Ex-Lion says Culpepper will be the Starter

In a Sunday morning appearance on Surius NFL Radio former Lions WR Mike Furrey sais that he had spoken to friends still on the team and they were informed that Duante Culpepper would be named the starter going into the 2009 season.

Culpepper joined the Lions mid-way through last season after retiring in the off-season. He arrived in Detroit out of shape and was given little practice time to get familliar with the teams offense.

"He's going to be a leader," Furrey said of Culpepper. "He's had the knowledge to play the game for a long time. He's been very successful. It's tough for anybody to come in toward the middle or end of the season and revive a team that has been downward spiraling the whole time."

Improving Culpepper's chance for success, is the fact that his offensive coordinator from his Minnesota Viking days Scott Linehan was hired in the same capacity with the Lions.