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Cutler to the Bears ... what it means to the Lions
The Jay Cutler trade is complete, and the Bears gave up quite a haul to get him. A first-round pick this year and next, a third this year and quarterback Kyle Orton. (Chicago also got a fifth-round pick in the deal.)
That leaves the Lions with, essentially, three options at quarterback. One, they can play the season out with Daunte Culpepper as starter. Two and in my opinion most likely, they can draft Matt Stafford with the No. 1 overall pick (presumably to replace Culpepper at some point next season). Or three, they can take Jason Smith or Aaron Curry up top and trade for someone like Cleveland's Derek Anderson or Arizona's Matt Leinart.
None of those scenarios is as appealing as having Cutler, a Pro Bowler, under center, but by not going hard after the disgruntled vet the Lions decided to stick with their plan of building through the draft. Say you what will about recent history, but that's the right path for a team with so many holes to go down.
That said, I firmly believe the Lions will bemoan this trade twice a year for the next decade. Cutler is one of the two best young quarterbacks in the game, and his addition will make it difficult for Detroit to end its 15-year division championship drought anytime soon. Chicago still needs a receiver and its defense is aging, but throw in the best free-agent addition of the offseason in a new defensive line coach and the Bears should be playoff contenders in 2009.
Labels: Aaron Curry, Daunte Culpepper, Derek Anderson, Detroit Lions, Jason Smith, Jay Cutler, Matt Stafford
posted by Paula Pasche at
7:45 PM
19 Comments:
Say hello to Mathew Stafford.
By the way Dave, did you just call Rod Marienelli the best free agent acquisition of the year?
stafford vs cutler
should be interesting
according to PFT andre smith is scheduled to visit the lions next week. god i hope they're just doing their due diligence with him and aren't seriously considering drafting him.
DAVE - WHERE IS TOM?
A lot of fans are upset about the Lions missing out on Jay Cutler. And you’ve got a right to be. The Lions fumbled the ball. Again.
The Lions had plenty of ammunition to get the deal done with the Broncos but lacked the will to pull the trigger.
I’m here to tell you that as bad as you think the Lions bungled the Cutler deal, it’s even worse than you think.
How many of you would have packaged Roy Williams and a first round pick in the 2010 draft for Jay Cutler last season? Probably most of you. And you would have claimed we got a steal.
That’s what Mayhew and Lewand passed up when they let the Bears steal Cutler away for a package of 2 first round picks, a third this year and a warm body.
Unbelievable isn’t it?
But it gets worse yet!
Imagine the Lions with Cutler on board on draft day, sitting with 3 of the top 82 picks in the draft, including number 1 and 33? How would Aaron Curry and a run stuffing defensive lineman or safety have sounded? Along with your franchise quarterback? All for the price of the first pick in the 2010 draft.
Yeah, it’s sick what Lewand and Mayhew missed out on.
One of the names on the placards in the Lions’ front office may have changed, but it’s the same old keystone cops style operation that Millen used to run.
Lovie Smith called Marinelli the best free-agent acquisition at the combine. I like Marinelli and think he is an excellent defensive line coach, but I wrote that in jest.
As for Smith, he's not a candidate to go No. 1 and I don't think he'll be there at 20 but you've got to do the research on him just in case. He hasn't helped himself at all in this process, but he's the most talented lineman available. And Mel Kiper indicated that Nick Saban has defended Smith somewhat. To me he seems a little immature and easily influenced, but he's not a problem in other potentially more dangerous ways. He comes with risk, but at 20 I'd be willing to live with them.
As for Tom, I believe he's on vacation and will be back soon. It's been a busy offseason.
And Dan makes a good point, though I believe Detroit would have had to trade for a QB (thereby giving up another pick) to get the deal done.
They have too many holes to give up that many picks. They have to build through the draft.
dan, you're an idiot.
lions fans are NOT upset that the lions didn't break the bank for him. they're upset cuz he's now in the same division and pretty much has made the bears the team to beat in the north.
just cuz you're upset about it doesn't mean the rest of us are. stfu.
wish tom would have gave us a heads up before he took off on vacation .. or at least checked in with the mlive.com forum.
Dave, Are Mayhew and Lewand posting here anonymously?
dan sullivan = matt millen
I'm going to say Mayhew/Lewand (do we know who's making these kind of decisions?) did right. I think the Bears gave up too much for Cutler and they have a lot more talent around than the Lions do.
Dan overlooks that the bears gave 2 firsts, a third, and a starting caliber QB. Whatever your personal opinons are - fact is that Orton can be a starter (albeit more of a game manager) in this league -- and is the type of QB McDaniels wants. He'll do what he's told to do.
My thoughts? Chicago is gambling, and only time will tell if it was a good bet or not.
I have more thoughts at
http://www.detfan1979.blogspot.com/
Good thoughts Dave -- though I disagree about Stafford.
to accentuate the point above, Detroit would have had to BEAT Chicago's price, not match it. So you are looking at two firsts and a 2nd, plus a replacement to sub in for Orton -- which I would say is about a 3rd rounder.
Would you give up 2 firsts, a 2nd and a 3rd? Plus, have the huge numbers for a Cutler ocntract extension and the #1 overall pressing the Lions against the cap when they finally got out of "cap jail" from Millen's stupid moves??
stafford
animal jr [spielman pt 2]
best OT left at the top of the second round
in that order, for me.
well said DetFan..when we have 20 and the Bears have 18, they obviously have the early advantage
Any word on the visit today by Connor Barwin? Was anyone else in Allen Park?
Also what is the deal with Vonnie Holiday? He is still a free agent right? No interest anymore?
well, guess we learned something about MSU - don't draft any of their receivers. wonder where plexi glass is gonna end up next.
Unfortunately, I believe that the sexy choice is Stafford and will be Stafford. Curry would do much to offset the alleged improvement in Chicago's firepower, but we'll have to wait and see how Chicago deals with the draft...they still need OL help, even with Pace signed, and Cutler still needs some decent receivers to throw the ball to. Chicago will have a tough time filling their many holes in a draft where they sacrificed so much to get one player. There is a window here for Detroit, but it may be rapidly closing.
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