As I sit here mulling over my bracket picks (which I will post tomorrow), I thought I would clear my head and write a quick post about the Jay Cutler to the Lions situation.
So, before I get to far into anything, lets talk about what we "know." Supposedly, Jay Cutler cannot stand his new coaching staff and has asked to be traded. We also know that Denver isn't run by Matt Millen, so they aren't boneheads. Denver seems willing to put him on the block, but they want another quarterback in exchange. Unfortunately for the Lions, they do not have one of those, or at least none that any other team in their right mind would want. (No Sparty, no one else wants Drew Staton)
What the Lions do have is a strong desire to get Cutler and more ammunition in terms of picks than any other team can offer. But, any trade in the near future would likely have to involve another team. Unless Denver gets desperate, the Lions will have to acquire a solid quarterback before swapping him with Denver.
Before I get into some trade scenarios, I need to say a few things regarding this trade. Firstly, I support getting Jay Cutler 100%, provided it is for the right price, of course. Secondly, I am actually impressed with the offseason Martin Mayhew has done in this first offseason. His real test will be the draft, but the moves to dump Kitna and acquire Julian Peterson were very impressive. Kudos, Mr. Mayhew, so far...
Alright, so how do the Lions get Jay Cutler? Here are 3 unique and creative ways to get him.
1. Trade Denver the #1 pick for Cutler+
This trade situation is obviously based on the assumption that Denver loves either Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez. Why any GM would love either of these rookies is beyond me, but if Josh McDaniels is crazy enough to piss off his Pro Bowl quarterback to the point of requesting a trade, he might be crazy enough to love one of these players. Assuming argumendo, that Denver wants to develop another young quarterback, this is the easiest possibility. The problem with this scenario is you would have to get something more than just Jay Cutler for the number 1. There is a big premium on the #1. There are very few players worth the #1, and they are all untouchable. Remember the trade the Chargers got for Eli Manning? They traded the #1 overall pick for the #4, a 3rd rounder, and a first and a fifth round picks in the subsequent year's draft. To move up 3 spots and get an arguably worse quarterback than Phillip Rivers cost the Giants three extra picks including a 1st rounder. So, Cutler + Denver's #12 would probably be more than Denver is willing to give up, especially if Denver believes that one of those two QB's could fall to them at 12, which could easily happen. Perhaps instead the Lions could get a 4th or 5th and next year's first rounder. That is a fair trade, if Denver badly wants Sanchez or Stafford.
2. Involve Cleveland. Now things start to get hairy. In order to pull this trade off the Lions would need to swap picks with Cleveland and get Derek Anderson. Here, the assumption that Denver loves Derek Anderson is required to follow this trade scenario. So, Detroit sends the #1 overall and possibly a late round pick for the #5 and Derek Anderson. Detroit would then send Derek Anderson and either the #33 or the #20 for Jay Cutler. This exact same trade scenario could work just as easily with Kansas City just replace Derek Anderson with Tyler Thigpen. Detroit would, in either situation, get a franchise quarterback and either a top talent OT (Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe) or Aaron Curry. Not to mention they save million of dollars in guaranteed money by getting out of that #1 slot. It also gets Denver a quarterback, and some picks, and KC/Cleveland more picks as well. It is mutually beneficial to all teams, as long as Denver likes one of those quarterbacks enough.
3. The third scenario assumes that Denver panics. Detroit sends the #20 and a late round pick, likely next year, in exchange for Jay Cutler. This won't likely happen because Denver won't panic until training camp, which is well after the draft. Detroit has to make this trade happen before April 25th.
So can this deal get done? I think it certainly can, and I also think the Lions are trying their hardest, but Denver is probably asking too much. 3 way trades are hard to pull off, and take time. Detroit does have some premium for acting quickly, as the Jets and the Buccaneers are excited about their chances to get Jay Cutler too. So, get it done Mayhew, I did the hard work, just make a few calls and turn on that charm and persuasion! Stop reading my blog and get me Jay Cutler!
1 comments:
the one thing you forget is that their are two pretty good QB's in the free agent market; jeff garcia and mr. leftwich. if denver does trade jay they don't need a QB in return. but i can't see them take less than the #1 pick and the lions 3rd round pic. cutler's the real deal. learned one the hardest offensives quickly, almost went to the play-offs with no defense or there starting running back (let alone their 6th string running back). so he would fit in with the lions. kidding......kinda. the only other team that seams reasonable is if the browns trade brady (G)Q. and their first rounder. back in the 90's when jeff george was suppose to be the next big thing, we was traded for a first, second, and third round picks. anyways, he's a good (could be great) QB in what looks like a terrible franchise. (denver)
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