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Daunte Culpepper, in an open letter to NFL teams published on profootballtalk.com, says he hopes teams will give him a chance to compete for a quarterback job despite his refusal to work with an agent.
Both profootballtalk.com publisher Mike Florio, who is a Sporting News contributor, and NFL league official Ray Anderson advised Culpepper to hire an agent, but according to his letter, Culpepper will not do so.
<table style="margin-left: 5px;" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><script type="text/javascript"> DART.init( { "site_key_name":"spn.nfl", "zone":"article", "pos":"right1", "tile":"2", "sz":"300x250" }); </script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/spn.nfl/article;pos=right1;tile=2;sz=300x250;ord=862615175894321.2?"></script></td></tr></tbody></table> Culpepper writes that he has not limited himself to seeking a starting job, did not enter any real negotiations with Green Bay and never intended to compete with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh. The Dolphins released Culpepper in July after a contentious contract battle. "My request is simply that teams give me the respect of talking directly to me rather than trying to interpret what I think or desire," Culpepper wrote. "I can handle the truth if they can handle my presence in discussions. I hope that my body of work in the league will earn me at least a conversation."<noscript>
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Culpepper says that with help from the NFLPA he has determined a fair market value for himself with three kinds of teams: those seeking a starter, those with an open competition for a starting quarterback, and those needing a veteran backup. He said no team has met the criteria.
Culpepper also said he has nothing against agents, just prefers to be in charge of his own career. He writes on profootballtalk.com, "This decision has more to do with my desire to handle my business affairs personally, than anything negative about agents."
The former Oakland, Miami and Minnesota quarterback fired agent Mason Ashe in 2006.
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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- If the Green Bay Packers change their mind about having two rookies back up quarterback Aaron Rodgers this season, veteran free agent Daunte Culpepper is willing to listen.
"I have not heard from the Packers since before the draft," Culpepper said in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Thursday night. "My ears are definitely opened to listen if they need a proven backup for Aaron."
<table style="margin-left: 5px;" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><script type="text/javascript"> DART.init( { "site_key_name":"spn.nfl", "zone":"article", "pos":"right1", "tile":"2", "sz":"300x250" }); </script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/spn.nfl/article;pos=right1;tile=2;sz=300x250;ord=99408431788501.34?"></script><!-- Template Id = 2593 Template Name = Banner Creative (Flash) - In Page --> <!-- Copyright 2006 DoubleClick Inc., All rights reserved. --><script src="http://m1.2mdn.net/879366/flashwrite_1_2.js"></script> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" id="DCF206576949" height="250" width="300"></td></tr></tbody></table> Culpepper visited the Packers in April, after Brett Favre's original retirement, but left without a deal in place. He continues talking to other teams, but so far hasn't received the response he is hoping for. "I am talking," Culpepper said. "I am just not convinced that the teams are listening."
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Culpepper, 31, was a standout quarterback for Green Bay's division rival, Minnesota, before he sustained a major knee injury in 2005. He played in four games for Miami in 2006 and seven with the Oakland Raiders last season.
The Packers drafted a pair of rookies, Louisville's Brian Brohm and LSU's Matt Flynn, in April. Rodgers took over as the starter -- and stayed there, even after Favre unretired and was traded to the New York Jets.
Brohm generally has outperformed Flynn in practice and Flynn has been better in the Packers' preseason games, but neither may be far enough along to be considered a viable backup at this point in their careers.
After both struggled against the Tennessee Titans' No. 1 defense in the first half of the Packers' 23-21 loss in Thursday night's preseason finale at Lambeau Field, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he was comfortable with his quarterback situation.
"I'm going to say it for about the 100th time, it takes time, OK?" McCarthy said. "It takes time to develop young quarterbacks, and that's where we are. I'm excited about their future, but we've got work to do."
But McCarthy seemed to leave the door open to the possibility of the team adding a veteran backup.
"Those are all options," McCarthy said.
Flynn threw a pair of touchdown passes in the second half and nearly tied the game after narrowly missing a potential two-point conversion pass at the end of regulation. Brohm had a potential second-half touchdown called back on an instant replay review.
Brohm said the Packers are fine with the quarterbacks they have.
"I don't think we need to bring in a veteran backup because I think all three of us are ready to go," Brohm said.
