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Brought to you by Mr. Cheer or Die and the Vikes Geek, welcome to theThis week, the Minnesota Vikings officially announced the trade of quarterback Daunte Culpepper to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the Dolphins’ second-round pick in the 2006 NFL draft. The deal cements a dubious distinction for a Minnesota franchise either intent on cutting off its nose to spite its face or saving money while claiming otherwise.
For the second straight season, the Vikings have opted to receive less for a veteran player than they could have received over the long haul. And, for the second straight year, the Vikings front office and ownership are playing the naïve enabler.
Vikings’ Options
The Vikings had two meaningful options for dealing with Culpepper’s boorish behavior. The first option—the one that the team elected exclusively to pursue—was to find the highest bidder for Culpepper prior to the due date of Culpepper’s 2006 bonus. This option required the Vikings to reveal their interest in trading Culpepper at a time when Culpepper’s injury status generally was uncertain. That meant most teams were unwilling even to consider trading for Culpepper.
Several teams in desperate need of a quarterback, however, offered some form of value for Culpepper in spite of the lack of certainty regarding Culpepper’s return. Among the teams expressing interest were the Baltimore Ravens, the Oakland Raiders, the New Orleans Saints, and the Miami Dolphins. Ultimately, the Dolphins proved most willing to deal.
As far as returns on injured, disgruntled, quarterbacks are concerned, the Vikings did well to obtain a second-round pick in this year’s draft. That assumes, of course, that trading Culpepper prior to the due date of his 2006 bonus was the best option. Zygi not only contends that it was the best option, he claims it was the Vikings’ only option.
Yesterday, Zygi characterized the Culpepper trade as one done out of necessity rather than desire. “I talked to him several weeks ago," Wilf said. "Since that point in time, it didn't seem like he was willing to find a way to work things out. He didn't want to come up [from his Florida home] to rehabilitate, and he did not want to work with the coaching staff. It seemed like we had two alternatives. We could have paid him the [$6 million bonus he was due March 24] like I intended to, and tried to work with him. But he was making every effort to find a way to leave. We did our best.�
Contending that there was no alternative to trading Culpepper, no matter the spin that Zygi now is offering, is, at best, a canard. If the Vikings had held onto Culpepper into the 2006 season, they would have been on the hook for a $6 million bonus this Spring plus a modest 2006 salary.
One owner would look at those numbers and ask: “Can I get a better return by paying Culpepper now and trading him if and when he is in shape?� Another asks: “Can I move Culpepper and his bonus without taking a PR hit?�
Zygi, of course, chose the latter approach. We know this to be the case because of the words that Zygi chose to defend the trade. In his statement, Zygi does not even suggest that there was a comparison of possible returns between trading Culpepper prior to the due date of the bonus and retaining Culpepper into the 2006 season. Instead, Zygi all but states that Culpepper was calling the shots and was not interested in remaining a Viking and claims that Culpepper’s position bound the Vikings to trade Culpepper.
Forgive me for not believing that Wilf is as soft as he suggests with his contractually obligated employees, that he caves whenever confronted by a stubborn employee. Surely Zygi has had occasion to clarify the terms of the working relationship with an employee. And surely the result has not been that Zygi has merely acquiesced to the demands of the employee—especially not when a binding contract has given Zygi the upper hand.
Yet, today, Zygi is beseeching Vikings’ fans to believe that Culpepper’s demands so overwhelmed him that he could no longer bear the strain. And so, according to Zygi, Culpepper was traded.
The owner who dares to compare the return on trading Culpepper today versus retaining Culpepper would note, however, that Culpepper was under contract through 2013. That left Culpepper with two options for leaving the Vikings without the Vikings’ acquiescence—he could re-ingratiate himself and make himself trade worthy, or he could retire. The deck was loaded in the Vikings’ favor just as it had been with Randy Moss in 2005.
Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, the Vikings’ ownership blew the call. Moving Culpepper was not the issue, timing was. And only if the ultimate concern was salvaging bonus money for the owner’s pocket was this the right move.
Up Next: Henderson a gem. Plus, still looking. And, stadium issues.
Totally disagree. The team received what I preceive to be the best they could for a injured head case. In which no one knows if he can perform to his 2004 season again. But I would be more worried about his head than his knee.
But why would Wilf want to pay 8M this year and take the same chance next year? Add to that chance that DC would say after payment, "I retire".
DC is an interesting prospect but after 7 years in the league we should know which prospect he is. Franchise material or just another good QB that will bounce from team to team. I think the later.
