Another team in the NFC North other than the Packers has a quarterback with talent?
This is a once in a generation deal one that could potentially go down as one of the biggest in NFL history. You would have a hard time trading for a marginal quarterback, let alone a guy with the credentials of Jay Cutler. Name a big name quarterback that has been traded? Montana, Favre, Green, McNair, Bledsoe? All past their prime. Certainly not 26 and ready make his mark.
The only trades I can think of that included young quarterbacks that became starters were Matt Hasselback from Green Bay to Seattle, Aaron Brooks from Green Bay to New Orleans and Matt Schaub from Atlanta to Houston. The common theme in those deals were that those guys were backups becoming starters...not quarterbacks that have thrown for over 4,500 yards in a season and two seasons of 20 plus touchdowns.
Jay Cutler is a rare talent, you don't trade rare talent, but Denver had no choice. They faltered much, much earlier. Josh McDaniels...when Kyle Orton leads you to 5 wins in your first and only year as a head coach because you angered your franchise quarterback before playing a game. Sure, Cutler should have taken it like a man and moved on, but you should know the type of person that Cutler is, we've seen it before.
For the Bears this is a brilliant move. There were plenty of teams interested in Cutler and I honestly thought that nobody would be able to pull the trigger. Leave it to the place of quarterback hell to pull it off. They not only got Orton for themselves, but more importantly prevented Minnesota from acquiring him. The Bears are instant contenders now not only in the NFC North but in the NFC.
Now...they do have a lot riding on this. Two first round picks, plus a third is a lot to give up for a quarterback that can turn into a career cancer just as fast as he can blossom into a superstar. But for the Bears...they needed to take this chance. You don't win titles with Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman, Erik Kramer, Cade McNown...
The Bears finally have their franchise quarterback that they have tried time and time again to get, while the Broncos will have an open competition between Orton and Chris Simms? Woo!
There is no price too steep to pay for a franchise quarterback. Now the Bears aren't a championship team anymore. If they had Cutler back when the defense was the best in the league, they would have a Super Bowl title, but the defense isn't what it used to be. But now they have their franchise quarterback to build around. Chicago fans got excited about Orlando Pace...Orlando Pace is more washed up than Gary Sheffield.
Ironic for Cutler that he gets to play for Ron Turner. Turner was the coach at Illinois when Cutler thought he had a scholarship to play for the Illini, but claimed Turner pulled the scholarship late in the process.
Now it is time for Jay Cutler to grow up. Chicago fans aren't going to be too welcome to the Jay Cutler antics if he fails to produce results. It is certainly time to put up or shut up for Cutler.
Let's see how week three of the preseason goes when he enters Infesco Field...as a Bear.
G-
ReplyDeleteI still believe that our beloved Pack will pull out the NFC North despite the trade. Don't get me wrong the Bears have greatly improved with the addition of Cutler and Orlando Pace, but who is he going to throw too? Devin Hester is still unproven as a receiver, so to me that leaves Greg Olsen as his number 1 target. I also think that Aaron Rodgers will elevate his game this year now that he doesn't have the pressure on replacing Favre. This will now be his second season at the helm of the green and gold and I think he will be way more composed in the pocket and now has an even better connection with the starting receiving core. In my opinion the Pack will win the division, but that could also be my personal bias against the bears and for the packers, so we will have to see. Love the blog though man keep it up.
DA BEARS.
ReplyDeleteIn what was, and largely still is, a very weak division has not changed much since last year. But to me, this puts the Bears out front.