Yardbarker: Daunte Culpepper

The Detroit Lions look to make personnel moves...that make no sense whatsoever!

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:12:05 -0500

The Lions continue to stumble along like a drunk on a weekend bender. The latest news to come out of Allen Park is a total head scratcher...

Former Pro Bowler Shaun Alexander was one of several running backs to meet with the Lions on Tuesday. Alexander, a former Seattle Seahawks star, worked out for the coaching staff at the team's practice facility.

Former Chicago Bears runner Cedric Benson, a first-round draft pick in 2005, and free-agent Vernand Morency, who previously played for the Packers, were also in town to meet with coaches and front office personnel.

I have a one word question: WHY?

The interest in signing a running back makes absolutely NO SENSE. None whatsoever. Even so, odd as this may be, let's look at the candidates:

Benson: Almost as big a 1st round draft bust as Mike Williams. Chicago couldn't unload him fast enough. Benson's out of football for a reason...He SUCKS! (Listen! Do you hear that? It's the sound of laughter coming out of Chi-town)

Alexander: Rudi Johnson redux. Like Rudi, Alexander is a once great back who is just as washed up. Overuse and injury left has the former Seahawk a shadow of the All-Pro he once was. Alexander's out of football for a reason...He's old and busted!

Morency: Who the fuck is this? Honestly, I have no idea. After looking Morency up, his stats SCREAM "journeyman!" If the Lions need a career backup so badly, then why not bring back Artose Pinner? At least he's a journeyman who already knows the offense. Morency is out of football for a reason...His type of player is dime a dozen.

Even stranger, the article states there's word out of Texas the Lions are on the verge of signing one of those backs. Which one?

According to Austin, Texas, city council member Mike Martinez, Benson is about to sign with the Lions.

Another one word question: WHY?

Out of the 3 backs brought in, why on earth would the Lions want, of all people, BENSON? In Chicago, "BENSON" is considered a 4 letter word. Signing a running back would be bad enough. But signing Cedric Benson? That's one of the seven signs of the fast oncoming apocalypse, Detroit Lions style.

Rather than sign another skill position player, I have a couple suggestions for the Lions.

First off, cut a few of the 35 defensive linemen you kept on the roster, to give you a little more roster flexibility. Then look for help at more than one position, not just running back...which isn't in all that bad of shape! Why not look at offensive linemen? Maybe at a run stopping linebacker? How about a proven QB, say Daunte Culpepper? All of these are positions of much greater need.

But the Lions are instead working out running backs, despite drafting Kevin Smith in the 3rd round, who's shown a fair amount of potential. What does this say to him? It says the Lions think they can do better, and wasted a 3rd round pick, while Smith must be thinking he did something wrong. (Actually, the kid did do something wrong. Terribly wrong. He agreed to a contract with the Lions)

Here's the Lions' thinking in a nutshell: "We have some gaping roster holes, we could really use a linebacker and an offensive lineman. I know, let's sign another running back! That will fix EVERYTHING!"

This is Lions' logic at it's most clueless and frustrating. I gave up trying to figure out the Lions' thought processes a long time ago, as it's impossible to figure out a front office that should be considered clinically insane.

TOP 10 NFL TEAM FANS THAT AREN'T REAL HAPPY RIGHT ABOUT NOW

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:02:22 -0500

by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool

10. Browns Fan. Prime time's favorite team is now 0-2 despite a stumbling performance by the road Steelers, and the state of Ohio is officially Ben Rothlesberger's bitch. Both losses were at home, in games that showed a dramatic lack of fire and enthusiasm. They might be the best team in the state, but they don't look like they are going to be playing any well-viewed games in January. Oh, and nice clock and game management at the end of the first half in tonight's loss. Good grief.

9. Rams Fan. In terms of showing the least amount of resistance to any kind of force, the Rams have shown less gut than a runway model, and about a tenth of the tenacity. Special props for falling apart at home against a disinterested Giants team, and for QB Marc Bulger suddenly looking like he has less interest than being an NFL QB than Vince Young. (Oh, no, I went there again. I'm a terrible, terrible person. And you, too, for agreeing with the sentiment. Feel bad about yourself, dammit!)

8. Jaguars Fan. The trendy pre-season dark horse pick to go to the Super Bowl in the AFC couldn't hold a lead at home against the immortal Trent Edwards and the vaunted Bills offense. It's one thing to make the excuse that they were down three offensive lineman -- and they were -- but quite another when you can't keep a third-down back (Fred Jackson) from gashing you for 83 yards on 7 catches. The AFC South looks down this year, but the Jags don't look they are going to be any kind of a factor.