Posted by: Lonnie at March 17, 2006 8:34 AMHindsight will give a lot of people a lot of strong opinions. If he throws 30+ touchdowns next season, everyone will berate the ownership of trading him for a second round pick. If he has a year like Moss had last season, everyone will be breathing a sigh of relief. Who knows what will happen?
I just hope the additional second round pick we've acquired is used well. We need an Omar Jacobs (or comparable) and an OLB and/or an S.
Posted by: Peter at March 17, 2006 9:04 AMI disagree as well. My thought is that Johnson was 50/50 to be starting this year anyway. Pepper was lousy last year and has had lousy streaks in the past. When you look back at it, all those fumble streaks weren't because of small hands. They were head problems, lack of consentration and/or lack of confidence. If we paid him and held him, there is no logical reason to expect him to go out and perform better than he did last season. That wouldn't enhance his value. It would just eat into our cap (which hopefully we will figure out how to spend wisely) and slow the progress of QP2's successor. Now we can move to get a guy for 2007 or 2008. I hope that it is not a pick in the top half of the first round--big, expensive gamble.
Now we just need to find a way to get a caps worth of quality players. Otherwise, I hope we switch all of the bonus money for this year into salary and pick up every quality FA for the next two years.
Posted by: BW at March 17, 2006 9:52 AMWell geek boy certainly is no fan of the Wilfs. I can't help but think there was more to his comments then football. I don't know enough about the Wilfs to make a judgement call yet. But I do know he did do what needed to be done last year. Zygi got rid of two huge headaches that were never going to lead this team to any place. A 2nd rounder is more then the Vikings deserve. Culpepper is a fraud and the league will see it when he starts again.
Posted by: VikesStud at March 17, 2006 10:21 AMAs always, I appreciate the comments. My concern is that the focus on the Culpepper trade has been whether the Vikings received "fair market value" for him. The answer to that question--barring the revelation that the Vikings turned down a better offer--is, of course, "yes." But while Wilf accused Culpepper of acting emotionally rather than rationally, Wilf is either guilty of the same offense or guilty of dumping a player at the nadir of that player's market value to save a bit of cash.
The Vikings need not have considered Culpepper a starter in 2006 to increase Culpepper's value in 2006. All they needed to do was keep Culpepper long enough to allay other teams' fears about his injury. Even if Culpepper never returns to 100% of his former self, the resolution of the injury issue would have increased his market value and virtually assured the Vikings of receiving at least a first-round pick for him. The question that the Vikings appear never to have asked is whether that was sufficient from the perspective of the advancement of the team to justify swallowing the $8 million that the team owed Culpepper this season.
In the end, it matters not what Vikings' fans think of Culpepper's abilities. What matters is what the market bears. And the market for a post-rehab Culpepper is almost certainly much better than the market for a mid-rehab Culpepper whom the Vikings (foolishly) had made it known was pulling the strings.
VG
Posted by: VG at March 17, 2006 10:45 AMAs always, I appreciate the comments. My concern is that the focus on the Culpepper trade has been whether the Vikings received "fair market value" for him. The answer to that question--barring the revelation that the Vikings turned down a better offer--is, of course, "yes." But while Wilf accused Culpepper of acting emotionally rather than rationally, Wilf is either guilty of the same offense or guilty of dumping a player at the nadir of that player's market value to save a bit of cash.
The Vikings need not have considered Culpepper a starter in 2006 to increase Culpepper's value in 2006. All they needed to do was keep Culpepper long enough to allay other teams' fears about his injury. Even if Culpepper never returns to 100% of his former self, the resolution of the injury issue would have increased his market value and virtually assured the Vikings of receiving at least a first-round pick for him. The question that the Vikings appear never to have asked is whether that was sufficient from the perspective of the advancement of the team to justify swallowing the $8 million that the team owed Culpepper this season.
In the end, it matters not what Vikings' fans think of Culpepper's abilities. What matters is what the market bears. And the market for a post-rehab Culpepper is almost certainly much better than the market for a mid-rehab Culpepper whom the Vikings (foolishly) had made it known was pulling the strings.
VG
Posted by: VG at March 17, 2006 10:45 AMI will always be disappointed with the way this mess played out. I have a feeling Childress is a little bullheaded and of course he has every right. It's his vision and he doesn't care about what the Vikes and fans have previously invested in this team. He's the new sheriff in town and it's time to move forward.
