Jay Cutler - Would you do it?

[jrry32]

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/3608/jay-cutler

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports "teams certainly know" that Jay Cutler is available via trade.
With $10 million of Cutler's 2016 salary set to become guaranteed on Tuesday — Cutler's $15.5 million for 2015 is already locked in — the Bears are seeing if there's anyone willing to take on a quarterback who was benched for Jimmy Clausen last season. It's not completely outside the realm of a possibility — this is a league where Josh McCown will be starting in Week 1 — but it's a hope and a prayer for a team clearly tired of Cutler's act. Our guess is that the Bears won't be able to eat Cutler's 2015 salary whilst simultaneously leaving themselves without a quarterback, and will roll the dice on Smokin' Jay for the next two years.

It appears from the rumors that the Bears are willing to trade Jay Cutler. Would you trade for Cutler if it only cost us Sam Bradford straight up in a swap or only a late round pick?

Keep in mind that we can't afford both Cutler and Bradford. So trading for Cutler means no Sam.

Here's why I would do it
We need stability at the QB position as we have a team that is ready to contend except we keep being held back by injuries to Sam. Cutler might not bring consistency on the field but he brings stability at QB. While Cutler isn't the most durable QB in the NFL, he has only started less than 15 games twice in his eight years as a starter.

I realize that the Bears struggled mightily last year with Cutler despite having a ton of weapons but the Bears went about team building the wrong way. Cutler is not a guy you build a team around. He's a complementary piece at QB. The Bears treated Cutler as if he's a Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, etc. Rather than building up the defense and making Cutler the solid QB that can do enough to help them win, they built up the offense and made Cutler the centerpiece.

That's the worst thing you can do with a QB like Cutler. He's not an anchor like Shaun Hill, Austin Davis, Kellen Clemens, Chad Henne, Matt Cassel, etc. where he'll drag a team down and cause them to underachieve despite having playoff caliber talent.

But he's also not an elite QB that can elevate an average team into a playoff contender.

He's simply a middle of the pack QB like Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick or Matt Stafford. You don't build a team around a player like that. Instead, you build a strong defense and only ask that QB to be who he is...a solid player that can do enough for your offense that they will win.

Lovie Smith recognized that and had it right. After he hired Rod Marinhelli as DC, the Bears over those three years had a consistently good to great defensive unit. And how did they do under Cutler? They went 27-13 in games he started. That's the equivalent of an 11-5 season on average over three years. This is despite Cutler's weapons in the receiving game being mainly comprised of guys like Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett, and Devin Hester with a poor OL...although he did have Matt Forte at HB and one of those three years had Brandon Marshall.

Regardless, Cutler is a good enough QB that this team will contend with him if our defense plays at a top 5-10 level like it did last year. And if we fix the OL, Cutler might even surprise us as he never had a consistently good OL in Chicago. Regardless, I'm not going to count on Cutler being who he isn't...the simple truth is that Jay Cutler, even being who he is, is good enough for us to make the post-season. Once you make the post-season, anything can happen.

Now, Cutler's contract is a slight problem but not a huge one. If we swap him for Bradford, he'll only cost us $2.5 million more than what we save by trading Bradford. We can afford that. He will cost us $16 million in 2016 but we have plenty of cap room in 2016. Cutler's contract is here:
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/chicago-bears/jay-cutler/
(we only take on the base salary in 2015 and 2016...but it's basically fully guaranteed)

But what Cutler gives us is a solid QB for 2015 and 2016 AND buys us time to find our future QB. I'm sure I'm not the only one who isn't happy with this QB class after the top two QBs(some of you don't even like the top two QBs). By bringing Cutler into the fold, we allow ourselves to wait until next year instead of having to draft or trade for a QB this year. But if we bring Cutler into the fold, we have to stick with him for two years because he's basically guaranteed his salary in 2015 and 2016.

Regardless, I can accept that. Would be nice to draft a guy in 2016 and allow him to sit the 2016 season to develop.

