NFL.com: Broncos, Bears agree on deal for Cutler

Chris · Status: Offline

RE: NFL.com: Broncos, Bears agree on deal for Cutler

B&G · Status: Offline

I have mixed feelings about the way the trade worked out.

While I absolutely admire Jason Campbell the person, I remain convinced he is not the franchise quarterback for whom we've been searching for all these years. Jason will handle this just fine so long as his already fragile confidence is not affected by these goings on. We'll have to trust that Coach Zorn will address that aspect early and often ( he already seems to have started that process).

Yes, the Bear's compensation for Cutler was high but can you really put a value on acquiring a 25 year old franchise QB for your team? I don't think so.

Even so, part of me is relieved we didn't mortgage our future and so can further build our team at the end of the month. But, truthfully, the thought of losing Cutler still depresses me a bit and may put us back to square one in the QB department after this season. My greatest hope is that Colt Brennan turns out to be what his cult claims he is so that we don't have address this in the draft.

-- Edited by B&G on Friday 3rd of April 2009 10:05:39 AM

Dan T. · Status: Offline

Chris wrote:

Agreed, Dan.

I don't think that Jason could have possibly handled such an obviously difficult situation any better.

Now that doesn't necessarily equate to improved production on the field, but it certainly makes me feel comfortable to pull for him, as a man, to succeed.

Here is another excerpt, from Redskins Insider, that added to my admiration:

Campbell spoke to Mike Wilbon as well as Jason Reid about the situation and his pockets are decidedly straight.
While Snyder and Cerrato signaled to everybody that they didn't think Campbell was good enough for them, you know what he did? "I still went and worked out," he said. "My teammates said, 'Jason, why are you here?' And I told them: 'I'm still the quarterback of this team until they get rid of me. You haven't seen the best of me. I'm not here for ownership. I won't miss days working out with you, and I won't miss time preparing for the season. Who knows? A trade may not work out.' "
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/new-day-new-thread-to.html?wprss=redskinsinsider

The contrast with how Cutler handled things is stark, and leads me to think that in the long run, it's better off for the team that this trade didn't happen.

Om · Status: Offline

Another layer this episode has added is what it could very well end up putting into Campbell's mind should he have a huge year in 2009.

It's hardly out of the question. There's every reason to expect that if nothing else, we'll get the best Jason Campbell we've seen yet this season. Fifth year in the league, third year as starter, second year in the system, overall improvement of the players around him given the second year in the system, contributions from the 3 sophomore WR/TE's, Zorn's progression/improvement with a year under his belt, etc.

If Jason comes out and plays like we all hope he can, and some of us still cling to the (if fading) belief he can, and ends up in the Pro Bowl ... he's going to hold all the cards when it comes to his next contract.

With this Cutler romance, the team has only added to the feeling JC surely has by now that they really don't believe he's the long-term solution. If they did, they'd have never let him head into his contract year w/o a new deal. Now add to that they reportedly were seriously shopping him around ...

Tell you what, if it was me in his shoes right now, in my private moments I can definitely see myself thinking, "I'm going to light it up this year, take the high road in public, build up all kinds of good will in the locker room and this town ... and then I'm going to shove it in their faces when they try to lowball me next January."

Just sayin'. The better he does this year, the more it's going to cost the Skins next. If he does well enough, we may not be able to afford him and be right back to square one.

Sorry. Happy thought for the day. anonymous

Neophyte · Status: Offline

He would hold all the cards except for one, Om. He will not be a Free Agent. Without a CBA he will need 6 years in the league to be a FA so will only be a RFA. Granted, that is better than nothing but the Skins will have right of refusal or compensation for him. Of course, that won't stop a team from stepping up and offering big money if Jason blows the roof off this year and thus forcing the Skins hand. However, I think it will take a monster year for Jason personally coupled with a deep run into the playoff (NFC Championship at the least, I think) for that to happen.

Not that I would bitch about that, of course. :D

Chris · Status: Offline

Om wrote:

Tell you what, if it was me in his shoes right now, in my private moments I can definitely see myself thinking, "I'm going to light it up this year, take the high road in public, build up all kinds of good will in the locker room and this town ... and then I'm going to shove it in their faces when they try to lowball me next January."

You may be right.

I may be crazy.

But, Jason Campbell doesn't seem like that type to me.

Besides, I'd rather pay a higher price based on proven performance than take a gamble on saving some cash by trying to time the market.

Om · Status: Offline

Huh, no multi-quote. Who's running this bull**** board, anyway?

Neo,

So noted. Should have mentioned that aspect. I also agree that for JC to really hold the team up, he'd have to turn in a championship-type season. But even "just" a Pro Bowl-level performance on a team that falls a game or two short of that will be enough for him to be in the driver's seat insofar as the money. And given the price teams are clearly willing to pay young veteran QB's who have shown they can pay ...

Chris,

You may be right. JC does come across as a very cool customer. That said, still waters run deep. You just never know what might be in his head and heart when he's alone with his thoughts at night. He'd have to be a far better man than I not to have even a little bit of serious PO-ffedness lurking in his cranial shadows. Which of course isn't saying much, but you get my drift.

All things considered though, what we're talking about here IS the best possible scenario for us as fans, because it means the man will have played his ass off this year, and we'll actually have a GOOD problem at the QB position to worry about for a change.

Neophyte · Status: Offline

Om wrote:

Neo,

So noted. Should have mentioned that aspect. I also agree that for JC to really hold the team up, he'd have to turn in a championship-type season. But even "just" a Pro Bowl-level performance on a team that falls a game or two short of that will be enough for him to be in the driver's seat insofar as the money. And given the price teams are clearly willing to pay young veteran QB's who have shown they can pay ...

The Pro Bowl thing is also a good point. I have pretty much written off Pro Bowls as meaning anything anymore but they are still a huge bargaining chip in contract negotiations so you are likely right on the money with that.

Of course, all this assumes that the Skins will pay Jason even if he performs. Recent history on this point seems to indicate that the team does not like pay their own at the end of a contract. I can't think of a single player in the last few years to get real money of the Skins after playing out a contract. They offer great money to guys from other teams and our guys who they need to renegotiate for cap reasons but our own FAs don't seem to rate. Thinking of Dockery, Smoot and Pierce here.

Riggo-toni · Status: Offline

On a side note, I'd like to go on record here and say this: This trade will cost both McDaniels and Lovie Smith their jobs. The Broncos will be better off in the long run, for sure, but they won't reap the on-field benefits of those draft picks for 2 to 3 years. If the donkeys go 4-12 this year and 5-11 next (a very likely possibility, imo), McDaniels will get curbed before reaping the rewards. Likewise, Cutler is gonna flounder badly in Chicago, with a putrid receiving corp and lousy OL, and no high picks to fill those spots. Add in that the defense isn't quite what it used to be and teams have really found ways to exploit the Tampa-2 defense, and I see the Bears going down the tubes as well.