A second round pick for Daunte? Like Moss, we just haven't been getting value for our guys. I wish we would have made this trade much later in the year. Moving forward is going to be painful at times.
I hoping we invest on the defensive side of the ball with free agents and the draft. Special teams and defense is going to be the difference this season. I just don't see our offense scoring alot of points.
I think that Childress is trying to make a splash right away, and he probably felt he couldn't do that by keeping Culpepper around. He's changing everything, and I'm optimisitc that we can win games with defence and special teams with Brad Johnson managing the games. The key to my happiness with the Vikes will be whether or not we grab a QB for Johnson to start mentoring this season. I'd love to see Matt Schaub come to the team. I'm not crazy about Cutler or Jacobs (but I'd be happy enough with either) and Young is out of the question for me. Lienart's a dream and would cost too much to trade up for.
I say we trade one of our round 2 picks for Schaub and fill two of our 3 biggest needs (OLB, CB, and S) with our first two picks. Hopefully the third (whichever it may be) can be traded for, signed in free agency, or found in round 3 of the draft.
Posted by: Peter at March 17, 2006 11:18 AMI believe the trade boiled down to a new staff not wanting any locker room malcontents while implementing a new system.
Posted by: PJW at March 17, 2006 11:40 AMVG is correct from an economic standpoint, but I think others hit the nail on the head as to the source of this trade. You have a rookie coach who needs to set the tone.
However, unlike the last Sheriff, I think Childress is actaully going to lay down the law. Childress was in Philly last year when MeO TO sabotaged the team, and Childress did not want a repeat.
As an outsider, I agree with the VG that this was a weak move, but there is no doubt that Childress and not Wilf made the final call.
Posted by: J. Lichty at March 17, 2006 2:40 PMHEAR, HEAR!!! I completely agree VG! Though maybe not for the same exact reasons! This new dawn of Viking football has been anything but that. It's like being Bill Murray from the movie ground hog day. This franchise continues to "SCREW" the fans with their incompetent mismanagement of player personnel. From the ridiculous trade of Sir Francis Tarkenton back in 67 because he couldn't see eye to eye with Norm, through the most lopsided trade for one player in Herschel Walker, to the asinine dumping of not one, but two of the franchises all time elite players in Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper in consecutive seasons! All this is confirmation that the dreaded "Vikings Curse" is alive and well. When the owners and coaches of this franchise can conduct themselves accordingly, then maybe we can break that curse. Otherwise they will continue to bumble their way through mediocrity at the expense of their most loyal fans! SHAME ON THEM ALL!
Great post Vikings GEEK! Keep on writing!
HEAR, HEAR!!! I completely agree VG! Though maybe not for the same exact reasons! This new dawn of Viking football has been anything but that. It's like being Bill Murray from the movie ground hog day. This franchise continues to "SCREW" the fans with their incompetent mismanagement of player personnel. From the ridiculous trade of Sir Francis Tarkenton back in 67 because he couldn't see eye to eye with Norm, through the most lopsided trade for one player in Herschel Walker, to the asinine dumping of not one, but two of the franchises all time elite players in Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper in consecutive seasons! All this is confirmation that the dreaded "Vikings Curse" is alive and well. When the owners and coaches of this franchise can conduct themselves accordingly, then maybe we can break that curse. Otherwise they will continue to bumble their way through mediocrity at the expense of their most loyal fans! SHAME ON THEM ALL!
Great post Vikings GEEK! Keep on writing!
It is always better to get rid of players that do not want to play for you, than keep them on the team occupying a position in the roster that could be filled by a player that wants to perform for the team.
And, Last year, DC showed he was not willing to be part of the team, for whatever reason.
I am more concerned, that the Vikings management make good use of the 2nd round trade. I will re-phrase that ..... I am hopeful that the Vikings management will make good use of the 2nd round trade.
LV.
Posted by: Limey Viking at March 20, 2006 10:00 AMLichty,
No, I am not arguing that "matching" requires the same outcome for both teams. Such a result would be impossible.
What I am arguing is that Burbank erred by holding that Seattle could not meet the terms of the Vikings' offer sheet without triggering the guarantee clause because Seattle reconstructed Walter Jones' contract to make Hutchinson the higher paid player in 2006.
The strongest counter argument is that the time between the Vikings' offer to Hutchinson and Seattle's attempted offer (contingent on the arbitor ruling in Seattle's favor) was material to the offer. If you accept that premise, you have a case for arguing that Burbank's ruling is valid.
Posted by: vg at March 21, 2006 2:28 PM