Cavaliers Preview Game #75 Cavs at Wizards
April 2, 2009While We’re Waiting… Wiz Fans Waiting, Hector Rondon’s Cannon, and B.J. Raji’s Drug Test
April 3, 2009
Well, folks, there were unnamed teams in the trade rumors, but enough team names were mentioned (Bucs, Lions, Titans) to make me believe that Cleveland might have stayed out of the Cutler talks altogether. Anything is possible, of course, but you have to think that Cutler’s statements about not wanting to be in Cleveland chilled any real possibilities anyway. This deal got done this afternoon and honestly it seems very fair for both sides. Chicago trades their first rounder this year plus next year’s first rounder and Kyle Orton in exchange for Cutler. The Bears also included their third round pick this year in exchange for the Broncos fifth round pick to get the deal done. And thus ends the rumor mill, real or otherwise that had Cutler coming to Cleveland in exchange for one of the Browns’ QBs.
As I said earlier in the week, Cutler, while talented, didn’t seem like the best fit here to me. He has a ton of potential and ability from a pure physical standpoint, but after all the drama that he drummed up since regime change in Denver, I couldn’t help but think his potential acquisition would fly in the face of everything that Mangini and Kokinis have spouted about their team-first philosophy going forward. And so the Cutler rumors are gone. I wonder if Mangini is disappointed that people won’t have this cause to talk about Cleveland’s QBs as he attempts to drum up interest in them.
As for the deal itself and its implications on the league… This deal makes the Chicago Bears an instant contender. Between Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman, the Bears had two guys who are probably grade A NFL backups. Both have the ability to play in spurts, but neither will ever seemingly be able to guide their team to championships. At least they wouldn’t be able to drive them to championships any more than Trent Dilfer did for the defensive juggernaut Ravens. As for Denver, they got a lot of value for Cutler even though they will have to wait until after this season to reap all the rewards. Obviously, Denver is due for a pretty substantial makeover and the two extra first rounders will help. In the meantime, Kyle Orton might be the interim solution to man the QB spot. And who knows? Maybe Orton will thrive under the new system that McDaniels and company will be employing.
UPDATE: Mary Kay Cabot is reporting by way of the Washington Examiner that the Browns were involved on a three-way basis (rowl!) with the Washington Redskins. The reported deal that MKC is reporting was that one where the Browns would have sent Brady Quinn to Denver, etc. I hate to be argumentative, but everywhere else I have read indicates that the Browns might have talked to Denver directly, and Washington might have talked to Denver directly. Even the Examiner article that MKC quotes to lead her article doesn’t include those BQ details as a part of a three way deal. I guess I can buy that the Browns might have talked to Denver directly, but it sounds like Washington wanted to send Denver their QB, Jason Campbell, and that Denver preferred Orton. Anyway, I don’t know what sources MKC has, but I am still not buying the prospects of a three-way deal. Sorry.
20 Comments
Here’s hoping Denver has a huge mancrush on Mark D. Sanchez and is looking at moving up to 5….
Cleveland.com is reporting the the Washington Examiner is reporting that the Browns (Quinn) were very much involved.
This is still a winning situation for the Browns b/c they now are the only team with a viable starting QB (Anderson) that they want to trade. Thus creating a monopoly (use that term very loosely) in the QB market.
Bears still don’t have anyone for Cutler to throw it to
Wait…two first rounders and a mid-to-low level QB for Cutler? Am I the only one that things the Bears just WAY overpaid? I mean, OK, Cutler is reasonably good…but 2 first rounders good? No way.
@ClemJax – I completely agree. This trade makes me think that we should get at least a second for DA.
I also thing the Bears way overpaid, the Bears have a below average O-Line and their best WR is Devin Hester….Cutler is certainly going to miss his very good O-Line in Denver and great receiving options.
I think the Broncos are going to be really good next year, Orton is a very capable QB and has all the weapons that Cutler had, but won’t make as many mistakes. Plus, with all these draft picks the Broncos have, they can shore up their defense
I’m just glad we still have Brady
I can’t believe that Cutler is worth a decent-but-not-great player plus TWO 1’s and a 3 (hadn’t heard about the fifth at first). Wow. Glad we stayed out of that one.
Go back in time a couple years before Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn showed up here and tell me if this is overpaying.
After the Tim Couch debacle, we probably wouldn’t have considered this overpaying. The Bears paid a lot, but they got something in return that they haven’t been able to get on their own. It was clearly an organizational hurdle that they HAD to jump over. They finally got an opportunity to get it, and they went for it. I can’t fault them for that.
@SamboFromOH: Yes, but on the flip side, Kyle Orton obviously had zero value if they had to throw in 2 #1s and a #3 along with him to get Cutler!
I think Anderson is closer to Orton than Cutler. We can compare their career stats since they’ve played a similar amount of games.
Anderson: 27 starts, 13-14 record, 54.6% passing, 6.7 yds/attempt, 43 TD, 35 INT
Orton: 33 starts, 21-12 record, 55.3% passing, 5.8 yds/attempt, 30 TD, 27 INT
Cutler’s stats, just for fun: 37 starts, 17-20 record, 62.5%, 7.4 yds/att, 54 TD, 37 INT
For a team with no receivers and a questionable o-line, two 1’s and a 3 for a QB is overpaying. Sorry, but it is.
To expand a bit, I’m of the opinion that a team should NEVER, EVER, EVER give up two firsts and a third for a player unless he is absolutely the LAST piece they need to make a serious run. Or Peyton Manning.
That’s a lot of assets for a guy who’s just going to be handing the ball off or hitting up their tight end on a five-yard out.
Well, Cutler is 25. The Bears weakened themselves for the next 2 drafts but now have a franchise QB to build their team around for the next 10 years. I think this a good long term deal for the Bears.
Fans are so enamored with draft picks, but high draft picks are not guaranteed. The Bears just got a proven product. If the Broncos draft the equivalent of Courtney Brown and Gerrard Warren with the 2 picks they acquired then the Bears win this deal in a land slide.
To me, Cutler’s no more “proven” than Grossman (who went to a Super Bowl, BTW) is/was.
The Plain Dealer is stopping to new lows attributing anything to the Washington Examiner. That thing is a free rag with basically zero original reporting. It wouldn’t surprise me if that entire “story” in the Examiner was pure speculation. If it was for real, the Post, or at the very least, the less distinguished Washington Times, would have had it.
stopping = stooping
@ DP – Grossman rode his defense to the Super Bowl. Emphasizing your point by saying he was in a Super Bowl is laughable. Put that Bear’s defense on Denver and Cutler is the one in the Super Bowl not Grossman.
Cutler’s career stats: 62.5% completion percentage, 243.89 yds/game, 1.46 TDs/game, 1.0 INT/gm, 87.1 QB Rating
Grossman: 54.2% completions, 171.22 yds/gm, 0.92 TDs/gm, 0.97 INTs/gm, 70.2 QB Rating
They aren’t even close.
Am I the only one who thinks that Orton could be awesome this year? The guys has skills and hasn’t had anyone to throw to. Now he goes to a team with a multitude of offensive weapons. I think he will actually have a great year. The Broncos fleeced the Bears and can use those extra pics for more D help. Look out for the Broncos this year it seems.
As for the Browns, anyone know why we haven’t contacted Torry Holt?
The Plain Dealer is still reporting a Cutler deal even after he went to the Bears as a ploy to release Browns news and take away from the better teams in Cleveland. Lol sorry but that’s all the Browns writers do now.