DAVIE, Fla. (AP) – Daunte Culpepper practiced with a bruised right shoulder Friday, although the Miami Dolphins have not yet decided if their starting quarterback will be ready for Sunday’s visit to New England.

Culpepper missed a portion of the Dolphins’ practice Thursday because of the shoulder problem, which coach Nick Saban said is a cumulative effect of being sacked 21 times through the season’s first four games.

If Culpepper cannot play, Joey Harrington will start for Miami against the Patriots.

Culpepper declined comment after practice, but Saban said he’s convinced that the team’s top offseason acquisition hopes to be on the field Sunday.

“He wants to play in the game and we have to make a decision whether he’s physically capable of doing that,” Saban said. “He practiced OK today. … We want to put him in a situation where he can be successful. If we feel like he can do that, he’ll be ready to go in the game. If that’s not the case, then that’s why Joey was brought here.”

Culpepper was added to the injury report Thursday because of the shoulder problem.

Earlier this week, he acknowledged that he’s feeling the effects of being hit so often – a problem created in part by his lack of mobility following reconstructive knee surgery last year – but added that he wasn’t overly worried about it, either.

Saban said Culpepper looked better Friday after getting most of the previous day off.

“I think everybody knows he’s not the Daunte of the way he’s played before, relative to his mobility, movement, quickness, explosive quickness,” Saban said. “By the cumulative effect of some of the hits and so forth that he’s taken in the games, I just noticed that maybe this was having some effect on him.”

Culpepper has completed 81 of 134 passes for 929 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions for the Dolphins, who are off to a 1-3 start. His quarterback rating of 77.0 ranks 20th.

Saban said Harrington has done “a nice job” in practices, but stopped short of revealing if the offense would look markedly different if Culpepper doesn’t play Sunday.

“Both guys would basically execute pretty much the same things,” Saban said. “I think there are differences that one guy may like certain plays better than another. Short of calling (Patriots coach Bill Belichick) and telling him what those are, I think that’s not something I’d like to share with anybody here.”

The only change to the Dolphins’ Friday injury report would be downgrading linebacker and special teams player Derrick Pope (hamstring) from probable to questionable, Saban said.

Saban also said the Dolphins will make a personnel move before Saturday so running back Sammy Morris – who was suspended for the season’s first four games for violating the NFL steroid policy – could be added to the roster.

“Sammy Morris, I think, is ready to contribute,” Saban said.

Morris ran for 523 yards for the Dolphins in 2004, then carried the ball only 16 times last season behind Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.

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