants to see the Dolphins release Culpepper—thus allowing him to latch onto another team early enough to compete for a starting job.

The Dolphins, of course, are not content with releasing Culpepper outright. They'd prefer to make a trade, and to recoup at least some portion of the steep investment  (a second-round draft pick and $8 million last season) they made in the former Viking.

So who's in the right here?

Each side has a legitimate position. Daunte wants a chance to start, which is out of the question in Miami. The Dolphins, on the other hand, are entirely justified in seeking compensation for a player they have under contract.

I'm no legal expert, but I really don't think the NFLPA's grievance holds any water.

According to Richard Berthelsen, the attorney for the NFLPA, "(Culpepper)'s being employed as a skilled football player, and unless they're going to let him be one, he should be released."

First of all, does any professional football team hire someone as an unskilled football player? The Dolphins are employing Culpepper as a player. Period.

The only cause Culpepper would have for filing a grievance would be if he was barred from the team's facilities, as Steve McNair was in Tennessee before last season. However, that's not the case. All of the Dolphins' facilities and training equipment are still open and available to Daunte. The only thing he can't do is participate in team drills—and as far as I know coaches have every right to decide how practice repetitions are divided.

If Cam Cameron doesn't feel like giving valuable reps to a QB who isn't in the team's long-term plans, that's his prerogative. I don't understand how the NFLPA can force a coach to give a player more time in practice.

Additionally, even though Culpepper said he was medically cleared to practice by his surgeon, it's still ultimately up to the team to decide his health status.

I've been a vocal supporter of Culpepper during his stint in Miami. He did everything he could to rehabilitate his knee,but there's a new regime in town, and they've decided to turn the team over to Trent Green.

I respect Daunte for his tireless rehab efforts. I also know it's time to move on. In a perfect world for Culpepper, the Dolphins would grant him his outright release. But they don't have to, and they shouldn't. It's GM Randy Mueller's job to do right by the Miami Dolphins, and that means getting value in exchange for a potential starting quarterback.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have expressed some interest in Culpepper, which makes sense, given Byron Leftwich's tenuous hold on the starting spot and Culpepper's relationship with Jags assistant head coach Mike Tice.

Unfortunately, Culpepper has said that he'll prevent a trade by refusing to restructure his contract. There doesn't seem to be much interest in Daunte outside of Jacksonville. If that's the case, Culpepper is misguided in thinking that he's going to be the beneficiary of a bidding war as a free agent.

If he really wants to compete for a starting job, Daunte should accept a trade to the Jaguars. Cameron has already stated that he's prepared to hold onto Culpepper into training camp. If Daunte stubbornly hangs on that long, he's only sabotaging his chances to start this season.

I understand the sympathy for Culpepper. I feel for him myself. But as a Dolphins fan, I would never want the team to put the interests of a single player over the interests of the organization as a whole.

Here's hoping that Daunte backs off his stance, and that a trade gets done. In the end, it's probably what's best for both sides.

For more of Samuel's Dolphins news and analysis, check out his website Phinaticism.

 

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