Well, well, well, the Chicago Bears have a quarterback. Or do they? It looks like highway robbery to me. The Denver Broncos get two first round picks and Kyle Orton? Are you kidding me? When Cutler became available by my new favorite owner in the NFL, Pat Bowlen, the Broncos said the asking price was two first-round draft picks. Normally when you put something for sale, you ask for more than what you know you are really going to get. In this case, the Bears offered more than the starting point. Wow! Chicago, my kind of team.
If you haven’t guessed already I’m not a big Jay Cutler fan. He has never been able to win a big game. Two years ago all the Broncos had to do was beat the lowly 49ers in Mile High in week 16 to get into the playoffs and Cutler couldn’t get it done. The same thing happened again last year as the Broncos swooned down the stretch and ended up firing head coach Mike Shanahan after the season. Shanahan’s decision to draft Jay Cutler ended up costing him his job. Cutler has all the tools but one, and that is the most important one – the head. Cutler is a little baby and if you are a mental midget, you will never win in the NFL. Cutler is 17-20 as a starter. How does that record justify giving up two first-round picks and a starting quarterback with a better winning record? Once again, wow!
This move kind of reminds me of the Tampa Bay trade for head coach John Gruden. The Bucs gave up two-first round picks and two-second round picks which doomed them from the start. They got the Super Bowl win the first year with Tony Dungy’s team and sucked every year since because they didn’t have those picks to keep them at a high level. That’s why I think the Bears may be the division favorite this year, but the price they paid is too high and if they don’t win right away it will be a horrible deal. I wouldn’t trade Cutler for Aaron Rodgers no way, no how. Even though, like Cutler, Rodgers has not yet proven he can win the big game or take a team on his shoulders and lead them to victory. The difference is Rodgers improved from week to week last year and actually had he had a kicker he would have had at least three come-from-behind wins. Cutler hasn’t improved any if at all since he became a starter. Last year’s big numbers were because the Broncos lost six running backs to injury, all they did was pass.
I am a happy man today. The Bears just shot themselves in the foot if they don’t win the Super Bowl this year. To be honest, I was much more worried about the Bears signing Michael Vick when he becomes available in July than getting Cutler. The Bears have taken a huge gamble which I think it will be a one-year success story, and believe you me, I am not counting out the Packers to win the division. I believe the Packers switch to the 3-4 defense is much less complicated than the media makes you believe. I mean, it’s not a different game. It’s not a foreign defense that nobody has ever played before. Anyway, I digress, bottom line is I think the Bears GM along with head coach Lovie Smith made a desperate move to save their jobs after not making the playoffs since winning the NFC in 2006.
I can’t wait for opening day. Rodgers proved he can handle the hype when he whipped the Vikings last year on opening day on Monday Night Football. This year Rodgers will be second fiddle to the Bears and Cutler. I love it. Cutler opens his Bears’ career at Lambeau Field. I am pumped and it is only April, it is going to be a long five months. Plenty of time for Charles Woodson and Al Harris to get ready. Another early prediction – Harris takes one to the house.