NFL The Jay Cutler Soap Opera

[Brasher]

In the 2006 season when the Bears made the SB, their leading receiver was Muhsin Muhammad with 60 receptions. Chicago is not your typical receiving team, they'll play close to the line, use their tight ends a lot and run on a 2:1 ratio.

I'd say Cutler only needs one big WR in Chi and he'll be OK.

As already said they are not the 2006 Bears.

They have huge holes at tackle which may cause their tight-ends to stay in and block more often, even Johnny Unitas had trouble completing passes whilst lying on his back. They may well be one big WR from contending but where is that guy coming from, they traded away the chance to draft a premier receiver this or next year.

 

[Brasher]

Actually thinking about it, just to piss Wiz off, they could always sign Boldin at the end of this year!

 

[Wizard]

Hows that going to work? He is signed for 2 more seasons still and they have no 1st roudners left?

 

[Nappies]

As already said they are not the 2006 Bears.

They have huge holes at tackle which may cause their tight-ends to stay in and block more often, even Johnny Unitas had trouble completing passes whilst lying on his back. They may well be one big WR from contending but where is that guy coming from, they traded away the chance to draft a premier receiver this or next year.

Never said they were the 06 Bears, I said they can be successful without a 100 catch receiver - as they showed in 2006. Yes the defence is average now, but you have to understand the way Chicago play is different. Orton ranked 26th in Yards Per Attempt last year, they go short-mid range most often.

http://profootball.scout.com/a.z?s=127&p=9&c=12&yr=2009&nid=83&lnid=124&rc=4&pid=16

Scout.com says there are 13 receivers rated 4 star and above, and it is the general consensus that 2009 Draft has a deep WR pool. They could potentially nab someone in 2nd-3rd round.

 

[Woodson]

Bears will be UNDER THE PUMP to perform now. Interesting how it all pans out. Broncos can start rebuilding their D and by 2012, be in with a one heck of a SB run. I think the Bears gave away too much. Play-off berth this season would be the only savior to save any blushes. Who knows, Cutler might be the next Eli.. take his team to the big dance when nobody gave him a chance.

Bears are a 41-1 shot atm. Excellent value.

 

[Brasher]

Never said they were the 06 Bears, I said they can be successful without a 100 catch receiver - as they showed in 2006. Yes the defence is average now, but you have to understand the way Chicago play is different. Orton ranked 26th in Yards Per Attempt last year, they go short-mid range most often.

http://profootball.scout.com/a.z?s=127&p=9&c=12&yr=2009&nid=83&lnid=124&rc=4&pid=16

Scout.com says there are 13 receivers rated 4 star and above, and it is the general consensus that 2009 Draft has a deep WR pool. They could potentially nab someone in 2nd-3rd round.

I think the Bears can find a WR in the second round but stats can be deceiving. Are Orton's stats a result of no one from the Bears being able to get open deep?

This actually raises another question for me...if the Bears are an intermediate passing team is Cutler the right QB for them?

 

[Brasher]

Hows that going to work? He is signed for 2 more seasons still and they have no 1st roudners left?

My bad, Wiz....I just want him out of our Division!

 

[redragger]

Ecstatic with the deal we got on this one. Orton may not be a 'franchise' QB, but I doubt we'll go after a QB in the draft. Nicely placed in the middle of the first to pick up a pass rusher and a corner...

 

[Nappies]

Are Orton's stats a result of no one from the Bears being able to get open deep?

Possibly, but to illustrate - Bears QBs vs Packers QBs since 2002. Same division, same sort of weather conditions, different philosophy.

Note - only Bears WR to have 1000 yards since 2002 was Marty Booker in 2002. Packers have had only one season without a 1000 yard receiver since 2002, which was 2003.

Bears
2002 - Jim Miller 6.1 YPA
2003 - Kordell Steward 5.6 YPA
2004 - Chad Hutchinson 5.6 YPA
2005 - Randy Orton 5.0 YPA
2006 - Rex Grossman 6.6 YPA
2007 - Rex Grossman 6.8 YPA
2008 - Randy Orton 6.5 YPA

Packers
2002 - Brett Favre 6.6 YPA
2003 - Brett Favre 7.1 YPA
2004 - Brett Favre 7.5 YPA
2005 - Brett Favre 6.3 YPA
2006 - Brett Favre 6.3 YPA
2007 - Brett Favre 7.7 YPA
2008 - Aaron Rodgers 7.5 YPA

Granted the fact the Bears have had 5 different QBs in 7 years is a factor, and Favre's slingshot arm, but I think the point is Chi have been reasonably successful without a dominant WR for quite some time. Now they have a guy who at 25, they can build a more versatile passing game around for the next 10 years.

 

[haterade]

The important question out of all this is, how does this affect Forte's fantasy value? On the one hand, he'll certainly get less carries, but on the other, the passing threat will open up more holes.

 

[Dagless]

rofl. of course thats the IMPORTANT question

He had, what, 60 receptions for 500 yards? Se he is qual out of the backfield, AND he has less stacked boxes and more running room

Win-win

 

[jonesy86]

Broncos got a better deal than I thought they would.

Hopefully they can leave the past couple of months behind them and move on.

 

[Brasher]

Thanks for the research effort Nap.....

Hard to compare any teams' QB YPA against Favre because of the way he played (never in his mind a doubt that the ball needed to be thrown as his all-time intercept record shows).

What maybe more interesting a stat to compare is yards per completion.

Successful Bears football in recent times has revolved around their defense, unreal special teams and a semblance of a running game. Cutler wont be the difference maker in Chicago this year for the reason you have already highlighted, strong QB play is not the factor behind Bears success.

