My favorite kind of trade in sports is the win-win deal. I love trades in general because they make things exciting, and the more teams get ripped off, the less inclined they are to deal. One of the best for instance, was the Red Sox/Marlins Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell for Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez trade. Boston got a World Series, Florida got potentially the best position player in the game. Win-win. I think the Jay Cutler to the Bears deal could be one of those win-win deals. The Broncos got the problem that is the whining baby of Jay Cutler off their hands. In return, they got back Kyle Orton who can be a serviceable starter for two years until they find someone they think will be the long-term solution. To try and find that long-term answer, they’ll have four first-round picks over the next two drafts, plus an extra third rounder this year. Think about all the damage the Broncos can do with that. With two first-round picks in this year’s draft alone, they can shore up their crappy defense with a top-notch lineman and maybe another cover guy.
While the Bears are giving up a lot, enough to allow the Broncos to conceivably rebuild nicely, they are getting a valuable commodity — a franchise quarterback. Jay Cutler’s talent is undeniable — the guy has a cannon arm. I don’t think he has the goods mentally to be a consistent winner and he threw too many questionable picks for my taste last year, but at least he has proven he can play at this level. The Bears are finally getting a quarterback they can be excited about, one they know can throw for 300-yards in a game. It’s about time Chicago had a passing threat under center. I’m not saying that Cutler’s the greatest, I’m just saying he’s enough to get the city psyched up, much more so than Orton or Sex Grossman ever could.
While I do call the trade win-win, I could very easily see it being lose-lose. The Broncos could easily strike out with their four first-rounders over the next two years (only a GM like A.J. Smith would hit a grand slam). Cutler for all we know could have a mental meltdown, continue throwing interceptions, and demand to be traded after a year or two. That all remains to be seen. But for now, I think both teams came out ahead in the trade.
A few extra points on the trade: how bad does Jerry Jones now look for giving up a first, third, and fifth-round pick just for Roy Williams when almost the same package netted Cutler? Will Jason Campbell react to his name being thrown around in trade rumors the way Cutler did? (No, he’s not that immature). And lastly, it bothers me that everyone keeps referring to Cutler as a Pro Bowl quarterback. Cutler was only there because the team starting off 3-0 with him setting the world on fire. Philip Rivers was the guy who should have been voted in to begin with, no doubt about it.
