Thread: Childress ends talk of Culpepper

[size=18px]Childress ends talk of Culpepper[/size]

Kevin Seifert, Star Tribune
Last update: March 21, 2006 – 10:29 PM

In what he indicated were his final comments about the trade of quarterback Daunte Culpepper, Vikings coach Brad Childress confirmed Tuesday that he turned down Culpepper's request for a playbook during the formative stages of their relationship.

Childress also did not deny that he was the author of a March 6 e-mail that prompted Culpepper to request a trade. Culpepper called the e-mail "disturbing" but Childress would not reveal its contents.

"I got a lot of e-mails from him, too, that I'm not going to publish," Childress said. "It's kind of like phone calls for a trade. The phone rings both ways. That e-mail goes both ways, also."

During a recent interview on ESPN, Culpepper said his inability to secure a playbook sent a clear message about his standing with the team.

Childress, however, said that no one -- not even starter Brad Johnson -- received one during that time period.

"I guess the question is how fast do you furnish it to people," Childress said. "It's kind of your bible. When you put a new playbook together and put together your little twists, and your colors and your terminology, you kind of guard that. Everybody's got the same plays, but all of your coaching points were in there.

"Brad Johnson was asking me for one as well. He got one [Monday]. That's plenty of time."

Etc.

• The Vikings agreed to terms with fullback Tony Richardson on a two-year contract Tuesday, a day after he visited Winter Park. Richardson, 34, spent the previous 11 seasons with Kansas City and is expected to start for the Vikings.

• Childress said he has a strong in-house candidate to start at middle linebacker but would not identify him. Asked if the player was E.J. Henderson, who started at the position in 2004, Childress said: "Defensively, I think our guys are looking at things a little differently at that linebacker position. They're going to require some different things from those guys than was required in the past. When you think about being conventional, I don't think you're necessarily going to see it that way."

Other candidates include newcomer Ben Leber, veteran Napoleon Harris, who played for linebackers coach Fred Pagac in Oakland, and Dontarrious Thomas.

• Childress said the team is keeping contact with the agent for offensive lineman Steve Neal, who visited Winter Park last week.

• Running back Mewelde Moore will have a pin removed from his surgically-repaired hand Wednesday and is getting married this weekend near his Louisiana home. Childress said Moore is scheduled to return in time for Monday's workout sessions at Winter Park.

"He's showing good intent," Childress said, laughing. "Maybe to us. Maybe not to his wife."

Childress ends talk of Culpepper

Good article.

I think it's pretty obvious that the whole laptop rumor was just that, a rumor. Sounded a bit extreeme to me to begin with.

I think Napo is his MLB.

Nice update. Hopefully that whole boat scandal crap will be done with soon so we don't have to read more about that crap.

"Del Rio" wrote:

Good article.

I think it's pretty obvious that the whole laptop rumor was just that, a rumor. Sounded a bit extreeme to me to begin with.

I think Napo is his MLB.

Just out of curiosity, why do you feel Napo is the new MLB?

Granted his performance wasn't that great last year, given the few opportunities he had. He is speedy, & that's what the cover 2 needs.

Do you think it's because of the cover 2 defense, Tomlin coaching instead of Cottrell or something else?

It sounds to me as if there was some bad blood in the very beginning but it was Culpepper who made it known to the press.

"singersp" wrote:

"Del Rio" wrote:

Good article.

I think it's pretty obvious that the whole laptop rumor was just that, a rumor. Sounded a bit extreeme to me to begin with.

I think Napo is his MLB.

Just out of curiosity, why do you feel Napo is the new MLB?

Granted his performance wasn't that great last year, given the few opportunities he had. He is speedy, & that's what the cover 2 needs.

Do you think it's because of the cover 2 defense, Tomlin coaching instead of Cottrell or something else?

I think he fits the role. He is fast, and he has the ability to make quick decisions. He's not the best cover LB, but from what I gather the zones are going to be limited to short yardage. So what you really need is a guy who has the ability to make a decision in weather to stay or to go out of his zone. You wont see a LB running 25 yards down field on a WR.

I think he got the shaft last year playing under Cottrell. He gets blasted on here all the time. He is a playmaker. He made a handfull of plays on talent alone last year, a big sack, a couple huge tackles.

He just looked like a guy playing out of his element. I don't think many people realize how horrible Ted was for our team. People have a tendency to put it all on the players when the coaches are the most important people out there, definately the MOST important at the NFL level.

Napo got the shaft by playing in Ted's system that really left the OLB's floating. It made them the victim and not the attacker like they should be. His system took away the ability to make those athletic decisions. Couple that with people wanting him to fail because he was compensation for Moss, I think he just got screwed over by the fans and the coaching staff.

I thought that this quote that Don Seeholzer had from Childress concerning that press conference about Daunte spoke volumes...

Childress said the Vikings wouldn't have been looking for a coach unless something was wrong — "or at least, obviously in the perception of the ownership, something needed to be changed"

If I read between the lines on that quote it says that the influence for problems came from the ownership of the Vikings and that the "problems" here were Culpepper (among others and probably including Tice and his ticket scalping). Wilf is not going to stand for any nonsense or problems, that is clear. Then Culpepper steps in and asks for more money and that started the downward cycle. So what I am seeing here is that Wilf talked with Childress about the Culpepper situation (including the "Love-Boat" scandal and other things) and there were some e-mail exchanges. Daunte didn't like the direction this was going so he began the downward spiral of getting traded.
But to me is sounds like this whole things started with the ownership, not with Childress.

He was crappy in Oakland too, what was the excuse there? Its Willie Offord for MLB

that would be awsome if we got hutch and steve neal.

"Redmption" wrote:

He was crappy in Oakland too, what was the excuse there? Its Willie Offord for MLB

Yeah LMAO!

I mean getting 9 solo stops at the MLB position in big games is pretty bad. Especially coming off of a knee injury.

Leading your team in tackles for a majority of the season befor moving to OLB due to a scheme change must suck too. Of course his 109 tackles 3 forced fumbles and making the superbowl sucks too, especially sucky is his making the all rookie team due to his excellent play during his three game playoff debut.

I love how people just talk shit just to talk it. Absolutely nothing to back it up at all.

He is most productive at MLB. He was moved to OLB and then suffered a knee injury.

No Willie Offord is most definately NOT going to be our MLB at 6'1 208lbs. I don't see Childress taking our backup FS/SS and making him a MLB especially since he is that small. Sure he played WEAK side LB sparingly and FS for south carolina, but he was drafted as a saftey. I don't see Brad handing over the heart of the defense to a backup saftey.