Head coach Dennis Green’s biggest mistake may have been awarding Randall Cunningham a five-year, $28 million contract after the 1998 season. Granted, Cunningham put up great numbers in ’98 with Billick directing him every step of the way, but his track record said that wouldn’t last, and it didn’t. After six games last season, the Vikings were 2-4, the team’s great receivers were getting frustrated, Cunningham looked clueless without Billick and the team lost confidence in the QB.

Finally, Green replaced Cunningham with the much-maligned Jeff George, and George saved the season. The receivers all wanted George back this season because he throws the ball as well as anyone in football, has a superior arm and release and gets the ball to the receivers in a hurry so that they don’t get hung out to dry.

But after the offseason, Green told George he did not want him anymore, at least until Cunningham, now 37, refused to restructure his contract and Dan Marino turned down a chance to start for a season and keep the seat warm until Green felt Culpepper was ready. But Green offered George such a bad, one-year deal that the QB left to be the backup in Washington, and Green gave Culpepper the top job.

Culpepper is huge (6-4, 250-plus), athletic and has a very strong arm, but he looked lost mentally as a rookie. The dark horse is Todd Bouman, who looked very good in NFL Europe in ’99 and had a much better preseason in ’99 than Culpepper. You can see some similarities between Bouman, who will be 28 when the season starts, and Kurt Warner. But Green is not sold on Bouman, so he may never get a real chance.

Bubby Brister, who will turn 38 in August, was signed as the backup, but unless Culpepper has made huge strides, he may have to start. Cunningham was released to create salary-cap room.