Will Culpepper Help or Hinder the Dolphins?

When the Miami Dolphins acquired three-time Pro Bowler Daunte Culpepper, their countless fans felt mixed emotion. Some fans are elated that the Dolphins finally obtained a quarterback that has produced big numbers in the past. They feel that Culpepper can give the Dolphins stability that Damon Huard, Jay Fielder, Ray Lucas, Brian Griese, A.J. Feeley, Sage Rosenfels, and Gus Frerotte couldn’t. Some will go as far as to say that Culpepper could possibly have as much as an impact on the forty-year franchise as the legendary Dan Marino exhibited.

Then you have the pessimists who question the Daunte Culpepper acquisition. Throughout his career, his stats have been disproportionate at best. In 2000, Culpepper became the Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback and set the Twin City on fire by throwing 33 touchdown passes versus 16 interceptions, while compiling a total of 3,937 yards for the entire season. A year later, he produced numbers of mediocrity. His sour season may have been due to an injury that kept him out of five games in 2001. He only threw 14 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions and tallied up 2,612 yards for the season.

In 2002, Culpepper returned for a full 16-game campaign, and his stats were less than stellar. Culpepper threw 18 touchdown passes versus 23 interceptions along with 3,853 yards completed. Not quite the numbers that the Vikings were anticipating. But in 2003 and 2004, Culpepper returned to Pro Bowl for with a vengeance. In those two seasons combined, Culpepper threw 64 touchdown passes versus 22 interceptions, while amassed 8,196 yards total.

But what bothers the skeptics is his 2005 results, as well as the fact that even in his paramount seasons, he only led the Vikings to the NFC Championship game once in 2000, and Culpepper was far from impressive in their humbling loss to the New York Giants.

Even before Culpepper was sidelined due to a knee injury, his season was a catastrophe. In seven starts, Culpepper threw only six touchdown passes while throwing 12 interceptions. And after NFL veteran Brad Johnson took over the quarterback duties, the Vikings offense appeared to be more in tune.

What ailed Culpepper? Was he distracted by the infamous sex boat scandal, or was his success hampered by the loss of explosive wide receiver Randy Moss?

And not only has Culpepper been inconsistent as well as injured, but he has engaged in public feuds with his teammates, most notably Randy Moss, as well as Vikings upper management. And of course the speculation still exists that he was somehow involved in the previously mentioned sex boat disgrace.

So the concerns are valid, and even the Dolphins appear apprehensive as they have also acquired quarterback Joey Harrington from the Detroit Lions. Harrington was a first-round draft pick for the Lions in 2002, and was expected to lead the franchise for years to come. Unfortunately, Harrington never produced the kind of numbers, or leadership that the Lions preferred.

Harrington has displayed flashes of potential, and if Culpepper does not impress early on, Harrington will be anxiously awaiting his opportunity to lead the Dolphins.