NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

What are the chances of Jay Cutler getting traded?

By Kevin Parvizi

facebooktwitterreddit

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has been one of the most disappointing players in the 2014 season, as he has done nothing to make good on his seven-year, $126 million deal in the first season of his contract. Cutler has been below-average this season, but he was supposed to shine with Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, and Matt Forte surrounding him on the Bears offense. Poor game-planning from first-year sensation Marc Trestman hasn’t helped, but Cutler deserves plenty of blame for his 15 interceptions and the fact that most of his numbers have been padded in garbage time. His 26 touchdowns, seven yards per attempt, and 66.8% completion percentage looks nice on paper, but like last week’s gaudy numbers, he’s been one of the kings of garbage time this year.

The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that some members of the Bears organization “doubt” that Cutler can take them all the way, and Rapoport adds that the team would save $12.5 million against the cap by trading him. Naturally, one of our first question is, what are the chances of Cutler actually getting moved in the offseason?

In all honesty, I don’t see why the Bears would want to trade Cutler, because it would be an awful lot of work for them to find and groom a replacement. If they give up on Cutler, then they pretty much have to give up on Trestman. Why would you allow a coach that is on the hot seat to draft and groom a franchise quarterback? While Trestman has a reputation for being something of a QB whisperer after coaxing a big year out of Josh McCown in 2013, Cutler’s lack of success this season puts the coach’s reputation into question. Derek Carr, Blake Bortles, and Teddy Bridgewater have all struggled to some extent as rookies, so the Bears would be in for a rather poor 2015 season if they decide to choose a new QB. That would make it almost impossible to evaluate Trestman’s coaching chops, and it would be difficult to hire a new head coach if they don’t like the QB Trestman selected.

When the Bears gave Cutler that big contract last season, there were reactions all over the spectrum, but most people reacted positively to the move after seeing what Trestman could do with Cutler. Both coach and quarterback are intertwined, so firing Trestman would complicate Cutler’s future with the team. If the new head coach doesn’t believe he can work with Cutler, then I could see that coach selecting a mid-round QB, benching Cutler during the 2015 season if he struggles, and then selecting his own franchise QB in the first round of the 2016 draft. It’s possible that a new head coach would immediately draft a new quarterback, but that would require the support of the entire organization.

I have a feeling that there are still enough people in the organization behind Cutler who would want to see him work out as the franchise guy. I mean, he has elite physical tools, and he’s still better than a fair amount of quarterbacks in this league despite his terrible 2014 campaign thus far. The problem is this, how much is too much? Basically, Cutler’s value lies in his tools, but he’s also 31; it’s really hard for him to break bad habits, and he has some terrible ones. His decision-making should theoretically get better as he ages, but he’s already been in the league since 2006, how much more room does he have to grow?

There are reasons to believe that the Bears could have interest in trading Cutler away and starting from scratch, though it is undoubtedly a difficult decision. The next roadblock to the trade is the second question that would arise, who would want to trade for Cutler? There were some Cutler-related rumors last season, and one of the teams linked to the Bears maligned QB was the Tennessee Titans, as some mentioned the Cutler link to Vanderbilt.

One issue with trading with the Titans or any other bottom-feeder team is the fact that these organizations have new coaches (or will have new coaches) and either have a franchise QB in mind (the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars are an example) or have a high pick. The Titans are in a great position to snag a top QB, and it would make more sense for them to trade up with the Raiders for Marcus Mariota than to trade with the Bears for an expensive, 31-year-old QB. Cutler’s contract is an albatross, especially for rebuilding teams that need the cap to spend on wide receivers, offensive tackles, and other players to surround their prospective franchise QBs.

It only makes sense for a team with established talent, a need for a QB, and some cap space to swing a deal for Jay Cutler, because this team is likely just a QB away from competing for a playoff spot. The Houston Texans come to mind as this type of a team, but I’m not sure Bill O’Brien would want to make that move. It’s hard to envision a team like the Buffalo Bills or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers- though they qualify as a bottom-feeder- making the plunge, but they could fit the bill as landing spots, but, in the Buccaneers case, only if Lovie Smith doesn’t harbor any poor feelings towards Cutler.

We’re in for a wild offseason, and the storylines surrounding the Bears coaching staff, GM job, and quarterback position will be some of the most compelling. Cutler’s future with the team is far from a certainty, but it will be difficult to find a trade partner. If they do deal him, it will be hard for them to get much in value, so it is probably best for them to try and bank on his tools for one more season. But if the Bears decide to fire Trestman and can’t find a good head coach who is willing to buy into Cutler, then we could see them aggressively shopping the once-prized QB.

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Chicago Bears