Sean Salibury on Shifting of Power in AFC East

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This has been an exciting offseason so far as Edgerrin James signed with the Cardinals, Daunte Culpepper was traded to the Dolphins and the Saints signed quarterback Drew Brees. Barring some huge move down the road these are going to be the crown jewels of these teams' offseasons so let's take a quick look at each move and what the organization should do next to further help their team.

Advantage Miami

Daunte Culpepper
The signing of Culpepper could shift the balance of power in the AFC East.

Even though I still believe it's premature to say that Culpepper will be ready by the start of training camp, I know this is an absolute steal for the Miami Dolphins and a great present for offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey. Culpepper is a proven talent in the NFL and brings an explosiveness to the quarterback position that hasn't been seen in Miami since the retirement of Dan Marino.

His signing is a direct shot across the bow of the New England Patriots as the Dolphins now have an offense that can consistently score after years of being a one dimensional team. The Dolphins were competitive last season in the AFC East, but the offense wasn't good enough to win games so they fell short. That was because they didn't have a quarterback they could rely on to make plays. That's not the case anymore and now the Dolphins have the talent on both sides of the ball to overtake the Patriots.

It's amazing to me that the situation in Minnesota got to the point where Culpepper could be had for a mere second round pick. Last season he would've gotten the Vikings a first round pick and probably more, but due to his injury and the situation between him and the organization deteriorating so much the Dolphins were able to get him on the cheap. I don't believe Culpepper's feelings towards the Vikings are indicative of an athlete who is a whiner. He felt the Vikings handled him poorly and didn't feel they were upfront and honest with him so he acted out. It may not have been the most professional way to deal with things, but I don't believe he'll do the same thing in Miami. In a way going to Miami is the perfect move for this team because they have explosive players, a great ownership and is an organization that treats its players like family. It's also perfect because Culpepper is from Florida, went to school at Central Florida and also trains there. He's going to be very comfortable there and that's going to translate on the field.

As controversial as it may sound the Dolphins next step should be to sign wide receiver Terrell Owens. A lineup with Owens and Chris Chambers at the receiver position, Randy McMichael at tight end, Ronnie Brown at running back and Culpepper at quarterback would be extraordinarily difficult to defend. They would have the type of offensive balance that wins championships especially when it's coupled with the Dolphins' typically stout defense. Coach Mularkey is an innovative coordinator and I'm sure he would salivate at the opportunity to coach that type of talent. He's going to craft a gameplan that takes full advantage of the Dolphins talent with or without Owens, but I'm sure he would kill for the chance to throw Owens in that mix.

Owens would fit in well with the Dolphins because they have Nick Saban there and he's not going to take the crap that other coaches have allowed Owens to delve into the past few seasons. We wouldn't hear Owens spouting off in interviews because Saban firmly believes in team chemistry and isn't going to let anybody on that team believe for very long they are more special than any of their teammates. He's going to nip any problems in the bud quickly and won't let problems linger.

Also, this would be a perfect place for Owens because it is such a veteran-laden team with an already established leadership in place that knows how to handle fellow players. These players work hard throughout the season and Owens wouldn't be able to say he outworks everyone else and that's why he should be able to say what he wants. He would have no excuses and might get back to just playing football and keeping his mouth shut.

Sean Salibury on Espn Insider