There is one final thing I want to say on Cutler, I don't think Cutler is the "cancer" some people have claimed him to be. Cutler isn't a leader. That's not debatable. But he's also not a negative presence in the locker-room. He's just a guy. He comes in, does his job, and leaves. He's not going to inspire anyone but he's also not going to get anyone in trouble off the field or ruin locker-room chemistry. While I'd love to have a leader at QB, sometimes you have to make the best of a bad situation. Plus, a lot of people claim that Bradford isn't a vocal leader type either...don't know how true it is but that's what's been said.

While I feel very strongly that Sam will outplay Cutler if he stays healthy in 2015, we just can't keep waiting for Bradford to finally stay healthy. It'll kill me to see him stay healthy and succeed elsewhere because I know how good the kid can be but I can't take another year of backup QBs because Sam lands on IR. At some point, we have to make use of all the talent we accrued and we can't do that with our QBs on IR.

But I wanted to open this up to dialogue, I know we've discussed this before and there's a lot of mixed opinions. Some of you guys don't like Cutler and I don't blame you. I think it'll make for an interesting discussion during the dead period of the off-season. We all have strong opinions but I think we can keep this civil.

 

[Angry Ram]

Da Bears issues weren't all on Jay Cutler. It was mostly defense. It was historically bad.

I don't care about contracts, but yes I would like him to be our QB. Even if he is just a stop gap.

 

[-X-]

You already know I would. If Bradford was healthy, I absolutely wouldn't. But that's simply not the case. I feel like Bradford has twice as much poise and control over his emotions, but Cutler has twice the guts. I always watch Cutler when he plays and the Rams aren't on. He's intriguing to me for some reason. Not unlike all QBs, Cutler plays much better when he's confident and someone is feeding his ego. When people turn on him (as is often the case), his play tanks and it looks like he simply doesn't care. I don't think he'd succeed on a lot of teams, but I do think that Fisher could do wonders for him. That's a match that makes sense.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I said it before, I would take Cutler over an injured Bradford any day of the week. I agree with all of your reasoning on the subject Jrry.

BTW I wouldn't bring Brandon Marshall along. Cutler does best with new faces and new scenery. I often wonder if Marshall influences Jay, the wrong way.

 

[DR RAM]

Jay Cutler - Would you do it?

Would he bring his wife?







We had this debate before, and although I'm not a fan of his personally, he has talent; a change of scenery may do him well; what we would ask, might fit his game better; and name me a better backup in the league as Cutler? Yes. If he was a problem in the locker room, he wouldn't be around long.

 

[Ram_Rally]

There have been many stories as of late from bears players and coaches talking about cutler being insufferable and bad for the team. Two players said they didn't want to play for cutler anymore. Not only is he overpaid, but he's kind of an ass. No thanks

 

[Username]

I have a buddy who swears this is the answer to all our problems. Cutting Sam and just picking up Cutler. I honestly don't know if Jay gives a shit anymore or not. Seems like he got his payday, and the Bears fucked him over with the line so bad that he just gave up. Even when he is on top of his game, one thing that doesn't change is his turnover rate. For a team that wants to focus on defense, ball control, and the ground game, having him seems like a bad option because of that.

Truth be told, if we can't figure something out on the line, neither one may be good options at quarterback next year. As bad as I hate to say the cliche, we may need to pick up someone with the ability to run.

 

[DthOn2Legs]

There was talk the Bears would likely have to give up a draft pick for a team to take Cutler off their books. I'd do it for a 2nd.

 

[12intheBox]

Bradford for Marshall and Cutler might get me thinking.

 

[Ramrasta]

Personally, I think Bradford has more upside than Cutler so I would stick with Sam. If Bradford does manage to stay healthy, he already knows the offense and has proven his potential as a solid QB. Cutler is a gunslinger but he has a bad attitude, he will cost more than Bradford, he seems like he has lost interest in the game, and he makes careless decisions which put his defense in tight situations. Call me a fool but I still believe Bradford is our best option at QB this season (we still need to address the backup QB spot).

 

[jrry32]

Bradford for Marshall and Cutler might get me thinking.

