Culpepper signing should pay immediate dividends for Dolphins

Being a lifelong Miami Dolphins fan, I am obviously, quite ecstatic about the trade the ‘Fins pulled off to nab former Minnesota Vikings all-pro quarterback Daunte Culpepper, whom I believe, will guide the Dolphins to - at the very least - a double-digit win season in 2006.

Miami has finally acquired a quarterback – their first real starter since Hall of Fame legend Dan Marino retired following the 2000 season – who is above average and are now poised to make a return to the playoffs and possibly much more under second-year head coach, Nick Saban.

The 29-year-old Culpepper, who tore the three major ligaments in his knee last year, passed his physical this week, making the trade to the Dolphins official in which the Vikings received a second-round pick in exchange for the embattled quarterback who is seeking a fresh start in his hometown state after a tumultuous final season in Minnesota last year.

"I want to be able to have a fresh start and start over," Culpepper told ESPN television. "I kind of feel like it's halftime in my career right now and everybody knows the team that makes the best adjustments at halftime usually wins the game. I feel like I have a good seven to 10 years left. I played seven years in Minnesota and I'm looking for a great seven years in Miami," he added.

The number 11 pick in the first round of the 1999 draft pick said he hoped to be able to start the Dolphins' regular-season opener in September and Miami head coach, Nick Saban seemed to agree that Culpepper could conceivably be ready to open the season as the starting quarterback.

“He's made remarkable progress to this point," Saban said at the news conference. "I don't think it's an unrealistic circumstance to think that there's a great possibility that he will (be ready)," Saban added. The Dolphins also reworked Culpepper's contract to make him a little happier as well. He will receive a $7 million signing bonus and $1 million base salary this year.

Culpepper threw for 20,162 yards and 135 touchdowns during his seven years with Minnesota, far surpassing the efforts of the Dolphins signal callers who have manned the position since Marino retired. The Dolphins are also making a smart move by still negotiating with former starter Gus Frerotte to be Culpepper's backup.

The thing I like about the acquisition and all of Saban’s moves since he arrived in South Beach, is that he genuinely seems to have a plan in place for success and is following it to an almost most microscopic detail.

"The decision was not made in a vacuum," Saban reiterated several times.

He also didn’t seem to be bothered in the least about Culpepper’s chances of returning to a Pro Bowl performance level after last season’s devastating knee injury.

"There are lots of players who have had this injury," Saban said. "There are lots of players who come back and play from this injury and they actually come back to full mobility and full speed. I think that everyone of these circumstances are different, and I think that's why it's a little bit difficult to sit up here and try to make predictions about what might or might not happen."

Speaking of predictions, I’m going on record as saying that the Dolphins will win at least 10 games in 2006. If the Dolphins shore up their offensive line and defensive backfield and the New England Patriots keep losing valuable players like Willie McGinest, then who know how far Saban and Culpepper could take Miami.

All I know is that there hasn’t been this much excitement in Miami in a long time – and I for one – am going to ride the wave of excitement as long and as far as I can.

Eric Williams is an award-winning writer for the Philadelphia Sunday Sun. You can hear him every Wednesday at 3:15pm EST on www.BetUSradio.com. He can be reached via [email protected].

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