The Facts: The Ravens apparently were among the teams the Vikings contacted last week in an effort to gauge the trade value of Culpepper, but no deal with the Ravens or any other team appears imminent. Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome told the Baltimore Sun on Monday that "we're interested in any matter that will make our football team better."
Diehards Line:Along with the Ravens, other teams expected to shop for quarterbacks this offseason include Oakland, Miami and the N.Y. Jets. No trade can be finalized until the new NFL year begins March 3, but negotiations and a verbal agreement could occur any time. The Vikings presumably would like to resolve the issue before their scheduled $6 million bonus payout to Culpepper next month.