That's too much salary for us to take back if we want to do anything with the OL in FA. Plus, as much as I like Marshall, I'd rather not have an aging WR mess with the development of Austin, Bailey, and Quick. Adding Marshall would give us too many mouths to feed at WR. Unless we let Britt walk.

I'm fine with drafting a supremely talented WR because they're young and have a future...Marshall is nearing the end of his career.

 

[12intheBox]

Bringing on Marshall would likely mean letting Britt walk - it seems Britt wants to test the FA market as it is - otherwise, he would be under contract by now.

 

[Dodgersrf]

If Bradford's camp won't renegotiate. Yes.
Only because there really aren't any other solid choices.
I'm not high on Cutler at all, but he's definitely the best of the worse.

I also agree a good defense would absolutely help him. Along with us not having to force a draft pick on a qb this year.

 

[ramfan46]

He relies on his arm strength too much and throws some ugly INTS. He also has poor awareness which leads to big hits and his injuries. I also don't like his overall demeanor during the game. He's tempting, but no.

 

[Blue and Gold]

There was talk the Bears would likely have to give up a draft pick for a team to take Cutler off their books. I'd do it for a 2nd.

Cutler is a tool, always was, always will be.

 

[jrry32]

Cutler is a tool, always was, always will be.

So is Roethlisberger. We can win with Cutler. And he's not going to tear apart our locker-room.

 

[Blue and Gold]

So is Roethlisberger. We can win with Cutler. And he's not going to tear apart our locker-room.

No in same league. Roeth was a criminal date-rapist. On the field he's a championship team player. Cutler is a tool ON the field.

 

[Blue and Gold]

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bea...r-coaches-doubt-bears-can-win-with-jay-cutler

Former coaches doubt Bears can win with Jay Cutler
March, 3, 2015
By Michael C. Wright | ESPN.com

At least 10 former Chicago Bears staffers from the Lovie Smith and Marc Trestman regimes said recently they believe the team can't consistently compete for championships as long as it fields a lineup with Jay Cutler under center.

That sentiment might explain why head coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace remain uncommitted to Cutler as the team's starting quarterback for 2015. Deciding whether to commit to Cutler has a time element. If Cutler is on the Bears' roster on March 12, $10 million of his 2016 salary is guaranteed.

Cutler declined comment through a team spokesman. His agent, Bus Cook, said questions about whether the Bears feel they can win with Cutler should be directed to the team.

Two teammates, who also asked to remain anonymous for this story, characterized Cutler as a divisive figure with whom they'd rather not continue to play.

In six years with the Bears, Cutler has gone through four offensive coordinators, two head coaches and a pair of general managers. Yet Cutler remains very much in play as the team's potential long-term solution at the position, in part, because of the seven-year, $126.7 million extension the quarterback signed in January 2014.

One more former staffer said the Bears could win with Cutler as long as the coaches handcuff him to the system.

[+] Enlarge
Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports"I don't think there's any question that there's ability and talent there," new Bears coach John Fox said recently of Cutler. "[But] there's a lot more that goes into it, and we're evaluating that as we speak."
But that's precisely what the staff did when Mike Martz served as offensive coordinator during the 2010 and '11 seasons, according to another former coach, and Cutler and Martz were often at odds.

Although Smith let Martz go after the 2011 season, there's no denying Cutler played some of his best football as a Bear during a six-game span that year in which he completed 60.7 percent of his throws for 1,359 yards and eight touchdowns with three interceptions for a passer rating of 91.3. Cutler led the Bears to a 5-1 record during that stretch before breaking his right thumb in a Nov. 20 win over the San Diego Chargers.

“We're going to take our time on this,” Pace said recently. “We really have until mid-March. We're going to maximize that time and make thorough decisions through this whole process.”

But video evaluation of Cutler may not prove as beneficial as speaking with teammates and perhaps his former coaches. Remember, Pace worked with former Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer in New Orleans, and it would come as a surprise if the new GM didn't pick Kromer's brain about Cutler. Kromer is the same coach who apologized during a team meeting for admitting he was an anonymous source in a story that characterized the Bears as harboring buyer's remorse for signing Cutler to the long-term contract. When the Bears cleaned house in December before Pace came on board, Kromer's contract was the only one terminated of all the assistants remaining on the staff.

