New Raider Culpepper looks to mend career

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NAPA, Calif. — Daunte Culpepper is in rehab now, but as the 30-year-old quarterback breezes past the outdoor weight room at the Oakland Raiders' training camp, this is not so much about his surgically repaired left knee.

The knee appears fine. Culpepper, moving well enough, does not even wear a brace.
Now his mission is to rehabilitate his career.

In Culpepper's last full season, 2004, he passed for an NFL-high 4,717 yards and franchise-record 39 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings. If not for Peyton Manning's record-breaking 49 TDs, Culpepper likely would have been the league's MVP that year.

Since then, an avalanche of disaster, turmoil and heartache has smothered Culpepper.
Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY