I have been saying all along that this team would be FORTUNATE to have Culpepper has its QB and now it's come to pass. Culpepper has way more positives than Brees ever did. Culpepper has uncanny combination of size and speed (McGahee recovered from a similar injury, and all indications are that he's healing well, so his mobility may not be hampered). Even if it is, he's still more mobile than Brees could dream to be. After word got out that Brees had rotator cuff surgery as well people starting getting really worried about his shoulder. Then he drops that bomb that he might not be play the whole season??? Are you kidding me? This guy wanted big time money and there is a possibility that he may not play. The joke is on the Saints big time! He got $10 million guaranteed, and he might be on the shelf the whole year. Does this sound familiar (ala Pennington)? There's reports that his deal is in essence a one year deal, so the Saints left themselves a way out if it doesn't work, but Brees swindled the **** out of them.
If Saban and Co had done that deal, I would've been shocked. Brees arm was average before the injury, so there's no telling what it will be after. Brees' motivations were cleary to get paid quickly because of uncertanity. Brees made about $9 million last year, so it's very reasonble to assume that he could take a contract with less gurantees and more insentives for a chance to try to win championships. But he didn't do that, he wanted a deal with the bulk of his money up front, so if his arm never heals, he still gets paid. If he was so sure that would he return to top form, why not take a lower signing bonus and include some performance incentives. Heck even Frerotte had reach performance thresholds that triggered incentives in his K. If Gus was younger, more accurate, and more talented, the Phins would've immediately paid those incentives. Enough about Brees, let's talk about Culpepper.
He has a BIG TIME arm. There are only a few Qbs in the league that have the kind of arm he has along with his accuracy. Getting Culpepper was the best thing that's happened to this team since hiring Nick Saban. Finally the Phins will have a signal caller that is worthy of a starting position, and not one that is starting because there's no one better. We've had to suffer long enough with the losers that played QB after Marino retired, Saban put an end to that. At the end of the season, Saban said he wanted to upgrade the QB position, and he's done just that.