7. Bengals Fan. This ranking is tempered by the fact that they probably didn't have any expectations coming into the season to begin with, but man oh man, weren't they at least supposed to have a quarterback in Carson Palmer? After today's 16 for 27, 134 yards and 2 pick stinkathon, they might be wondering if Jon Kitna is available. Or Akili Smith.

6. Lions Fan. Why yes, Jon Kitna is available... especially after back to back touchdown passes late in today's tilt against the Packers. Unfortunately for Kitna and the theoretical Lion faithful, both passes were to the guys in the wrong laundry, and what might have been a stirring comeback suddenly turned into a 48-25 laugher for the surging Pack. When Dan Orlovsky replaces you, regardless of the score, it's not a pretty picture... and that hot start in 2007 is a long, long time ago. Oh, Jebus, why hath thou forsaken Jon Kitna?

5. Chargers Fan. Two straight gut punch losses to start the year is bad enough, but today's -- with Denver punking them on a blown ref fumble call and a 2-point conversion to give them a 39-38 win -- is the kind of loss that can really haunt a team. By the way, we're just about due for LaDanian Tomlinson crying in a press conference, given that the #1 pick in every fantasy football draft had 12 touches for 40 yards today, compared to Darren Sproles getting 9 for 125 and a touchdown (plus a return TD). Somewhere, Shawne Merriman is laughing, albeit at a Bazooka Joe comic. And Marty Schottenheimer is buying people drinks.

4. Chiefs Fan. In three weeks, Chiefs Fan has seen four men throw the football, none of them in a manner that you'd encourage. They've also seen a home loss to a team that got 55 yards from its starting quarterback (Jemarcus Russell, who is making Raider Fan think wistfully of the Daunte Culpepper Era). Larry Johnson is looking only slightly less spent than Priest Holmes or Christian Okoye, and if anyone still has faith in coach Herm Edwards, they must be related. At least the Vikings don't seem any better off with Jared Allen, and you'll always have a grateful nation's thanks for crippling Dreamboat Brady.

3. Vikings Fan. Today's loss to the Colts was out and out theft by the visitors, who spent most of the game getting punched in the mouth without response. At least the fans at the game didn't have to listen to NBC analyst Dan Dierdorf chide the crowd for booing starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who seems downright afraid of the red zone. When Ryan Lopngwell finally missed, the door was opened for the Colts, who came back from 15 down with 17 minutes to play, thanks to a wild Anthony Gonzalez to Reggie Wayne lateral play that set up the first Colts touchdown. I especially liked the high definition footage of Vikings Fan crying into his fake long yellow curls. Since when did Vikings Fan get into cross-dressing?

2. Jets Fan. The only .500 team on this list had their coronation moment in the AFC East crushed by the relentless game management styling of Matt Cassel (16 of 23, 165, nothing of any interest) and a six-headed running back attack that produced 104 yards and the unrelenting hatred of anyone who thought the Patriots might give you some fantasy goodness from the backs. Put this one solely at the feet of franchise savior Brett Favre, who threw an awful pick for the game's only, and crushing, turnover. J-E-T-S- JETS JETS JETS Fan can't even boo, since if they do, Saint Brett could, you know, retire. This is going to end ugly, folks.

1. Texans Fan. They've got bigger problems than football, folks, but if the Saints Experience is any indication, they'll be fine. Click here and do a solid.

When Last They Met…

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:09:03 -0500

The Vikings and Colts meet today for the first time since 2004, when they squared off on a Monday night in November in Indy. It may shock you to learn that Peyton Manning didn't pass for over 300 yards that game - he only managed 268…with four touchdowns. The Colts jumped out to a 14-0 lead in

Fantasy Football Weekly Rundown - Week 2

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 21:02:22 -0500

All of the hard work and dedication to your fantasy football addiction should have paid off in week 1, or that's how it's supposed to go anyway. This is fantasy football and as much as we try, we just can't control the outcome of what actually happens on a NFL field. You were either the team that had Donovan McNabb, Michael Turner or Willie Parker or the team who had Marques Colston, any Cincinnati Bengal or Tom Brady. Either way what a rush week 1 was; it had all the intrigue and drama you could expect in week 1 of a football season. The landscape was definitely set for this upcoming season. Everyone should have hit the waiver wire hard this week, as there were plenty of break out players. Make sure you check in Sunday and Monday nights with the Bruno Boys for the Fantasy Football Weekly Waiver Wire, to get the most up to date information and potential waiver wire pick-ups. Now for some up to date information you may need to set your lineup for week 2. As we did in the preseason, the Bruno Boys will give a recap of some of the headlines of the last week in football and their impact to the game and most importantly to fantasy football. TO READ MORE, CLICK THE LINK

