All Hail “The Game-Changer”: Blue Jackets Nip Preds; Maintain Sixth Place
April 1, 2009Report: Donte Stallworth to Face DUI Manslaughter
April 1, 2009Sometimes the Browns talk around here gets a little silly, I will admit. While I am not going to participate in a moratorium, I can’t help but take some of the over-coverage of the Browns this off-season to heart. As a result, I will try not to go too long on this whole thing, but I just can’t understand why the Browns would want Jay Cutler. It flies in the face of pretty much everything we have heard so far in terms of Mangini wanting guys who are all about team. That was at least partially the reason that they traded Kellen Winslow. So why would they bring in a guy who has babied and whined his way out of Denver because of the new head coach and front office?
I don’t think the Browns would bring Cutler in because of those things. Mangini wants a leader for the QB spot on his team. He needs someone that leads the offensive huddle and leads by example on the practice field and in the weight room. At least that is what we have all been led to believe. While Cutler does have some talent on the field throwing the ball, can anyone say he is a leader of men? Can you say that after the act he has put on this off-season? I was partially critical of Shaun Rogers for his part in the spat with Mangini, so I can’t just look past the histrionics and high school garbage that has taken place in Denver so far this year.
What I think might be happening here is just the continuation of Mangini’s QB strategy. Right there with the announcement that this year would be an open competition, Mangini is continuing to make the league aware that he could go any direction he wants with either of the two QBs on the roster. Oh yeah, and that includes trading one of them to Denver for Jay Cutler. But not really. I think that is the perception he wants to put out there to keep people on their toes when inquiring about either of the Browns’ QBs. At the end of the day, though, I wouldn’t expect the Browns to truly entertain the idea of Jay Cutler as their QB.
24 Comments
i dont think anyone is expecting the browns to trade for cutler. i think a real possibility is a three team deal involving the browns sending one of their two qbs (preferably anderson) to denver. the browns would receive draft picks from the third team in the deal who would receive cutler. the jets would certainly fit the bill to be that third team.
The Browns’ role in this scenario is as a three-way trading partner. Cleveland can provide a starting caliber QB without receiving one in return. This allows teams with crappy QBs to jump in the Cutler sweepstakes. Cleveland would most likely get some assortment of picks in return.
Great points Craig – i’ll add one thing:
The thing that’s been driving a lot of this is McDaniel’s desire to run the New England Offense that Quinn ran at Notre Dame…That’s the SAME basic offense Cleveland is going to run under the new coaching staff.
If McDaniel’s isnt’ sold on Cutler cause he isn’t a great fit for that offense, why would we want him?
And if Quinn is such a good fit for McDaniel’s offense, why wouldn’t we keep him for our own??
I don’t know if I’d lump Cutler in with the me-first guys like Winslow.
Cutler is upset how McDaniels treated him. I can somewhat see how Cutler is being perceived as a baby and that is an issue, but how would you perform at work if your boss tried to fill your position with someone else. Would you want to go into work day after day knowing that? Do you still believe in your company or the actual work you’re doing? Maybe, but you do know you hate your boss.
The Browns don’t know what they have with Quinn or Anderson, thus the reason for the QB battle. They do know what they would be getting in Cutler — on and off the field and for better or worse. Let’s face it, there’s been a lot of “worse” at the QB position for a while here in Cleveland.
This is going to have major ramifications for the career trajectories of Syndric Steptoe and David Patten, otherwise known as our #2 and #3 receivers respectively.
Can we please not try to relate Cutler’s situation in Denver to an everyday office job. It’s an utterly absurd comparison for more reasons than I care to list. He had two options when he heard his name in trade talks: take it as a challenge or put on a diaper. He chose the latter unfortunately.
Ultimately, D.A. can go, B.Q. mustn’t.
To echo what Mike and Brian said, we’re in this as the third party facilitator. I love how Yahoo and all these other folks think we’re actually trying to get Cutler, dude is definitely not the type of player Mangini is going after. I understand having sand in your V because the team tested trade waters for a QB that the new Head Coach knew well, but to stop talking to them all together is bush league. Again I think this goes back to Bus Cook, the man who orchestrated Favre’s last few years is leading Cutler down the same path, problem is he’s now Brett Favre.
The good news is now that the ownership has come out and said, needle boy is outta here, we should be in an even better bargaining position and should be able to reap many benefits if we are a part of a three way trade.
I guess I am alone in welcoming the possibility of Cutler being our QB with open arms. I think people get too sentimental about this crap. The simple truth is that DA is not a NFL qb, Quinn will never have a true NFL arm and Cutler is a proven qb with a cannon.
I would trade Quinn and a 3rd rounder for Cutler. Then ship DA out to replace the 3rd rounder. Then go primarily Defense in the draft and get a sleeper RB as well.
Culter seems to me to be a rich man’s Derek Anderson.
I’d trade Quinn or D.A. for Cutler in a heartbeat.
