Culpepper takes field for start of Dolphins' camp

Huge air-conditioning vents in the Miami Dolphins' new indoor practice building blew with gale force, which meant Daunte Culpepper was throwing against the wind when he heaved the longest pass of practice.
It traveled 50 yards, catching receiver Chris Chambers in stride along the sideline and near the vents with midseason accuracy.Clearly Culpepper's arm is fine. And his knee is improving all the time.
The Dolphins' new quarterback took the field for the start of training camp Saturday, nine months after a right knee injury ended his 2005 season.
"So far, everything is a thumbs-up," Culpepper said. "I had visions when I got hurt to be here today to start training camp, and I still have visions to be ready for the first game."
The opener against Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh is Sept. 7, less than six weeks away. Given the speedy pace of Culpepper's recovery, he may be ready.
"We're encouraged by the progress he has made," coach Nick Saban said. "It has all been a pleasant surprise for us."
Culpepper wasn't the only new addition to make a favorable first impression. Because of a downpour shortly after the Dolphins took the field, they tried out their new $9 million indoor practice building sooner than planned.
Saban wants to work outside as much as possible to acclimate his players to the South Florida heat, but he was glad to find refuge from the heavy rain.
"With this facility, you just take the weather out of the mix, and you can always stay on the schedule you want to stay on," he said.
Camp began with only one player unsigned _ first-round draft pick Jason Allen, projected to start at safety. He seeks a five-year contract, while the team wants to lock him up for six years.
In 2005, top pick Ronnie Brown missed the first three weeks of camp in a holdout. Last March, owner Wayne Huizenga said he would insist that none of his team's draft picks miss the beginning of camp.
"There's a business part of this game we're not going to air out publicly," Saban said. "We're going to focus on the players that are here."
Saban's mood was otherwise upbeat. He said players reported in much better shape than for his first camp with Miami a year ago, and he praised the efficiency of the opening workout _ a considerable undertaking with more than 100 players and coaches scattered across the field in various drills.
At the center of it all was Culpepper, who tore three ligaments in his knee last season with Minnesota and was traded in March. There were projections that his recovery could take a year or more, but there he was running plays with the first team, sporting a knee brace the training staff talked him into wearing.
Culpepper said he felt no pain or limitations in his movement, and he plans to take part in every workout, even on days when the team practices twice.
"Daunte is excited," Brown said. "It's kind of like a kid in a candy store, him having an opportunity to be on the field again. When you have a guy like that leading your team, it rubs off on everybody else."
Tests grade the strength of Culpepper's right knee at only 85 to 90 percent of his left knee, he said, and he knows better than to push his comeback too quickly. When he broke free on a scramble, he moved through the secondary at a trot rather than a sprint, and while he wore a helmet and shoulder pads, he and the other quarterbacks were off limits to contact.
But Saban said he saw improvement in Culpepper's movement and quickness since the final offseason practice seven weeks ago. And Culpepper drew satisfaction simply from stepping onto the field for the start of camp.
"Every day I heard people say, `He's not going to be ready,'" Culpepper said. "I was ready to show that the hard work I've put forth is paying off."