Madden 09 roster update #3 to be released Friday

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:45:13 -0500

The third Madden 09 roster update is set to be released today by EA Sports. This update won't feature many changes in terms of attributes, but many roster changes will be made, including the injuries to Tom Brady and Vince Young. Below is the complete list, from PastaPadre.com:

Transactions
FB Reagan Mauia – Signs with Bengals
LB Jon Corto – Added to Bills
LB Blake Costanzo – Added to Bills
DT Alvin McKinley – Released by Broncos
DT Josh Shaw – Signs with Broncos
LB Antwan Peek – Released to Free Agents (IR)
WR Paul Hubbard – Released by Browns
WR Steve Sanders – Signs with Browns
LB Shantee Orr – Signs with Browns
C Pat Ross – Signs with Cardinals
FB Andrew Pinnock – Released by Chargers
FB Mike Tolbert – Added to Chargers
RT James Marten – Released by Cowboys/Signs with Raiders
QB Brooks Bollinger – Signs with Cowboys
SS Tyrone Culver – Signs with Dolphins
CB Joey Thomas – Released by Dolphins
FB Boomer Grigsby – Released by Dolphins
FB Casey Cramer – Signs with Dolphins
FS Jamaal Fudge – Signs with Falcons
DE Brent Hawkins – Released by Jaguars
G Milford Brown – Signs with Jaguars
TE Dan Campbell – Released to Free Agents (IR)
LB Chris Chamberlain – Added to Rams
RT Willie Anderson – Signs with Ravens
RG Adrien Clarke – Released by Ravens
C Matt Lehr – Released by Saints
QB Ingle Martin – Added to Titans
QB Daunte Culpepper – Retires

Ratings Up
HB Matt Forte – Bears – 80 to 82 – Looked like the real deal week 1 vs. the Colts.
LG Josh Beekman – Bears – 74 to 76 – Got the start and at LG and was able to pave the way for Forte on the ground.
HB Andre Hall – Broncos – 75 to 77 – Looked very explosive against the hapless Raiders.
WR Eddie Royal – Broncos – 77 to 80 – Made us remember why we call him DeAngelo "Fall". Torched DeAngelo repeatedly and looked very good doing it.
LB Jamie Winborn – Broncos – 75 to 79 – Started over the oft injured Boss Bailey and made plays vs. the Raiders.
LB Matt Roth – Dolphins – 76 to 80 – Could have found his niche as a 3-4 OLB. Had 2 sacks in the opener.
WR DeSean Jackson – Eagles – 79 to 80 – Has made the most of receivers going down with injuries in Philly. Tye Hill was benched after attempting to cover him.
LB Stewart Bradley – Eagles – 79 to 80 – The new man in the middle for the Eagles, this one might stick.
HB Michael Turner – Falcons – 88 to 89 – If I had a nickel for every time someone blew up on the Lions defense…A good start none the less for the Burner Turner.
LB Parys Haralson – 49ers – 74 to 76 – Recorded 2.5 sacks getting the start for the Niners in Week 1.
HB Brandon Jacobs – Giants – 87 to 88 – My mother could average 3 yards a carry behind the Giants O-Line. But he sure is powerful.
WR Matt Jones – Jaguars – 77 to 79 – Maybe Garrard's guy after a tough offseason. Injuries to the supposed starting WR's have helped also.
QB Aaron Rodgers – Packers – 84 to 85 – Made it look simple vs. one of the top defenses in the NFL. Once the coach takes off the diapers watch out.
TE Dante Rosario – Panthers – 74 to 77 – Blew up in a big way in Week 1 vs. the Chargers. Caught the game winner in the back of the end zone as time expired.

Ratings Down
DE Jarvis Moss – Broncos – 81 to 77 – Inactive the 1st week in his second season for the Broncos.
LB Tully Banta-Cain – 49ers – 79 to 76 – Came to the Niners with high hopes, now he has been replaced at OLB.
CB DeAngelo Hall – Raiders – 93 to 91 – Yes after only one week. Reminded us why some people confuse speed with ability. He has speed, isn't much of a corner though.

