Should the Bears have Traded for Jay Cutler?
Ever since the news first broke back in early 2009, I’ve been a fan of the Jay Cutler Trade. At the time the team couldn’t have been more desperate for offensive talent to put along side Matt Forte, a desperation that now is hard to relate to with Marshall, Jeffery, and Bennett now on the team. But after a 3-4 start, (0-3) at home, and just a 1.42 career touchdown/interception ratio (ironically the same as Kyle Orton) it’s time to be realistic about Jay Cutler and the trade that brought him to Chicago. Eventually the talented quarterback must prove he’s worth three top draft picks and over $100 million dollars. In year six with the Bears I remain unimpressed.
A better part of a decade has past since Jay Cutler was traded and if record is any indication, the Broncos won the deal. After posting a (20-28) record in the first three years after the trade, Denver has gone on to win more games than any other team since 2011, compiling a (31-7) during that span thanks in small part to the arrival of Peyton Manning.
Chicago since trading for the then 25-year old quarterback has won one playoff game, recorded two winning seasons, and has a record barely above .500 (47-40, 16th best winning percentage in the NFL, despite recording only one losing season, 2009, 7-9). Jay Cutler was suppose to elevate the Bears to championship contention. Instead, the team appears stuck in the mud, unable to contend in the always competitive NFC North.
While it’s hard to evaluate a deal like this since the Broncos made a series of trades in the 2009 and 2010 drafts, the draft flexibility the Jay Cutler Trade allowed them cannot be understated. Peyton Manning certainly made this team into a top contender, but make no mistake, just because Robert Ayers turned out to be a bust doesn’t mean this deal didn’t help to pave the way.
For the Broncos, the value of the deal can be seen below as the team used Chicago’s draft picks, as well as their own 2008 third-round pick, 2009 second-round pick, and 2009 fourth-round pick to select Richard Quinn, Seth Olsen, Tim Tebow, Eric Decker, and Demaryius Thomas. Though only Demaryius Thomas remains on the team, without this trade, and without the flexibility over the next half-decade this trade allowed, in terms of future drafts, free agency, and personnel depth, Denver couldn’t be the offensive powerhouse it is today.
For the Bears, the team has moved forward in spite of the deal, signing guys like Martellus Bennett and Jermon Bushrod, trading for Brandon Marshall, and drafting Kyle Long and Alshon Jeffery. But with the defense in as bad as shape as it’s in, and the offensive line as bad as it was before Trestman, it’s becoming clear that maybe the deal wasn’t worth it for Chicago.
Maybe if Chicago keeps its pick and drafts Anthony Davis in 2009, the team doesn’t draft Gabe Carimi in 2011. Quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick were picked six and seven selections after Carimi in the 2011 NFL Draft and the Bears reportedly had interest in the latter. Obviously, this line of thinking is highly theoretical, I only mention it to illustrate the fact that Chicago could be an entirely different team had the Jay Cutler Trade never happened. With just the 16th best winning percentage in the league since trading for Cutler, it’s hard not to look back on the deal with regret.
Even former Team Captain, Brian Urlacher, who seems to have an opinion about everything, had some thoughts on the over-hyped quarterback. While I don’t like one of the best Chicago Bears of all-time bad-mouthing the team, his words ring somewhat true. A postgame scuttle in the locker room further shows a lack of leadership on the part of the 31- year old Team Captain. You would not see this kind of thing in the Broncos locker room as Denver sits in excellent position for the future.
Denver Broncos receive:
Kyle Orton
2008 first round selection (18, used to select Robert Ayers)
2008 third-round selection (84, traded to Pittsburgh, who selected Mike Wallace)
Pittsburgh traded second- and fourth round selctions (64, Richard Quinn, and Seth Olsen) to Denver for two third-round selections- (79th, Kraig Urbik, 84, Mike Wallace)
2009 First Round pick (11, Anthony Davis) traded to San Francisco for 2009 first-round (13) and fourth-round pick (113)
Traded Philadelphia first-round pick (13, Brandon Graham) for a first round selection (24, after all trades, Dez Bryant) and two third-round selections (70 and 87)
2009 Third round selection (70, Ed Dickson) used in part to trade for Tim Tebow (second, 43, third, 70, and fourth, 144, round pick traded for first round pick, 25, Tim Tebow)
2009 Third-round selection (87, used to draft Eric Decker)
Traded New England first round pick (24, Dez Bryant) and fourth-round selections (113, Aaron Henandez) for a 2009 first round pick (22, Demaryius Thomas)
Chicago Bears receive:
Jay Cutler
2009 fifth-round selection (140, Johnny Knox)