Dolphins get their next great quarterback
By Greg Cote
gcote@MiamiHerald.com

Finally, the Dolphins have themselves a quarterback who might be mentioned as a worthy successor to Dan Marino without any concern the reaction might be guffawing incredulity. After abiding a parade of pretenders swallowed by the shadow, Miami on Tuesday at last hired itself an arm that seems up to the sweet, elusive possibility called greatness.

Daunte Culpepper, a Dolphin.

There have been too few monumental days in the recent history of this NFL franchise; the big, defining moments have been rare since the distant Super Bowl championships and the intersecting titan eras of Marino and Don Shula.

This felt like it could be one of those big days.

This was the day Bob Griese and Marino, lonely too long, finally got company along the historic timeline of outstanding Dolphins quarterbacks.

Culpepper, when healthy, is that gifted and that good -- a premier passer in his prime, one who earns the ''franchise QB'' honorarium. He has a cannonade arm that will have receiver Chris Chambers chasing guided missiles, not waiting on parachutes. His ability to create on the run reminds some of a bigger Michael Vick, only more accurate.

We're not sending Culpepper directly to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, or anything. But it has been 10 years, when Marino was still hanging desperately to his fleeting prime, since Miami last put a man over center who commanded as much respect from opposing defenses or put as much fear in them.

A Dolfan is permitted the luxury of feeling very good about this. Of feeling honestly hopeful that the distance between the Dolphins and a Super Bowl has just narrowed appreciably.

The giddy fan might pause for token acknowledgement of the yeah-buts -- yeah-but: Culpepper is getting over knee surgery; yeah-but: What about that ''sex boat'' scandal? -- and then get back to being unabashedly giddy again.

Acquiring this player from the Minnesota Vikings for a second-round draft pick Tuesday rated as a supreme bargain for impressive coach Nick Saban and Miami, if you believe the Dolphins dealt for the 2004-vintage Culpepper, not for the 2005 model that broke down and crashed.

ROLLING THE DICE

This is the concern and the caveat, of course. It is why Miami was able to get Culpepper for the same draft expenditure the previous Dolphin administration wasted on A.J. Feeley. Consider that Miami's past two players drafted in the second round were Eddie Moore and Matt Roth. Would you not trade both, and then some, for Culpepper?

The quarterback's recovery from a serious right knee injury sustained Oct. 30 makes the trade a calculated gamble, although a minor one based on encouraging medical reports and the player's strong belief he will be ready by the season's start.

His last healthy year, '04, Culpepper completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for more than 4,700 yards, with 39 touchdowns against only 11 interceptions. Those numbers would rank among the two or three best seasons of Marino's career.

Culpepper rehabbing a knee certainly is less worrisome than Drew Brees trying to get past major shoulder surgery. That concern of Miami's, coupled with Brees' demand for a $10 million guaranteed signing bonus, is why the Dolphins let Brees escape to foolish New Orleans and swung their focus quickly to Culpepper.

Send a thank-you note to the perpetually mismanaged Saints, or maybe eat a plate of crawfish jambalaya in honor of a team that can't run itself any better than its city does.

This would be a trade worth applauding even if you bought the worst-case scenario: that Culpepper's recovery may cause him to miss the first chunk of the season. After all, a three-time Pro Bowl QB aged 29 figures to be your offense's point-man at least throughout the rest of this decade. Meantime, Gus Frerotte is perfectly palatable as a babysitter, a temp.

As for that love boat-on-Lake Minnetonka thing? OK, Culpepper unfortunately was among Vikings players who decided it would be good to spend an off week on a couple of chartered party boats filled with booze and women. Debauchery, headlines and misdemeanor charges ensued.

Put Culpepper toward the back of the line for sainthood if you must, but don't brand him a bad guy based on one dumb weekend.

Imperfections aside, he is a perfect fit for the Dolphins. He lives in Orlando, so this is like home. He wanted to be here, and agreed to rework his contract. And the system under which Culpepper flourished in Minnesota was largely installed here by Scott Linehan in 2005, and will essentially remain under new coordinator Mike Mularkey.

Signing Culpepper alone brands the Dolphins' offseason a bottom-line success. A quarterback -- the right one -- is that overriding. Dolfans have learned that lesson with tears.

MINOR MATTERS

Miami upgraded neatly at left tackle with 6-6, 345-pound L.J. Shelton, but who he would be blocking for always was paramount.

Other issues remain, such as the draft, and this silly business about threatening to cut kicker Olindo Mare if he won't take a big pay cut. Mare is worth what he makes, and he is better than alternative Mike Vanderjagt, who makes much more.

But those, too, percolate as minor matters compared to the major one that has been solved at last.

After the inevitable sad, gradual decline of Marino, after a little Damon Huard, after too much Jay Fiedler, after smidgens of Ray Lucas and Brian Griese and Sage Rosenfels, after not enough, and not enough, and not enough at the premier position.

The Miami Dolphins have a quarterback capable of excellence again.

Suddenly, the season should hurry, please.