Injuries
FB Jeremi Johnson – Bengals – Knee IR
LB Angelo Crowell – Bills – Knee IR
WR Joe Jurevicius – Browns – Knee (PUP)
HB Carnell Wililams – Bucs – Knee (PUP)
C Al Johnson – Cardinals – Knee IR
QB Brodie Croyle – Chiefs – Shoulder (3 weeks)
C Jeff Saturday – Colts – Knee (8 weeks)
G Ryan Lilja – Colts – Knee (PUP)
DT Trey Lewis – Falcons – Knee (8 weeks)
LT Guy Whimper – Giants – Foot IR
K Lawrence Tynes – Giants – Knee (7 weeks)
LG Vince Manuwai – Jaguars – Knee IR
RG Maurice Williams – Jaguars – Arm (12 weeks)
DT Justin Harrell – Packers – Back (PUP)
QB Tom Brady – Patriots – Knee IR
G Stephen Neal – Patriots – Shoulder/Knee (PUP)
WR Drew Bennett – Rams – Foot (8 weeks)
QB Kyle Boller – Ravens – Shoulder IR
CB Dunta Robinson – Texans – Knee (PUP)
QB Vince Young – Titans – Knee (4 weeks)

Contracts
LB DJ Williams – Broncos – 6 years
WR Plaxico Burress – Giants - 5 years
RT Eric Winston – Texans – 5 years

According to PastaPadre, the producers of the game plan to release a new roster update each week, which is a great sign for online gamers.

The Football Show! Ep_2 - Season Two

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:33:00 -0500

It's a Show... About Football!!

Why Matt Cassel will start all season for the New England Patriots

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:48:37 -0500

Now that Tom Brady is out for the year, there has been a lot of talk about the QB situation for the New England Patriots. Names that have been thrown around include Chris Simms and Daunte Culpepper. Disreguard all such talk. Coach Bill Belichick is going to stick with Matt Cassel. Many people have called to New England to reunite Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss. I disagree. Even when he was a fantasy monster, Culpepper was an inaccurate quarterback who could run and throw bombs. now he can't run, and Cassel can probably throw bombs too (and knows Pats playbook, knows pats opponents, knows pats players, knows pats coaches, etc). I thinks it's unlikely the pats bring anyone in at QB. They have 3 on the roster (Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez, and Kevin O'Connell) that the Pats drafted in the last 4 years. Belichik has always shown a willingness to play young or inexperienced guys he thinks are good players, even firing more experienced guys in the process.

The Fantasy Football Monday Memo (Week 2)

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:35:53 -0500

We were reminded ad nauseum that Tom Brady didn't play one down in the preseason. After a Bernard Pollard safety blitz with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter, it appears that Brady won't throw one more pass than the 11 he attempted against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon. Reports are circulating that Brady not only tore his ACL, but also his MCL, which induces swelling and would thus delay surgery. Although the severity of the injury is unclear, one thing is certain - Matt Cassel is going to play another Sunday, and we are going to find out what he is all about. Cassel is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback who is better known for serving as a backup to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart while at USC than the 39 passes he has attempted over his first three professional seasons. He has never started one game at quarterback above the high school level, which effectively makes him the least game-experienced quarterback in the NFL. After a less than spectacular preseason, rumors swirled that he was in danger of not making the team. A 13-for-18, 152-yard, one-touchdown performance as part of a 17-10 Patriots win over the Chiefs should have temporarily quieted the doubters and soothed New England fans, and owners of Patriots skill players should feel somewhat reassured as well. To read more about Matt Cassel and other happenings around the NFL after Week 1, click the link below...

Moss Wants Culpepper

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:31:51 -0500

Football guru Paul Charchian just said on the Vikings pre-game show on KFAN that Randy Moss is lobbying Patriots brass to bring in his old pal and Vikings teammate Daunte Culpepper to replace Tom Brady who will miss the season after surgery to repair a torn ACL. The first thing I have to ask is:

Burleson Gone

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:31:51 -0500

Nate Burleson suffered a knee injury in the third quarter of yesterday's Seahawks loss at Buffalo and will miss the rest of the season. Burleson ended up with Seattle, of course, after the whole poison pill controversy with Steve Hutchinson. He was the second best receiver on the Vikings the year

Simms to Get a Workout w/ Brady Done for 08

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:16:22 -0500

With the season likely over for Pats QB Tom Brady, the team appears to be already coming up with a backup plan, as sources say that the team will work out former Bucs QB Chris Simms today. He was released by the Bucs after missing most of the last two seasons because of a ruptured spleen. He helped Tampa Bay to the playoffs in 2005. Simms had reportedly worked out for the Ravens, but for whatever reason they didn't sign him, instead they went with journeyman QB Matt Bouman. There was plenty of talk in the offseason when it was apparent that Simms would be released that he would be a hot player on the free agent market. As for other options for the Pats, Daunte Culpepper's name has popped up, but the 31-year-old recently retired, and it does not appear that the Pats have a lot of interest there. For now, the team will get ready for the Jets game Sunday with Matt Cassel and Kevin O'Connell, the Pats third-round pick out of San Diego State went 15-for-32 for 140 yards and one TD with two INTs in exhibition play. He has Brady-like size at 6 feet 5, 225 pounds.