Cutler is a crybaby d-bag with a 17-20 career record… tell me again why we would want him? and don’t tell me about losing record b/c of surrounding cast in Denver b/c he’s coming to a worse surrounding cast in Cleveland!!
and i hope you’re right about a 3 way trade for picks getting rid of DA or Quinn. However, James Walker said there hasn’t been one in the NFL in like 10 years….
Cutler is better than any QB Cleveland has had since Brian Sipe, yes I’m throwing Bernie Kosar on that list. Now, I’m a young guy an may not appreciate Bernie the way some of you older guys do, but facts are facts. Cutler is already a pro bowl caliber QB and if we can get a pick and Cutler for someone like DA or Brady??????? Why not??????
That being said, we aren’t trading for him we’re just the middle man who benefits from how Mankok has played their hands. Looks like their smarter than everyone thought huh? (RandyOSU?)
Viva La Mankok
Why would it make sense? Bringing someone good to the Browns never makes sense. If Browns had a superstar QB that performed, I think I’d lose my mind.
I am one of the people thinking it will be a three way deal if the browns get involved, most likely sending Quinn to Denver. The way I see it, it doesnt have to be a traditional 3 way trade, but more so, Denver trading their 2nd pick to the browns for Quinn, then trading Cutler for a player and picks to another team. I think Mangini and Kokinis like DA right now, and would be up for getting another 2nd round pick. I say they like DA because they both came from teams with big armed QBs, and maybe they think DA can be coached (I wont argue that today).
If Cutler would come here though, I would like that too. To point to his record and say he isnt good, I would say to look at the first 3 seasons of Many QBs in the NFL and tell me what they are (Im 99.9% positive all are pretty close to 500). Also, the D in Denver was god awful last year (we scored something like 27 points against them), so Cutler could have been weighed down by that.
Bobby, I agree on a lot of what you say. I would like to see us get at least a 2nd for one of our two qb’s.
I don’t think we are going to get Cutler and I’m glad b/c I don’t like him. He didn’t win in college either. Denver defense did suck and Vanderbilt is in a tough conference and never wins. However, at some point, I’m tired of excuses, win more games than you lose. Plummer had 4 playoffs seasons in a row and then Cutler had 0 winning seasons out of 3. Look at Cutler’s stats and show me something other than completion percentage that tells me he’s anything more than a rich man’s DA.
I am with Kevin on this one. Someone rumored a three way deal on the Internets and all of a sudden people actually think it is a possibility? This ain’t the NBA folks. Danny Ferry isn’t walking through that door.
Three way deals don’t really go down in the NFL. So, all that speculation concerning a three way deal is unrealistic until proven otherwise.
My only point was that Cutler doesn’t really fit the mold of what Eric Mangini has at least intimated that he is looking for in a football player. He doesn’t appear to be a natural leader. He appears to let himself come before the team. The only reason the Browns haven’t eliminated themselves from the talk with a quote is because it is in their best interest to be considered unpredictable in relation to the QB position due to their two QBs under contract.
If Cutler can help us win games, he’s Mangini’s type of player. Last I checked, we still have Braylon Edwards and his cry-baby antics. The reason he’s still around is nobody’s given us more than his value, and he’ll help us win games.
Now, I don’t think we’ll end up with Cutler. Cutler is a young stud, it’s not his fault Denver’s defense has been heinous. That would be like blaming Kosar for letting Elway do the drive… makes no sense.
Don’t focus too hard on Cutler’s record as a starting QB. Football is the ultimate team sport it’s beyond ridiculous to point to that as a reason not to get him. I would love to have him, especially for DA or BQ, both not as good or proven QBs.
Also, if you still want to focus on record, here’s a little tid bit to how Cutler does in games when the Defense remotely shows up: He has 1 career loss when the Broncos give up 21 or less. The one loss? An overtime game in which the Packers got the ball first and scored.
@ biff, hilarious.
for what its worth, on sportscenter tonight they ran a list of the 8 teams they (or one of their talking heads) think are in the running to make some sort of deal for cutler and cleveland was not one of them.
at #4:
“The Browns don’t know what they have with Quinn or Anderson”
I’m pretty sure everyone knows what the Browns have with Anderson.
I blame martyball for the drive. Prevent sucks. I still think we need to see Quinn. DA is a John Kitna, just enough good games to break your heart when he throws 4 interceptions in a make or break. At least Kitna was considered a leader.
It’s too late now, but I liked trading DA to Detroit for Kitna to serve as a back-up mentor to Quinn. I live in Cincy now and Palmer was upset when the kitties let Kitna go.
Bottom line,
Whether Mangini/Kokinis was the duo that drafted Quinn, you simply cannot let the kid go after he’s only started two games in two seasons. You have got to find out what you have.
Despite being from Cleveland, I’m not someone who assumes Quinn is going to save the franchise or is all over him because he’s from Ohio; I just want a good, competent NFL QB that can win games and get this city into the playoffs.
Quinn might be that guy; don’t trade him before we find out.
[…] 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 […]