“I don't think there's any question that there's ability and talent there,” Fox said recently of Cutler. “[But] there's a lot more that goes into it, and we're evaluating that as we speak.”

Despite Pace's and Fox's refusal to commit to Cutler publicly as the starter, it appears -- based on the staff they've set up -- the Bears are prepared to give the quarterback one last shot. The Bears hired two pro-Cutler coaches in offensive coordinator Adam Gase and quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains.

According to multiple sources, Cutler started to grow close to Gase after spending time with the former Broncos offensive coordinator at the wedding of former Bears quarterbacks coach Shane Day, a disciple of Martz. Cutler has wanted to work with Gase for a while, the sources said. Martz tried to hire Gase in 2010 as Chicago's quarterbacks coach, but Denver wouldn't allow him out of his contract, which led to the hiring of Day.

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Nam Y. HuhJay Cutler completed 66 percent of his passes last season and threw for 3,812 with 28 touchdowns and 18 interceptions on a Bears' team that finished 5-11.
Back in 2012, Cutler wanted Smith to hire Loggains, but he wasn't allowed out of his contract with the Tennessee Titans. Cutler and Loggains have a close personal relationship, according to a sources, and both the quarterback and coach have wanted to work with one another for quite some time.

It's unknown how Cutler and the new staff will get along if he's still on the roster in 2015, and one former coach said he believes it's time the organization stops catering to the quarterback until he delivers a return on the club's investment.

One staffer said that while Cutler was injured and Josh McCown was flourishing as the replacement in 2013, there was a significant faction in the locker room that believed the latter should've remained the starter. Another coach said that fairly early in the 2014 season, it was apparent the team had made two mistakes: (1) not re-signing McCown, and (2) continuing to stand behind Cutler after it was clear he was not going to consistently operate within the confines of Trestman's offense.

That same coach said he believed McCown gave the Bears a better chance to win than Cutler because he simply executed the scheme the way he was asked, without freelancing.

Pace and Fox met with McCown during the NFL combine, but there will be no reunion as McCown signed with the Cleveland Browns.

Some may view the disparaging remarks from Cutler's former coaches as sour grapes on the part of scorned staffers. Nobody on the current staff has told Cutler he's on the way out or that his tenure in Chicago is in jeopardy.

But every one of the former staffers interviewed from the Smith and Trestman regimes pointed out similar flaws in the quarterback. Two “R” words -- “renegade” and “rogue” -- were often used by the former staffers when asked about Cutler's ability to play within the confines of an offensive system.

They all also questioned Cutler's leadership abilities. One former staffer said McCown was the offense's leader in the locker room during his final season in Chicago, adding that for Cutler “it's just not him” to embrace such a role. The staffer said that Cutler doesn't have to be a leader for the team to succeed.

But it's difficult to ignore that the most successful teams in the NFL have strong leadership at the quarterback position.

"There's a lot of things outside of the building that I think are maybe a little misunderstood. When you get to know somebody, things are different when you get to talk face to face. So yeah, that's going on,” Pace said. “I know he's a very talented player, and again it's just getting to know him as a person and kind of how he ticks.”

 

[Dodgersrf]

No in same league. Roeth was a criminal date-rapist. On the field he's a championship team player. Cutler is a tool ON the field.

Completely agree.
But I'm fucking sick of losing.
I'd take a healthy Cutler for a couple of years. I don't want another season of Hill or any of the other FA qbs out there right now.

 

[jrry32]

No in same league. Roeth was a criminal date-rapist. On the field he's a championship team player. Cutler is a tool ON the field.

No, Roethlisberger is just a plain tool. Every single person that I know that met him remarked that he was a total asshole. Completely unlikable as a person. And the guy got torn apart early in his career for being lazy and not giving a shit.(poor work habits)

But when you win, people overlook your faults. Now, I'm sure he's matured some and works harder now but the people who met him recently still say he's a total asshole.