My analysis of the Jay Cutler trade

Who got the better end of the Jay Cutler trade? That is the question the many people have been asking the last few days. My answer is both but in different ways. The Bears got the better end as far as immediate future and the Broncos got the better for the long term. But I think to fully understand the analysis we must first look and why this trade transpired and what was exchanged between the two teams.

Jay Cutler became disgruntled after new coach Josh McDaniels listened to a prospective trade that would have brought Matt Cassel, who McDaniels coached during his time with the New England Patriots, to Denver and sent Cutler to Tampa Bay. After two face-to-face meetings between Cutler and McDaniels the situation did not improve. In the words of Broncos owner Pat Bowlen in a recent letter the situation unfolded as follows:

"One of my directives to Josh McDaniels upon his hiring was that he consider everything possible to return the Broncos to the level which you and I both expect, and this certainly includes making a fair evaluation of every opportunity presented to us which might improve the team. He and General Manager Brian Xanders have had my complete support throughout, and they have it now. It is important that you know that at all times we represented ourselves to Jay with honesty and integrity."

"I assure you both Josh and I made repeated attempts to reach out to Jay, and I can not speak for him as to why he chose to limit his response. Ultimately, given his unwillingness to speak with either of us directly in the last 12 days- at the same time his agent clearly stating to us Jay's intentions- it became very apparent to me personally that he no longer wanted to play for the Denver Broncos. As such, we elected to trade him."

So now that we have examined what took place to cause the trade now lets focus on the trade itself. The Chicago Bears acquired quarterback Jay Cutler along with a fifth-round pick (104th overall) in 2009 and gave up quarterback Kyle Orton and first-round picks in 2009 (18th overall) and 2010, along with a third-round pick (84th overall) in 2009.

Now for the trade analysis:

The Bears gained two things the first is a nominal fifth-round pick (104th overall) in this years draft this pick in and of itself is basically meaningless. The second and major piece quarterback Jay Cutler. In Cutler the Bears "get a young Pro Bowler with a chip on his shoulder, [who] could invigorate a franchise that hasn't had a standout signal-caller since Jim McMahon." (Steve Wyche: Can't put price on success, nfl.com) So looking at the present the Bears seem to have gotten a great player even though it came at a great price. However Cutler has his share of baggage and issues and although a Pro Bowl QB his has a record of 17-20. He suffers from Diabetes and is dependent on insulin to control his blood sugar levels. To this point in his career the disease has not caused any on field issues but a recent report by Fox 31 in Denver stated the following from an anonymous source "Two things that kept coming up were concerns about Cutler's alcohol consumption (given his diabetes) and "that's he not that (football) sharp." This is an alarming antidote for a quarterback who is now seen as the corner stone of a Bears franchise that has been long over due for solid QB play and raises some questions. How long can Cutler continue to play at a Pro Bowl level? How long until the Diabetes and Alcohol catch up to him? And what health issues will arise? Can Cutler survive the media and fan pressures that he will encounter in Chicago? The answers to these questions remain to be seen but the present situation for the Bears is brighter than ever.

The Broncos gained four major pieces from this trade. A 2010 first-round pick which may be traded or possibly held until next year. A first-round pick in 2009 (18th overall) and a third-round pick (84th overall) in 2009 both of which have the potential to have immediate impact. These picks give the Broncos a total of eleven picks in the draft with five of those being day one picks which are in the top 84 picks. Only the New England Patriots have more day one picks. The Broncos may use these picks themselves or potentially trade up to get a player they may want such as Mark Sanchez or trade down for more picks to stockpile players to help a horrendous defense. The final piece the Broncos received is QB Kyle Orton who has a 22-11 Senior Writer Steve Wyche, "Kyle Orton is a viable starter and, although he will compete with Chris Simms for the No. 1 job, he has the reputation of a foxhole-type leader teammates rally around, a trait Cutler had to some degree but supposedly was losing over the past few weeks with his trade demand." This allows the Broncos to use their picks to rebuild a defense that was much maligned last year and give Orton an opportunity to continue growing as an NFL quarterback. If he can stay healthy he may very well lead the Broncos back to the playoffs after a three year absence. I the long term the Broncos have gotten rid of a disgruntled quarterback that never seemed to "get it" in Denver and have set themselves up for long term success.