Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
It might be time for the Oakland Raiders to consider starting rookie (and franchise) quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Here’s my main concern. The Raiders stink at fundamentals and it wouldn’t matter who the QB was when you’re committing the most holding and false start penalties in the NFL.
Daunte Culpepper and Josh McCown have tried their best while the team has struggled to a 2-6 start. But they’ve spent a lot of time on the ground. The Raiders are giving up the seventh most sacks in the league so far. Does the team really …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Miami Dolphins QB Trent Green suffered a serious concussion and was wheeled off the field strapped to a cart during the first quarter of his team’s 22-19 loss to the Houston Texans today. Trent was trying to make a block when the injury occurred. The big concern here is in knowing Trent’s history. He suffered a highly publicized, very serious concussion with the Chiefs last year and missed most of the season. The good news: Trent did return from a local hospital and was driven to the locker room in time to board …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
As you can see, Oakland Raiders rookie QB JaMarcus Russell was all smiles at his press conference today. I can understand why. The official numbers of his richest-ever rookie contract: six-years, $61 million with $29 million guaranteed. He practiced today, but I predicted he might not even see the field during the regular season this year. We know JaMarcus won’t play for at least two weeks because he won’t officially be in the roster until then. Daunte Culpepper will start this weekend against the Denver Broncos. But if things go south for Daunte …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
After drafting JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders assumed their quarterbacking questions had been answered. They had found the face of their franchise. Three games into the preseason, they still don’t know who their starting QB will be.
With JaMarcus still at an impasse in contract talks, Daunte Culpepper, Josh McCown and Andrew Walter (in no particular order) have been given the chance to win the starting spot. Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin said:
“This competition, as I said a long time ago, it’s going to …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Daunte Culpepper is getting help from the NFL Players Association in his quest to be released from the Miami Dolphins. The NFLPA filed a grievance today on Daunte’s behalf, with hopes that the matter can be resolved within a week. The Dolphins are apparently breaching Daunte’s contract by refusing to employ him or letting him go somewhere else. The grievance is similar to the one filed by the NFLPA last year against the Tennessee Titans after the team barred Steve McNair from working out at its facility. McNair was eventually traded to Baltimore …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Daunte Culpepper’s entire career has been based on teammates blocking for him. Now he’s the one doing the blocking as the Miami Dolphins QB says he’s going to put the snafu on any trade the Dolphins might be considering for him.
In a weird day of minicamp practice in South Florida, Culpepper walked off the field escorted by security after being told by QB coach Terry Shea that he was being barred from any quarterback drills. What gives? If the guy is on your team and he’s cleared to workout, why have him …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
After three months of trade talks, Trent Green is now officially a Miami Dolphin. And it looks like QB Daunte Culpepper is on his way out of town despite receiving news that he has been cleared to test his surgically repaired knee. Miami will give up a conditional 2008 fifth-round draft pick that can increase to a fourth-rounder if Trent meets certain performance standards (he just needs to play in 70% of the offensive snaps this season). So why not keep Daunte as an insurance policy at the quarterback position? Here’s why. He’s …read more