Dolphins Not Doing Right By Culpepper

Daunte Culpepper isn't a happy camper.

He wants out of Miami in the worst way and will seek help from the NFL Players Association to expedite matters.

Just three days after threatening to bring the union into the matter, the NFLPA filed a grievance Tuesday on Culpepper's behalf.

The grievance is similar to one filed by the NFLPA last year against the Tennessee Titans after the team barred Steve McNair from working out at its facility. McNair was eventually traded to Baltimore for a fourth-round draft pick.

Culpepper -- who started at quarterback for the first four games for the Dolphins last season -- asked to be released last week, shortly after Miami acquired Trent Green from the Kansas City Chiefs. The Dolphins told Culpepper they wanted to trade him; Culpepper, who is owed $51.5 million over the remaining seven years of his contract, said he wants a release and vowed to block any trades.

In reality, a injured quarterback with a fat contract is not the type of trade bait teams salivate over. Culpepper would have to restructure his contract for the Dolphins to even get a low round choice for him.

Culpepper, being his own agent, won't do that. He wants to be released so he can land with a team that will give him a chance to start and runs an offense similar to what he had in Minnesota. The obvious choices being Baltimore and Jacksonville.

Culpepper was among five quarterbacks taking part in individual drills when a minicamp began last Friday; about an hour into the first of five scheduled practices over the weekend, though, Culpepper walked off the field, escorted by a member of the team's security staff. Afterward, Culpepper said quarterbacks coach Terry Shea told him he was barred from team drills.

It was a dirty tactic when the Titans did it to McNair and it's even dirtier now that the Dolphins are doing it to Culpepper.

The whole situation boils down to greed on the part of the Dolphins organization. It's obvious Cam Cameron and GM Randy Mueller don't want Culpepper around. Yet they're willing to hold onto him to see if someone will toss them a bone. It's not going to happen. All it's doing is keeping Culpepper in limbo.

Culpepper is an All-Pro quarterback who's trying to regain his form after a devastating knee injury almost ended his career. In 84 games as an NFL starter, Culpepper has completed 64.2 percent of his passes and thrown for 21,091 yards and 137 touchdowns.

He deserves a chance to put his career back together and if Miami doesn't want him, the franchise should let him go, instead of displaying this low-brow, no-class attitude.

Culpepper did the right thing in filing a grievance. Now it's up to the NFLPA to do its part.