The NFL Players Association has stepped in to help quarterback Daunte Culpepper gain his release from the Dolphins.

But the beleaguered quarterback's decision to represent himself, rather than hire an agent, has some speculating on whether his status with the team and the public relations and public perception could have been better managed by an agent.

The Sports Law Blog offers up this assessment:
"But would he be better off with an agent? In the abstract, without knowing who that agent might be or his/her talents, it's hard to know how he/she would compare to Culpepper acting as his own agent. But it seems reasonable to conclude that an agent would be especially helpful when one finds himself angry with his team. An agent can work to diffuse the tension, acting as an intermediary or buffer between the player and team, and also develop a public relations strategy to deal with media."

And locally, aspiring agent Darren Heitner of Hollywood, weighs in with this on his "I Want to be a Sports Agent" blog:
"My two cents to athletes: Agents make a living off of you. There is no denying that point. But I am not sure that I see a problem in that type of relationship. The sports agent industry is a service industry. Agents make money by giving a service to players that they need. For many, this just means negotiating offers with professional teams. For others, this means a lot more. Even the most simple, basic player should not prevent himself/herself from getting to the next level because he/she does not want to give a small percentage of a paycheck away to an agent. Keep that in mind Daunte, and others."