by: Francosil
We all knew it was going to happen. Jay Cutler has been traded and is now a Chicago Bear. In return the Broncos got the Bears first round pick this year (18th overall), their third round pick this year (84th overall), their first round pick in 2010 and QB Kyle Orton. The Broncos also gave the Bears a fifth round pick.
In my last blog I had the Vikings and Lions as possible destinations, but it was their NFC North rival Chicago Bears where Cutler landed. Chicago finally gets their answer to their season after season quarterback dillema, while Denver gets rid of the whole Cutler situation.
Some say this takes Chicago from an average team to a Superbowl contendor. While I think it is not that extreme, it is still a huge upgrade. Chicago, who's team is similar to Minnesota, has a stellar defense with a great ground game. They were a QB and WR away from a superbowl run. They got the QB part, now all they have to do is acquire a WR. Veteran standout widereceivers Torry Holt and Marvin Harrison are still available on the free-agent market and could be good for one or two more years for a deep-playoff run. After all, the Chicago Bears just signed veteran Offensive Tackle Orlando Pace to a 3-year deal. Could the Bears be looking at a superbowl push this year? Look for the Bears to be a powerhouse in the NFC this season.
As a Broncos fan, I look at this two ways:
1) I am dissapointed we got rid of Cutler. After all, he is a 25 year old ProBowl, franchise quarterback. Not to mention I invested in a Cutler jersey and a sweater with his name and number on the back. I loved watching him play and I got attatched to his rocket-arm style. When he dropped back and threw the ball, I would always have confidence that it would be a completion. For the amount of passing plays Denver had to run with their lack of a running game last year (7 Running backs on Injured Reserve), Cutler had some great stats. With the defenses not worrying about the run game, Cutler had to throw the ball in some tough situations. Even though he threw more interceptions in 2008 than 2007, you could tell Cutler was beginning to mature into a top quarterback in the league. To tell you the truth, I was anxious to see what McDaniels and Cutler could do together. McDaniels was the offensive coordinator who took a 6th round pick in Tom Brady and turned him into the best quarterback in the NFL, maybe the best quarterback this century, and took a career backup in Matt Cassel and showed him to an 11-5 record as a starter behind center for the Patriots while getting him a 14.6 million dollar contract.
2) The Broncos had to move on. There is no "I" in "Team" and Cutler was being too selfish. The relationship between McDaniels and Cutler couldn't be repaired and it was time to move on. If I learned anything from last season, it was that a stellar offense (ranked #2 in the NFL) and probowl QB cannot make the playoffs if there is no defense to stop the opposing team. With the picks acquired in the Cutler deal, they could spend them on the defensive side of the ball. Let's not kid ourselves, Denver's defense was absolutely brutal last season. If they were even average, or ranked in the middle of the league, Denver would most certaintly had made the playoffs, maybe even made it to the AFC Championship game. This trade gives Denver the ability to acquire some young talent on defense and maybe regain the "Orange Crush" defense they once had.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Broncos Now Officially Looking to Trade Jay Cutler
By: Francosil
So it's official. Jay Cutler has stated he does not want to play for the Denver Broncos this upcoming season.
This all started when Josh McDaniels tried to make a move to acquire the quarterback from his prior team, Matt Cassel of the New England Patriots. McDaniels worked with Cassel the previous year when Tom Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury. Josh McDaniels was the offensive coordinator who liked Matt Cassel so much, he was willing to part with Denver's 25 year old, Probowl quarterback, Jay Cutler, to get him. A deal was in place that would send Cassel to Denver, Cutler to a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Detroit Lions, while the Bucs/Lions send multiple draft picks and/or players to New England.
The thought of this trade had Cutler outraged. He then felt he was not welcome in Denver anymore. And who could blame him? New England's former offensive coordinator wanted to come in and get rid of Cutler, who set a franchise record in passing yards in a season, for a career backup quarterback who hadn't started a game since highschool and took a former 16-0 Patriots team to an 11-5 season record. Cutler had the right to be dissapointed.
After all, it looked like McDaniels was trying to turn the Broncos into the Patriots v2. He released long time Bronco long-snapper Mike Leach, to sign New Englands free-agent long-snapper Lonie Paxton to a 5 year, 5.38 million dollar contract. The saying, "If it aint broke, don't fix it" came to mind. Leach was making significantly less than Paxton will be making, and you never heard of Leach in the news which means he was doing his job: snapping the ball on field goals and punts. Other former Patriot free agent signings include WR Jabar Gaffney and RB Lamont Jordan.
So what does all this mean? Cutler is unhappy with his coach, and demands a trade. At first, I thought it was just a bluff for a contract extension by his agent, Bus Cook. After all, Cutler is still playing on his rookie contract, and would like a pay increase similar to the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and ironically enough, Matt Cassel (around 10-12 million/year). But it seems serious now. The Broncos are now granting Jay Cutler's wish and are beginning to look for trade partners.
Cutler is probably on his way out of Denver, so let's take a look at where he could possibly land, in order of likeliness.
