racosun
11-10-2008, 04:24 PM
One would wonder why in the world Daunte Culpepper would want to subject himself to the horror that the Lions' players have had to endure this season. Did he run out of money? Did the Lions throw a load of cash at him? Was this all that he could get at this stage of his career?
Well, it's kinda easy to see, I guess. He might be needing money, but he only got a $40K signing bonus and a team option for next season. There are multiple incentives in his contract, but most of them have been labeled by the league offices as "unreachable". Culpepper didn't use an agent, either. This could point to him just being more bored than anything. He couldn't get a bite in the off-season, and the Chiefs were the only other team rumored to be "seriously" interested in signing him. Maybe he saw that the QB (and entire team) situation in Detroit was shakey and that it could be a great chance to not just play, but be a team star again. Orlovsky's thumb injury was just great luck and a helluva bonus for Culpepper. All he has to compete with is a young QB who doesn't have the confidence of any of the coaches.
Reasons why I shake my head at his signing: well, for starters, he's being thrown to the wolves right off the bat. He's got to be extremely confident in himself by thinking he can practice with a team for three days and lead them to victory. Culpepper must have been aware of the fact that the Lions have crap for an offensive line, and that the best of the crap that was to be protecting him was pretty beat up and sullen. Marinelli was a little odd in his switching of QB's a few different times during the Jaguars game, so it's hard to gauge what he's going to do next and for the rest of the season. I can't see, with how horribly basic the team playbook has been, why Drew Stanton can't play full-time. Some of the coaches said he's just not ready, but how can that be? The offense is lame and stripped-down, and there are younger and perhaps less talented QB's running teams right now with far more complex systems to learn. Is Stanton simply yet another Millen bust of a high draft pick? If he is, hopefully he's the last one to bust out for a while, and Culpepper can get us through next season while we use the upcoming draft for other urgent needs (like O-line and linebacker).
To tell you the truth, I didn't think Daunte looked half-bad against Jacksonville. He was only 5-for-10 with just a shade over a hundred yards passing, but for as rusty has he should have been, he managed to make a few plays that lifted my brows. I think he's excited about having a guy like Calvin Johnson to chuck it to, a guy who's possibly better than Moss at that age. I also like the tenacity that rookie Kevin Smith is showing. He needs way more PT, but with him and CJ, Daunte's got weapons to work with.
There are plenty of reasons to speculate about just why the Lions and Daunte Culpepper decided to partner up. Is Culpepper broke? If he wasn't, he will be by the end of the season, with the line he's got in front of him (I'm sure Kitna is thinking the same thing).
Alright, rant over. :silent:
Well, it's kinda easy to see, I guess. He might be needing money, but he only got a $40K signing bonus and a team option for next season. There are multiple incentives in his contract, but most of them have been labeled by the league offices as "unreachable". Culpepper didn't use an agent, either. This could point to him just being more bored than anything. He couldn't get a bite in the off-season, and the Chiefs were the only other team rumored to be "seriously" interested in signing him. Maybe he saw that the QB (and entire team) situation in Detroit was shakey and that it could be a great chance to not just play, but be a team star again. Orlovsky's thumb injury was just great luck and a helluva bonus for Culpepper. All he has to compete with is a young QB who doesn't have the confidence of any of the coaches.
Reasons why I shake my head at his signing: well, for starters, he's being thrown to the wolves right off the bat. He's got to be extremely confident in himself by thinking he can practice with a team for three days and lead them to victory. Culpepper must have been aware of the fact that the Lions have crap for an offensive line, and that the best of the crap that was to be protecting him was pretty beat up and sullen. Marinelli was a little odd in his switching of QB's a few different times during the Jaguars game, so it's hard to gauge what he's going to do next and for the rest of the season. I can't see, with how horribly basic the team playbook has been, why Drew Stanton can't play full-time. Some of the coaches said he's just not ready, but how can that be? The offense is lame and stripped-down, and there are younger and perhaps less talented QB's running teams right now with far more complex systems to learn. Is Stanton simply yet another Millen bust of a high draft pick? If he is, hopefully he's the last one to bust out for a while, and Culpepper can get us through next season while we use the upcoming draft for other urgent needs (like O-line and linebacker).
To tell you the truth, I didn't think Daunte looked half-bad against Jacksonville. He was only 5-for-10 with just a shade over a hundred yards passing, but for as rusty has he should have been, he managed to make a few plays that lifted my brows. I think he's excited about having a guy like Calvin Johnson to chuck it to, a guy who's possibly better than Moss at that age. I also like the tenacity that rookie Kevin Smith is showing. He needs way more PT, but with him and CJ, Daunte's got weapons to work with.
There are plenty of reasons to speculate about just why the Lions and Daunte Culpepper decided to partner up. Is Culpepper broke? If he wasn't, he will be by the end of the season, with the line he's got in front of him (I'm sure Kitna is thinking the same thing).
Alright, rant over. :silent: