Daunte Culpepper is close to being released by the Miami Dolphins. Despite this fact, Daunte showed up to Dolphins mini-camp today – and after participating in some drills was told to go home. Speculation is that the Dolphins were afraid Culpepper could get hurt at practice, in which case they would have to eat the $5.5 million they owe him for this season. So basically they McNaired him (even having a security guard escort him out – what, is he Paris Hilton now?).
Daunte spoke to some reporters after being kicked out of practice, telling them he will refuse any trade the Dolphins try to make, because it would cause him to have to re-structure his contract. So he wants to be released. This reduces the chance of him returning to the Vikings from very little to absolutely nil. If he had no choice but to accept a trade, and the Dolphins traded him to the Vikings, he would then have to show up and play or sit out the season. But when he’s released he’ll be able to go anywhere he chooses – and trust me when I say that the Vikings are number 31 out of 31 when it comes to where Daunte would want to play.
The Lions, by the way, appear to be a possible player in the up-coming Daunte sweepstakes (though Tom Mantzouranis of AOL Sports’s Fanhouse is appalled at the notion). This seems the only way Daunte gets back into the NFC North, since the Packers and Bears are not interested (shouldn’t the Bears be at least curious though?). It would be pretty entertaining to play against Culpepper twice a season, especially since, as we know, the Vikings totally own the Lions (It’s up to 10 in a row now Kitties. Damn.).