OK, I\'ll Bite...

Steve at Packer Geeks and Greg Bedard over at JSOnline are amongst the anti-Culpepper crowd.  Both make good points and are worth the read, I'll just touch on the one major variable I think has escaped them both.

It is becoming more and more apparent that Mike McCarthy is a damn good coach of quarterbacks. Where ever he's gone, any quarterback he's worked with has improved from when McCarthy first arrived. (Yes, even the pathetic Alex Smith) And I think people will be slightly shocked how well Rodgers plays this season, mostly because of McCarthy's tutelage. I also think that he could work small miracles with Daunte Culpepper.

Culpepper gets a lot of grief for the last few years when he was with the Dolphins and the Raiders. He even gets lambasted for his last year with the Vikings, after Moss had been traded. But what people forget is the year before, when Moss was hurt halfway through the season. Culpepper, with Scott Linehan running the offense, was simply unstoppable. The only thing that kept him from being named the MVP of the league was Peyton Manning's (pre-Brady) record setting season. The next year, Linehan left to be run Nick Saban's offense in Miami. Moss was traded, and the offense was given to the offensive line coach. Needless to say, disaster followed, with Culpepper being asked (and trying on his own to do) too much. The offense fell apart and Culpepper got hurt, and the great downward spiral began. He went to Miami, where Saban made sure Culpepper would be made the scapegoat of the offense by rushing him back too early. Then he went to Oakland where he had basically the equivalent of a junior-varsity offense, with a dearth of playmakers.

Look, I understand the animosity fans like Steve have toward him. Culpepper is a complete idiot off the football field, from his blatant egotism when dealing with Brad Childress, to his dealings with the media, to his belief that he can still be a franchise quarterback. But all that aside, give him McCarthy and the Packers offense, and give him a low-risk deal, what could possibly be the harm? I seriously doubt he would even be on the opening day roster, but why not bring him in as a camp arm and see what he can do?

All this is moot anyway. As Tom Silverstien suggests, this is all most likely draft-week subterfuge. My guess is they take a QB this weekend, and then sign Tim Rattay, as I've been telling them to do since Brett retired.

 

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.

__________________________

0 points
 

Comments (2)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
3000's picture

April 25, 2008 at 01:08 pm

0 points
0
0
infact's picture

April 25, 2008 at 03:24 pm

Aaron: I love you acumen and insights.

Note I largely agree on some of your premises with the D. Culpepper opinion, above.

BUT I disagree that the signing of Culpepper should be:
1. a minimum contract for his veteran status tenure $$ level.

2. in turn, relating to #1, what's the harm in giving him $500-$1 million more than the minimum? -- given Favre's $9+ million cap number $ is off the books...?

3. relating to #1 & #2, what's the harm in Ted Thompson(TT) taking a chance that he'll need a VETERAN, potentially high-quality #2 behind the oft-injured (and previous IR throned) A. Rodgers?

Remember, if TT goes with Rattay as you advocate, then he's looking at 4-12 to 6-10, IF Rodgers goes down and out in training camp, preseason or the initial 2-4 games.

4. Given the above, I'd suggest your speculation about Culpeppers's brand in the media is worth overlooking.

Let's focus on his current comments and demeanor as his platform/soap box/stump speech, IF he's signed.

5. Concurrently, let's give Mr. Prince Daunte a chance with the offensive coordinator (McCarthy in tandem with the current one whose name escapes me in the offseason (i.e., non-prime time thinking here :-) )

6. Lastly, if people, including Mr. Aaron believe a healthy Rattay will perform better than a healthy Culpepper, then you're entitled to your opinion.

But if you did a Bob McGinn-like poll of GMS in the NFL, 24 out of 32 would take the latter over Rattay, if both are healthy.

Mind you, Culpepper's had another year to strengthen his knee.

That's why the reluctance to sign him is baffling to me.

TT needs to take a chance.

He's NOT an oblivous man. He knows a rookie in the draft (whether it's Draft Day #1 pick or a 3rd round or latter 2nd day pick) is not going to produce more than 4-6 wins.

Thus, I'm POSITIVE TT is not nefarious and thinking a #2 rookie is AOK to get playing time if Rodgers goes down -- and TT will accept that possibility because he knows the good consolation prize for a 4-12 2008 season will be a Top 10 2009 draft pick.

Say it ain't so, Ted.

Please sign Culpepper.

0 points
0
0