| 03 April 2009
Jay Cutler, the guy who has not been a quarterback of a winning team since high senior year of high school, which was 2001 is now apparently the biggest quarterback in all of professional football. I do not doubt his talents, considering I touted him as the best quarterback in the 2006 draft, but the price is far too steep....Or is it. Let's look at both sides of the trade.
Are the Bears the big winners?
The Bears did give up a ton for Cutler, but was it a smart move? They gave up the rights to their 2009 1st and 3rd round picks, their 
number 1 pick in 2009 and their starting quarterback (Kyle Orton), for one man and a 5th round pick in 2009. That man is Jay Christopher Cutler. If you look at draft picks as simple unproven commodities and you are certain that you have the nucleus of a winning team in place, then sure this is a good move. Also, the Bears still have over $12 million in cap room for 2009, so this won't affect them until 2010 anyway. So the Bears have picked up a bunch of salary, but will be casting off $2-4 million as well due to getting those picks and the subsequent contracts off their books.
Additionally, it looks like the Bears are poised to make a run with the addition of Cutler and, if he can still play (which I think he can) Orlando Pace. The Bears have been searching for a quarterback since they benched Jim McMahon. Here is the list of quarterbacks that have started for the Bears since McMahon: Mike Tomczac, Doug Flutie, Steve Fuller, Jim Harbaugh, Peter Tom Willis, Will Furrer, Erik Kramer, Steve Walsh, Dave Kreig, Rick Mirer, Steve Stenstrom, Moses Moreno, Shane Matthews, Cade McKnown, Jim Miller, Chris Chandler, Henry Burris, Kordell Stewart, Rex Grossman, Johnathan Quinn, Craig Krenzel, Chad Hutchison, Kyle Orton, Brian Griese.
That's certainly a "who's who" of blown draft picks, college stars, journeymen and never will be's to be certain. While Cutler doesn't have the W/L stats to back up such a trade, if the Bears can insert him for a decade, then they probably have made a great deal. Additionally, Cutler has that laser-rocket arm that someone who plays in Chicago will need in the windy city.
Keep in mind the Bears do have a solid team coming back. They have a running back that appears to be a long term starter in Forte, a solid defense minus the aging secondary, and a strong offensive line made stronger with the addition of Pace. The question mark as usual is the wide receiving corps. Personally, I don't think it matters because of the velocity Cutler delivers on the ball. He will make the WRs better from day one. Also, this will make the Bears young tight end Greg Olson a legitimate weapon on their offense.
Are the Broncos the big winners?
Judging strictly on the value they received, I would say yes. Three picks and a serviceable quarterback for a disgruntled quarterback without a winning record who has a 3-5 December record, that certainly sounds like a deal to me. It's pretty obvious that Denver will opt to build from the ground up, revamping their team through the draft, and not through flashy off season signings. The problem is that this is strike one for wunderkind Josh McDaniels. He had a problem on his hands and the owner had to take care of the problem for him. Now, Denver will have to rely on the draft to replace their quarterback, because I don't see Orton as the long term solution.
But isn't this how the Patriots have built a quasi-dynasty? By acquiring picks, trading down to acquire more picks, then signing disgruntled players who have 2-3 years left in them? Yes, McDaniels is obviously putting his stamp on the franchise before one game has even been played. Also, the Broncos don't necessarily need someone to come in and throw for 3,000 yards because they traditionally have ground opponents down on the ground. This my friends, is why Kyle Orton has a 21-12 record as a starter. He is not asked to do too much, the problem is that the Denver defense is not as malicious as it used to be.
In any event it is going to be a trade that will be scrutinized for years. Remember when the Dallas Cowboys traded Herschel Walker to the Vikings? Here was the result:
Vikings got:
Herschel Walker
Draft pick =Mike Jones
Draft pick= Reggie Thornton
Draft pick= Pat Newman
Draft pick= Jake Reed
Cowboys got:
Jesse Solomon
Issaic Holt
Darrin Nelson
Alex Stewart
Draft pick= Emmit Smith
Draft pick= Alexander Wright
Draft pick= Pat Harlow
Draft pick= Darryll Lewis
Draft pick= Darren Woodson
The Vikings toiled in obscurity to some extent while the Cowboys became a dynasty.
Here's another one:
The great Ricky Williams trade of 1999 ended up giving the Redskins Champ Bailey, Jon Jansen, and Lavar Arrington. In hindsight it worked out for the Skins, but looking at it in 2009, it became a fairly even deal.
So which team will come out the undisputed champion in the Cutler deal? Only time will tell.
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Comments (11)
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hahahaha
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bears defense
the D is solid if they play up to potential
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re: the biggest thing
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Rumor has it
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i like that rumor
Plaxico sent a text back saying he liked the deep dish pizza in Chicago
http://community.foxsports.com..._the_Bears
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Under-covered Story
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