Culpepper and Garrard: Trading places without trade?

By Adam Best  |   Friday, June 15, 2007  |  Comments( 27 )

Miami Dolphins
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Quarterback Daunte Culpepper is still technically a member of the Miami Dolphins, with technically being the operative word. Both Culpepper and the Dolphins want to sever the relationship, but there's one problem -- Culpepper adamantly refuses to restructure his contract. Culpepper's stance is problematic given his injury history and recent performance.

Because of these factors, no team in the NFL will even discuss adding him at his current salary level, which means the Dolphins basically have no chance of getting any compensation via trade for the disgruntled QB.

However, the Dolphins may be able to recoup something from this situation without trading Culpepper.

Info has leaked that one team is still extremely interested in Culpepper -- the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even though the Jaguars' coaches and front office can't officially comment on a player under the league's tampering rules, QBs Byron Leftwich and David Garrard both admitted this week that members of the coaching staff had discussed the possibility of adding Culpepper to the team.

For Leftwich, this was no big deal. Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio has already named Leftwich the starting QB for the 2007 NFL season. Additionally, Leftwich is a highly regarded player entering the last year of his contract. Especially considering that he's going to get starter's snaps in '07, he'll almost definitely get a sizable deal next offseason, even if the Jaguars don't re-sign him.

For Garrard, things are a little more complicated. Even though he's still only 29, he's two years older than Leftwich and a year older than third-stringer QB Quinn Gray, whom the Jaguars do like. Garrard also has a bigger contract than Gray and fully believes he should be an NFL starter. He has already stated that he wouldn't be comfortable with Culpepper being added and would have to pursue other opportunities if that scenario played out. On the other hand, Gray has served as the team's third-string QB for the last two seasons, a role he has been satisfied with.

If the Dolphins do release Culpepper and the Jaguars act swiftly and sign him, chances are that Garrard will either be released or traded. In either instance, the Dolphins would be foolish not to consider acquiring Garrard, especially at what could be a discount price.

Garrard is a game-tested veteran with more experience than Dolphins signal-callers Cleo Lemon and John Beck combined.

One would think that statistically the Dolphins' probable starting QB, Trent Green, would blow Garrard away, but that just isn't the case.

Green barely edges out Garrard in completion percentage -- 60.8 to 58.1 -- a discrepancy that is completely understandable given the circumstances. Until he was injured last season, Green started every game for the Kansas City Chiefs for five-plus seasons. As a Chief, Green played with the best offensive line and tight end in the NFL, and arguably the best rushing attack -- featuring Pro Bowl backs Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson -- as well.

Meanwhile, Garrard has been an occasional starter who played behind an average offensive line and had brick-handed receivers for targets. Sure, the Jaguars have had a nice ground game, but one that's been nowhere near as good as the attack the Chiefs boasted. Considering their respective situations, Garrard's completion percentage is almost more impressive. The two players' touchdown-to-interception ratios are similar as well.

Garrard also wins ballgames, and he has actually posted a better win-loss record than Leftwich as a Jaguar. A big reason for Garrard's success has been his ability to scramble and pick up first downs with his legs.

Both Dolphins fans and media members have blabbed on and on about how Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron's offense isn't designed for a mobile quarterback. That's just stupid; given that both quarterbacks are accurate, it's hard not to take the elusive player over the statue 10 times out of 10, regardless of the offensive system. This preference makes even more sense when you consider the still-shaky status of Miami's offensive line. Factor in Green's suspect health as well as Beck's and Lemon's inexperience, and the tough and dependable Garrard seems to be the safest choice.

It's unlikely to happen -- the Jaguars don't want to give up anything at all for Culpepper and the Dolphins wouldn't trade away even a late-round draft pick for the second coming of Jim Brown at this point -- but it should, especially if Garrard gets cut by the Jags. Beck, Green or Lemon likely don't have what it takes to deliver a playoff berth in '07.

That being said, even if the Dolphins don't pursue Garrard or a similar talent, a year from now both the franchise and its fans will wish they did. Perhaps that's wrong -- maybe the Dolphins don't care about winning and are focused on jockeying for draft positioning.

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CommentsComments: 27  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
BC85		09:01 AM
06/15/2007
Dolphins (or any athletic team for that matter) don't care about winning but are jockeying for draft position? What the heck...
No.2
jax		09:08 AM
06/15/2007
Garrard is not worth much on the market. Cpep is worth much more. The Jags do like Gray...only in the last 4 years, they have...
No.3
John Madden		09:10 AM
06/15/2007
The dolphins don't care about winning and are focused on jockeying for draft position. Are you kidding me. That sounds like a...
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