Vikings not passing up Culpepper trade
By Adam Schefter
NFL Analyst
(March 9, 2006) -- The Minnesota Vikings have a deal in place to trade quarterback Daunte Culpepper, team officials confirmed Thursday. The trade is imminent, with the deal expected to go through Friday, just before the start of free agency.
Where Culpepper is going is the biggest mystery in the league. As of now, it is not Oakland. The Raiders and Vikings spoke Thursday, but Oakland is trying to gauge whether or not it wants to try to match, or beat, the other teams' offer. It will spend Thursday night mulling its decision.
But the Vikings have made it clear that they have found a suitable trade partner, with suitable compensation, and now Culpepper and the Vikings each will get their wish. They will part ways, leaving on more bitter terms than wide receiver Randy Moss left Minnesota last season.
Culpepper could not get along with new Vikings coach Brad Childress, and the quarterback has upset various members of the organization with what they feel is his immature behavior. Their relationship, by all accounts, will end Friday. But the only ones who knows where Culpepper's next relationship will resume are the Vikings and their trading partner.
Teams in need of quarterbacks include Miami, New Orleans, Detroit, the New York Jets, the Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders, who still have not released Kerry Collins, even if it has been reported that they have.
Chances are, one of those places will be Culpepper's home this season.
THE NUMBERS GAME
Just as the CBA has been reconfigured, so have the salary-cap numbers for the teams at the start of free agency. But the extension means that only four teams -- the Washington Redskins, the Indianapolis Colts, the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs -- will have to restructure contracts and/or release players to get under the cap.
The Redskins are about $7 million over the cap, the Colts about $5 million, the Raiders about $4 million and the Chiefs about $2.5 million.
But there are some teams that could practically horde the free-agent market. With the CBA extension, the Minnesota Vikings are now $31.5 million under the salary cap, the Green Bay Packers are $30 million under the salary cap, the Arizona Cardinals are $26.5 million under the salary cap and the Cleveland Browns are $24.5 million under the salary cap.
Gentlemen, start your checkbooks.
THE NEW AL
Some of the most memorable moments from the recently concluded owners meetings in Grapevine, Texas, involved Raiders owner Al Davis, who acted in a way few are accustomed.
For starters, he publicly backed NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, something Davis never has done before.
Then Davis also shook hands with some team executives that he has ignored for years. One team president said he had gone five years without having any contact with Davis, and the Raiders owner went out of his way to shake hands and express warm greetings this week.
Davis even constantly regaled reporters, showing how engaging and charming he can be.
All in all, it seemed like the old Al was a new Al.
SPEED....
Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk sped through his private workout in Columbus on Thursday and is now speeding up the draft chart. Hawk ran 4.38 and 4.46 at his Pro Day in the 40-yard dash. Hawk could be ticketed to San Francisco at No. 6.
http://nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/9295762
By Adam Schefter
NFL Analyst
(March 9, 2006) -- The Minnesota Vikings have a deal in place to trade quarterback Daunte Culpepper, team officials confirmed Thursday. The trade is imminent, with the deal expected to go through Friday, just before the start of free agency.
Where Culpepper is going is the biggest mystery in the league. As of now, it is not Oakland. The Raiders and Vikings spoke Thursday, but Oakland is trying to gauge whether or not it wants to try to match, or beat, the other teams' offer. It will spend Thursday night mulling its decision.
But the Vikings have made it clear that they have found a suitable trade partner, with suitable compensation, and now Culpepper and the Vikings each will get their wish. They will part ways, leaving on more bitter terms than wide receiver Randy Moss left Minnesota last season.
Culpepper could not get along with new Vikings coach Brad Childress, and the quarterback has upset various members of the organization with what they feel is his immature behavior. Their relationship, by all accounts, will end Friday. But the only ones who knows where Culpepper's next relationship will resume are the Vikings and their trading partner.
Teams in need of quarterbacks include Miami, New Orleans, Detroit, the New York Jets, the Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders, who still have not released Kerry Collins, even if it has been reported that they have.
Chances are, one of those places will be Culpepper's home this season.
THE NUMBERS GAME
Just as the CBA has been reconfigured, so have the salary-cap numbers for the teams at the start of free agency. But the extension means that only four teams -- the Washington Redskins, the Indianapolis Colts, the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs -- will have to restructure contracts and/or release players to get under the cap.
The Redskins are about $7 million over the cap, the Colts about $5 million, the Raiders about $4 million and the Chiefs about $2.5 million.
But there are some teams that could practically horde the free-agent market. With the CBA extension, the Minnesota Vikings are now $31.5 million under the salary cap, the Green Bay Packers are $30 million under the salary cap, the Arizona Cardinals are $26.5 million under the salary cap and the Cleveland Browns are $24.5 million under the salary cap.
Gentlemen, start your checkbooks.
THE NEW AL
Some of the most memorable moments from the recently concluded owners meetings in Grapevine, Texas, involved Raiders owner Al Davis, who acted in a way few are accustomed.
For starters, he publicly backed NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, something Davis never has done before.
Then Davis also shook hands with some team executives that he has ignored for years. One team president said he had gone five years without having any contact with Davis, and the Raiders owner went out of his way to shake hands and express warm greetings this week.
Davis even constantly regaled reporters, showing how engaging and charming he can be.
All in all, it seemed like the old Al was a new Al.
SPEED....
Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk sped through his private workout in Columbus on Thursday and is now speeding up the draft chart. Hawk ran 4.38 and 4.46 at his Pro Day in the 40-yard dash. Hawk could be ticketed to San Francisco at No. 6.
http://nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/9295762