The questions at tackle and WR only add to this....having said that, I feel one current Bears no name WR will benefit some fantasy league owner big time this year.

 

[Brasher]

The important question out of all this is, how does this affect Forte's fantasy value? On the one hand, he'll certainly get less carries, but on the other, the passing threat will open up more holes.

rofl. of course thats the IMPORTANT question

He had, what, 60 receptions for 500 yards? Se he is qual out of the backfield, AND he has less stacked boxes and more running room

Win-win

Brashers Bailjumpers ain't complaining.

 

[redragger]

Just from doing a quick read-a-round, scribes are saying the Bears have won out on this one.

Now consider the fact that the Broncos were going to give Cutler straight up for Cassel! Tampa would have received Cutler for ONE 1st rounder. Now that's a bargain....

 

[Nappies]

What maybe more interesting a stat to compare is yards per completion.

I'll have a look at this this arvo.

Off ESPN.com:

Just got off the phone with personnel analyst Matt Williamson of Scouts, Inc., who expressed a few fair reservations about Jay Cutler's gunslinger mentality. But overall, Williamson said Chicago "dramatically improved" its offense by acquiring Cutler from Denver and added:

"The Bears are probably the team to beat in their division. If I had to pick right now, I would pick them to win the North, where I wouldn't have yesterday. So I think that speaks to the significance of this trade."
​

On the most basic level, Williamson said Cutler more than fits the profile of an ideal Chicago quarterback that plays at least eight games a year at Soldier Field:

"You need a big, strong-armed guy to cut through the wind and the elements. I know it sounds simple, but the average fan tends to overlook that. Whenever you're shopping for a quarterback to play in Chicago, New York, Cleveland or somewhere like that, you better have a cannon and throw a spiral that can cut the wind. Cutler can do that in a big way. The defense has to guard the whole field, and that hasn't always been the case in the past 10 years or so in Chicago. Arm strength like that can make a lot of other problems go away."
​

Williamson also predicted Cutler could make a significant player out of receiver Earl Bennett, who did not catch a pass last season but has been penciled in as a starter for 2009. (The Bears no longer having a 2009 draft choice further reduces the possibility they'll be able to draft a receiver who can step into the starting lineup right away.)

 

[Dagless]

Just from doing a quick read-a-round, scribes are saying the Bears have won out on this one.

Now consider the fact that the Broncos were going to give Cutler straight up for Cassel! Tampa would have received Cutler for ONE 1st rounder. Now that's a bargain....

Trade for tradw wise I don't think the Bears won, but really, they did win with the point of the trade... They are the better team for the trade than the Broncos, who still don't have a good RB to lead the way, and a QB who 1) isn't the type to win you too many games and 2) was shit for most of the end of last year. I can't foresee a trade to the Broncs making him better either.

Of course, Marshall will change things up a bit, still...

 

[Dagless]

On Bennett, he is a quality reciever with all the necessary tangibles to be elite in the game. Last year he was chagning into a new program, on the outer as a rookie, and needed to learn, but he is one I would bank on to make the best out of this situation...

Well I hope

 

[Riggy1]

good trade. I need Hester in fantasy league now, let him get behind the secondary and use Cutlers strong arm to advantage

 

[coachnoodles]

As a bears man i am pumped about this signing. Only 1 pro bowl appearance by a Bears QB in 40 odd years. Hopefully that run will end during Cutlers tenure. The stat i like the most is that Culter is 13-1 in games where Denver's D kept teams to 21 or less. Bodes well for the Bears i think. Also the addition of Pace and Schaffer will boost an era of weakness in the O-line.

I think we still take a WR in the 2nd Rd. Maybe Hakeem Nicks although he may well be gone by then. Only time will tell but it think the Bears are a big show to get to the NFC championship game this year.

 

[Sven]

The Bears are in desperate need of a left tackle and now have no 1st round picks for 2 years. I hope Cutler doesn't mind a bit a sack action every now and then....

 

[matt_897]

Broncos defiantely got more than i thought they would after all of this, even though they are stuck with Orton now, to get that QB in return helps.

Cutler and the Bears will be interesting to see how they go next season. Cutler obivously needs to do well.

 

[coachnoodles]

The Bears are in desperate need of a left tackle and now have no 1st round picks for 2 years. I hope Cutler doesn't mind a bit a sack action every now and then....

Chris Williams (last years 1st rounder) Orlando Pace and Kevin Schaffer is a pretty solid tackle rotation i would have thought. If anything they are better pass blockers than run blockers so i think we will be fine there barring a rash of injuries (which is possible given the recent history of Pace and Williams).

 

[camsmith]

I sense you OWN a Cutler guernsey?? Nothing wrong with that btw.. I had to go thru the same circumstance with near future HOFer, Rod Woodson .

Nah I dont, would have liked one though. I still wish him well with the Bears... I dont hate him like some Bronco supporters obviously do, or will.

Ecstatic with the deal we got on this one. Orton may not be a 'franchise' QB, but I doubt we'll go after a QB in the draft. Nicely placed in the middle of the first to pick up a pass rusher and a corner...

Agreed. Plenty of worse QB's out there we could have received in the trade and a couple of first round picks.

Hopefully the players aren't too pissed about offloading Cutler.

 

[Nappies]

Chris Williams (last years 1st rounder) Orlando Pace and Kevin Schaffer is a pretty solid tackle rotation i would have thought. If anything they are better pass blockers than run blockers so i think we will be fine there barring a rash of injuries (which is possible given the recent history of Pace and Williams).

Chicago has a good record with acquiring older linemen, Ruben Brown etc. Also no reason you cant find a decent tackle in the later rounds, there is no rule stating you can only get good tackles in the first round.