Well, that didn't take long.
One week after saying that Jay Cutler wouldn't be traded, the Denver Broncos have announced that their QB is on the block.
There need to be some real questions about Jay Cutler's maturity and attitude. I can't stress this enough. He is not the first player who has been subject to trade rumors or even the first player to have been traded. His reaction to the non-trade is remarkable. Refusing to even talk with the team after they tried to make amends can only hurt his trade value anyway. If he really wanted out it would have been better to at least not look like such a crybaby.
As for the Jets, they really have to avoid any of the media and populist fan pressure to get Cutler and just stick to their plan. They have a first year head coach and need to avoid the temptation for a big arm. We know Cutler can throw, and he is certainly more talented than the current QB's, but does he really fit into the system the Jets are trying to build? The Jets currently have dispensed with last year's #1 receiver and their top RB is holding out from voluntary workouts due to unhappiness with his contract. Cutler is also going to come at a big price. I'd rather they concentrate on keeping Jones around, keeping their draft picks and adding at a number of positions. After all, TO is more talented than the Jets WR's and they didn't pursue him. The same principle should apply with Cutler.
I hope they learn from last year when they abandoned their off-season plan and added a talented but risk-taking QB. Things didn't mesh well. Let's not forget that Kerry Rhodes has said on numerous occasions he doesn't like Cutler. There are good vibes for the Rex Ryan era right now, let's not ruin it.
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8 comments:
OK, granted that I'm not exactly invested in the Jets being successful...but here goes.
I'm not sold on Jay Cutler either. Yes, he has totally overreacted and shows a lack of maturity. He has come off very unlikable, and I wouldn't want to invest too much in him at this point. But what exactly is the plan that the Jets are sticking to? The 3-way competition between....ah hell, I don't even remember their names.
I'm not sure the Jets shouldn't take a shot at Cutler. If anything, his stock is pretty low right now. Yes, he has handled this poorly, but let's not forget that he's pretty young. Over the next five years, do you think it's more likely that Cutler matures or that Kellen Clemens becomes a good QB?
I think the most troubling thing for Jets fans is that the Patriots totally owned him last year with an average defense.
The Jets have been determined to build a run-first, conservative, no turnover offense. While it's clear the three guys they have at QB are far worse than Cutler, a trade is still not the solution. Cutler has a big arm, is as much of a risk-taker as Favre and isn't in this mode. Add in the fact that other players don't like him, and if they take a chance on him, it's not like Brett Favre who instantly had respect and was only likely to be around 1-2 years anyway. I'd rather they even take some chances in the draft.
I don't disagree with not wanting Cutler. I do take some issue with using the run-first, conservative offensive approach. That kind of attack can only get you so far. Jets' priority should be getting a solid QB.
I think Cutler going to the Redskins would be the perfect fit, actually. They love to overpay overhyped players.
What the Jets want is to re-create a Baltimore-style defense, and they feel they don't need the best QB out there on the offense side, but rather one who will just allow them to continue to control the ball. I'm content with them trying to at least build the foundation for that now and see what they actually have at QB.
They also have a lot of needs and Cutler is going to be costly (at least a 1st round pick and reasonably talented player).
I agree that any contending team these days needs to have a strong QB and a good WR but they invested a 2nd round pick in Clemens a while back, they might as well see if they have anything with him this year.
Rumor is ILB David Harris is a possible trade option. Will Harris get upset about these rumors and refuse to talk with the team?
They picked up Clemens nearly 3 years ago. If he was a realistic option, it should have been apparent to the Jets staff by now. To me, it's clear that the time to "see what they've got in Clemens" has passed.
I think the past 5 years has shown us two things: you have to have a great QB to contend, and it's very difficult to acquire a good QB, much less a great one. It seems foolish to dismiss this opportunity because of a well-publicized tantrum. After all, no one seems to remember now that both John Elway and Eli Manning essentially forced their way out of the teams that tried to draft them, and things worked out pretty well for the Broncos and Giants.
Clemens and Cutler were actually picked up in the same draft.
Clemens has played half a season. In that season, Pennington got injured early and the team had no offensive line. They may have gone with him in the season last year had Favre not come along.
I would not compare the Cutler incident to Eli Manning or John Elway either - they didn't want to play for the teams that drafted them. A big difference from being upset about a possible (but nonexistent) trade. Frankly, I find Cutler's position and attitude on this one impossible to defend.
Not much different from how I feel:
http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/the-case-against-cutler-as-a-jet/
Is there any reason to think that Clemens can be an above average QB at this point? He's been around for 3 years, and his coaches are constantly looking for something better.
I don't defend Cutler's actions, but I'm not convinced his attitude renders him a player not worth having. My point with the Manning/Elway comparison is that winning and talent will justify this entire mess.
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