Culpepper Retiring from the NFL

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:02:03 -0500

Daunte Culpepper announced on Wednesday morning that he would be retiring from football at the age of 31. Culpepper announced his decision in an e-mail stating: "After taking a long look at my career and my personal convictions, I have decided to begin early retirement from the NFL effective immediately. Since the beginning of training camp, I was told my opportunity would come when a quarterback gets hurt. I cannot remember the last time so many quarterbacks have been injured during the preseason. I have been strongly encouraged from family, friends and league personnel to continue to be patient and wait for an inevitable injury to one of the starting quarterbacks in the league. I would rather shut the door to such 'opportunity' than continue to wait for one of my fellow quarterbacks to suffer a serious injury. Since I was not given a fair chance to come in and compete for a job, I would rather move on and win in other arenas of life" Culpepper had one-year offers from the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers this off-season for backup jobs, but didn't declined those offers. Culpepper, later in his career, decided to fire his agent and represent himself. Culpepper noted of this experience: "The decision I made in 2006 to represent myself rather than hire an agent has been an invaluable experience. I now understand why so many people within the NFL community are uncomfortable with a player really learning the business. The NFL has become more about power, money and control than passion, competition and the love of the game." This decision caused a number of issues throughout for Culpepper and is one of the reasons he can not find a job in the NFL. Vikings coach Brad Childress compared his dealings with Culpepper with his dealings with Terrell Owens. He noted that every conversation he had with Culpepper involved his contract and getting more money. Culpepper eventually orchestrated a trade to the Miami Dolphins and in 2007, once again acting as his own agent, asked for his release from the Miami Dolphins. The career of Daunte Culpepper is a prime example of how important an agent is to a professional athlete. Throughout Culpepper's career, Daunte the agent got in the way of Daunte the quarterback. His focus was often on his contract and getting paid rather than going out there and playing football. In the end, Culpepper the agent overvalued Culpepper the player and he was unwilling to except a back up job. Take my word this won't be the last we see of Daunte Culpepper. Maybe next time around he will wise up and hire an agent.

Pats QB Carousel To Impact Chiefs?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:45:42 -0500

Matt Reiss points out that the Patriots could also be interested in Daunte Culpepper. This may just be speculation based on Daunte's history with Randy Moss. Obviously, they are also interested in Chris Simms, because NBC reported that he will visit the Pats ASAP. If the Chiefs are also looking .

Tom Brady has peaked. It is now official.

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:09:28 -0500

I mean, what were the odds that he was going to outdo last season? This reminds me of Joe Montana's 1990 season. An injury to him was the only thing that kept that team from winning yet another Super Bowl, and by the time he returned to the league, his savvy didn't compensate for his decreased agility. He was still spectacular, but no longer the consensus best in the league. Now reconstructive surgery has advanced light years since then, but the Patriots have made it impossible to properly analyze his health over the last season or so. Was he grinning and bearing it through major pain? Did he do greater harm to his leg by playing on it? Would he have avoided Pollard's cheap shot if his other foot had been healthy? And it was a cheap shot. That might go down as one of the cheapest shots in history. It definitely surpasses Kimo von Oelhoffen going low on Carson Palmer, and is right up there with Warren Sapp ruining Jerry Rice's season with a blatant personal foul face mask that should've gotten him ejected. Almost as bad as Brandon Marshall's entertainment center attacking him without provocation. Who thought Tom Brady's invulnerability shield would crack before Peyton Manning's? Not I. But don't worry, Chris Simms is here to save the day! Seriously, why don't they try out Culpepper?

Worst... Pats Win... Ever

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:10:56 -0500

I'm still sick over seeing Tom Brady limp off the field on Sunday early on in the Pats 17-10 win over the Chiefs. Though you'd never hear a Pats fan say it, an injury to Brady has always been the unspoken ultimate fear. Even more so after watching globe photoMatt Cassel's lackluster turd of a preaseason.