1. Detroit Lions- Still on their never-ending search for a quarterback, the Lions could make a move at Cutler with their many quality draft picks. Although Cutler throwing to Calvin Johnson may look scary, Jay will be missing the Bronco's offensive line very much. If this happens, the Lions would be looking to give up many draft picks. Some say they may have to give up two first round picks which means Denver will have to either take a QB in the draft this year (Matt Stafford from Georgia or Mark Sanchez from USC), or go with Chris Simms for a year and take their shot at a QB next year with promising QBs possibly entering the draft in Texas QB Colt Mccoy, Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, and Florida's Tim Tebow.
2. Cleveland Browns- It has been rumoured that the Browns are a potential sutor, even with a QB battle on the roster between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. A possible idea for a trade would be Cutler for Brady Quinn and possibily draft picks. This would also allow Cleveland to ship off Derek Anderson to a team like the Bucs or Jets for nothing less than a fourth round draft pick. Another possible scenario is to also throw in Bronco tight-end Tony Scheffler, who also has Bus Cook as his agent. This is because McDaniels scheme for offense does not involve a pass-catching tight-end, but rather a blocking tightend, which Denver already has in Daniel Graham. This leaves Scheffler the odd man out, and with the Browns shipping away Kellen Winslow this offseason to the Buccaneers, this could be a potentiol block-buster trade in the works.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Another team looking for a star quarterback, the Buccaneers looked to be a few offensive pieces away from a legit superbowl run last year. They recently inked star WR Antonio Bryant, a tall, athletic wideout, and traded for talented TE Kellin Winslow, both quality weapons for Cutler to possibly work with. They also signed RB Derrick Ward to split the running duties with Earnest Graham. With Jay Cutler at QB, this team looks like a serious contender to make it deep in the playoffs.
4. New York Jets- The Jets have been confirmed to have interest in acquiring Jay Cutler. Jets fans are used to the gunslinging mentality at QB, since they had Brett Favre running the show last year. Cutler has been compared to Favre for their strong arm and trust in themselves to make tough throws. New headcoach Rex Ryan could be looking to make a move for the young quarterback to possibly give the Jets a shot at the very competitve AFC East with the Dolphins recent playoff appearance and the Bills staying close behind with the Terrell Owens signing. The AFC East looks to be a tough division to play in the 2009/2010 season.
5. Minnesota Vikings- Although the Vikings have expressed they have no interest in acquiring Jay Cutler, I beleive they are a quarterback away from a legit superbowl run. They have the defense in place and a great running game with Adrian Peterson. All they need is a talented quarterback and a WR in the draft to go deep in the postseason. Although the Vikings have stated they will let Tvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels battle for the quarterback spot this year, they may take a run at Cutler if the price is right.
A deal that I would want to see happen would be to ship Cutler and possibly Tony Scheffler to the Lions for draft picks. A trade that would is reasonable and could happen would look like this:
To Detroit:
QB Jay Cutler
TE Tony Scheffler
Broncos First round pick, 12th overall
Broncos Third Round pick in 2010 draft
Broncos Fourth round pick, 114th overall
To Denver:
Lions First round pick, 1st overall
Lions First round pick in 2010 draft
Lions Second round pick, 33rd overall
Lions Third/Fourth round pick in 2010 draft (depending on Cutlers play/Lions record)
This would give Detroit two major proven offensive weapons in an already bright offense with WR Calvin Johnson, RB Kevin Smith, and OT Gosder Cherilius. It also leaves the Lions the 12th and 20th picks in the first round which they can take an offensive tackle, with many prospects to choose from (Jason Smith from Baylor, Eugene Monroe from Virginia, Andre Smith from Alabama, or Michael Oher from Mississippi).
From Denver's perspective, they get rid of Jay Cutler and Tony Scheffler who didn't fit, both having Bus Cook as their agent, and they receive quality draft picks needed to build their defense. This leaves Denver with many picks to rebuild their aging defense. Players like BJ Raji, Aaron Curry, James Laurinaitis and Clay Matthews come to mind. They can also use Detroits first round pick next year on a QB such as Sam Bradford or Colt Mccoy.
So it's official. Jay Cutler has stated he does not want to play for the Denver Broncos this upcoming season.
This all started when Josh McDaniels tried to make a move to acquire the quarterback from his prior team, Matt Cassel of the New England Patriots. McDaniels worked with Cassel the previous year when Tom Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury. Josh McDaniels was the offensive coordinator who liked Matt Cassel so much, he was willing to part with Denver's 25 year old, Probowl quarterback, Jay Cutler, to get him. A deal was in place that would send Cassel to Denver, Cutler to a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Detroit Lions, while the Bucs/Lions send multiple draft picks and/or players to New England.
The thought of this trade had Cutler outraged. He then felt he was not welcome in Denver anymore. And who could blame him? New England's former offensive coordinator wanted to come in and get rid of Cutler, who set a franchise record in passing yards in a season, for a career backup quarterback who hadn't started a game since highschool and took a former 16-0 Patriots team to an 11-5 season record. Cutler had the right to be dissapointed.
After all, it looked like McDaniels was trying to turn the Broncos into the Patriots v2. He released long time Bronco long-snapper Mike Leach, to sign New Englands free-agent long-snapper Lonie Paxton to a 5 year, 5.38 million dollar contract. The saying, "If it aint broke, don't fix it" came to mind. Leach was making significantly less than Paxton will be making, and you never heard of Leach in the news which means he was doing his job: snapping the ball on field goals and punts. Other former Patriot free agent signings include WR Jabar Gaffney and RB Lamont Jordan.
So what does all this mean? Cutler is unhappy with his coach, and demands a trade. At first, I thought it was just a bluff for a contract extension by his agent, Bus Cook. After all, Cutler is still playing on his rookie contract, and would like a pay increase similar to the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and ironically enough, Matt Cassel (around 10-12 million/year). But it seems serious now. The Broncos are now granting Jay Cutler's wish and are beginning to look for trade partners.
Cutler is probably on his way out of Denver, so let's take a look at where he could possibly land, in order of likeliness.
1. Detroit Lions- Still on their never-ending search for a quarterback, the Lions could make a move at Cutler with their many quality draft picks. Although Cutler throwing to Calvin Johnson may look scary, Jay will be missing the Bronco's offensive line very much. If this happens, the Lions would be looking to give up many draft picks. Some say they may have to give up two first round picks which means Denver will have to either take a QB in the draft this year (Matt Stafford from Georgia or Mark Sanchez from USC), or go with Chris Simms for a year and take their shot at a QB next year with promising QBs possibly entering the draft in Texas QB Colt Mccoy, Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, and Florida's Tim Tebow.
2. Cleveland Browns- It has been rumoured that the Browns are a potential sutor, even with a QB battle on the roster between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. A possible idea for a trade would be Cutler for Brady Quinn and possibily draft picks. This would also allow Cleveland to ship off Derek Anderson to a team like the Bucs or Jets for nothing less than a fourth round draft pick. Another possible scenario is to also throw in Bronco tight-end Tony Scheffler, who also has Bus Cook as his agent. This is because McDaniels scheme for offense does not involve a pass-catching tight-end, but rather a blocking tightend, which Denver already has in Daniel Graham. This leaves Scheffler the odd man out, and with the Browns shipping away Kellen Winslow this offseason to the Buccaneers, this could be a potentiol block-buster trade in the works.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Another team looking for a star quarterback, the Buccaneers looked to be a few offensive pieces away from a legit superbowl run last year. They recently inked star WR Antonio Bryant, a tall, athletic wideout, and traded for talented TE Kellin Winslow, both quality weapons for Cutler to possibly work with. They also signed RB Derrick Ward to split the running duties with Earnest Graham. With Jay Cutler at QB, this team looks like a serious contender to make it deep in the playoffs.
4. New York Jets- The Jets have been confirmed to have interest in acquiring Jay Cutler. Jets fans are used to the gunslinging mentality at QB, since they had Brett Favre running the show last year. Cutler has been compared to Favre for their strong arm and trust in themselves to make tough throws. New headcoach Rex Ryan could be looking to make a move for the young quarterback to possibly give the Jets a shot at the very competitve AFC East with the Dolphins recent playoff appearance and the Bills staying close behind with the Terrell Owens signing. The AFC East looks to be a tough division to play in the 2009/2010 season.
5. Minnesota Vikings- Although the Vikings have expressed they have no interest in acquiring Jay Cutler, I beleive they are a quarterback away from a legit superbowl run. They have the defense in place and a great running game with Adrian Peterson. All they need is a talented quarterback and a WR in the draft to go deep in the postseason. Although the Vikings have stated they will let Tvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels battle for the quarterback spot this year, they may take a run at Cutler if the price is right.
A deal that I would want to see happen would be to ship Cutler and possibly Tony Scheffler to the Lions for draft picks. A trade that would is reasonable and could happen would look like this:
To Detroit:
QB Jay Cutler
TE Tony Scheffler
Broncos First round pick, 12th overall
Broncos Third Round pick in 2010 draft
Broncos Fourth round pick, 114th overall
To Denver:
Lions First round pick, 1st overall
Lions First round pick in 2010 draft
Lions Second round pick, 33rd overall
Lions Third/Fourth round pick in 2010 draft (depending on Cutlers play/Lions record)
This would give Detroit two major proven offensive weapons in an already bright offense with WR Calvin Johnson, RB Kevin Smith, and OT Gosder Cherilius. It also leaves the Lions the 12th and 20th picks in the first round which they can take an offensive tackle, with many prospects to choose from (Jason Smith from Baylor, Eugene Monroe from Virginia, Andre Smith from Alabama, or Michael Oher from Mississippi).
From Denver's perspective, they get rid of Jay Cutler and Tony Scheffler who didn't fit, both having Bus Cook as their agent, and they receive quality draft picks needed to build their defense. This leaves Denver with many picks to rebuild their aging defense. Players like BJ Raji, Aaron Curry, James Laurinaitis and Clay Matthews come to mind. They can also use Detroits first round pick next year on a QB such as Sam Bradford or Colt Mccoy.
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