Bears get Jay Cutler!

[patsox]

And McDaniels still doesn't have his boy Cassel!

Seriously though, Good luck Josh. I wish you the best in Denver.

[The_Admiral]

Back to my Bears, they should be the favorites to win the NFC Central now. As for the rest of the division, The Vikings have a mostly talented team & a dangerous force in Adrian Peterson, but have an unproven QB. The Packers have some talent, but not enough to be considered the favorites right now. And the Lions are.... well the Lions. Can't wait for the season to start!

The Vikings still have the best player in the division and the Bears have plenty of issues to resolve on the defensive side. I predict another three-way race with the Vikings winning the North but again not amounting to much against better teams.

[DEAD!]

Let's see the Bears try to give Cutler #8...

[Gothamite]

With the Redskins having very publicly gone after Cutler and failed, what does this do to Jason Campbell's attitude with the team? Does he pull a Cutler and say "Fu*k You. Trade me."?

I don't know. Is he as fragile as Cutler?

[roxfan00]

As a huge Bears fan, I am very excited that the Bears actually went out and get a legit QB. Also, they just added Orlando Pace. Good job for once, GM Jerry Angelo! Ok, so Cutler hasn't been in the playoffs yet & has an overall losing record, but he hasn't reached his peak yet. Besides, Denver's weak defense was the main reason why they choked away that division to San Diego last season. Back to my Bears, they should be the favorites to win the NFC Central now. As for the rest of the division, The Vikings have a mostly talented team & a dangerous force in Adrian Peterson, but have an unproven QB. The Packers have some talent, but not enough to be considered the favorites right now. And the Lions are.... well the Lions. Can't wait for the season to start!

I believe the defense and Cutler throwing 2 TD's and 4 INT's in the last 3 games of the season is what cost the Broncos the division...

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Doesn't Cutler have a lifetime under .500 record? What again is the big deal?

[rams80]

Doesn't Cutler have a lifetime under .500 record? What again is the big deal?

DURRR CUTL3R PROBOWL FRANCH1$3 QB!!!!!11111one

[Chief.]

Wait... the Bears aren't supposed to have a quarterback. I'm not used to this.

[alwaysr92]

I think this was a very good move by the bears, even still, I believe Rodgers is still the best QB in the division until he is thrown from his throne(obviously biased, but well founded). Cutler will soon realize that the Bears dont have anybody like Royal and Marshall, i think he'll do OKAY for his first year, but until Chicago stocks up their recieving corp, expect the Bears to still struggle with a strong passing offense. That plus the fact i think Chicago WAY OVERPAYED for Cutler, one first rounder? Ok. Two firs rounders? Gettin a little ridiculous, but you never know, it could end up paying dividends to Chicago. In related news, Jason Campbell just became one of my favorite quarterbacks in the league, the way he is handling this is one of the classiest things he could have done. He is essentially doing the exact opposite of Cutler, good for Campbell.

[infrared41]

I'm guessing Cleveland's alleged "Quinn for Cutler, straight up" proposal was summarily dismissed by Broncos management.

Who can blame them?

On topic. I like this move for the Bears. If they can get a little better at receiver they could do some damage this year.

[Tentomushi5150]

Matt Cassel: 21 td, 11 int, 3,693 yds, 89.4 rating

Jay Cutler: 25 td, 18 int, 4,526 yds, 86 rating

Clearly stats don't tell the whole story, but it's difficult to understand how Cutler was worth so much. Matt Cassel only cost Kansas City a 2nd round pick. Cutler had a worse year(he had more yards, but did so by chucking it up far more often than Cassel) but yet he commands a starting QB and 2 first round picks? Both were unproven commodities, yet Cutler is worth that much more?

Cutler isn't proven enough as a starter to be worth the haul the Broncos got. Chicago was looking for a quick fix without putting the pieces in place for somebody like Cutler to really have an impact. Without an improved o-line and receiving corps, it doesn't matter who's under center. At least with Orton under center they could use those picks to improve the team around him. With Cutler under center the odds of improvement are slim. Now there are not only less chances to improve the team, but your offensive captain(how many QB's aren't a captain of the offense?) has proven himself to be childish and unwilling to compromise, even when it's detrimental to him. Overall, horrid trade for the Bears.

[amare32]

Cutler will wear No. 6.

Bears ought to retire No. 8.

[Cujo]

Cutler will wear No. 6.

Ooh, one letter away from being a Kevin "Butt-head" Butler throwback.

[Sodboy13]

Doesn't Cutler have a lifetime under .500 record? What again is the big deal?

Take a look at the names that have been under center for the Bears since 1992 (and how many names there are,) and you'll see why Bears fans are absolutely apoplectic at the thought of having a guy who could be a Real Franchise Quarterback. They haven't had one of those since at least Jim McMahon - possibly even since Sid Luckman, who still holds most of the Bears' passing records.

As a Packers fan looking toward a revamped and upgraded defense, I'm salivating at the prospect of fresh meat. Especially after Orlando Pace suffers a season-ending ACL tear during a stumble in line at the Old Country Buffet in Bourbonnais.

[Saintsfan]

I think the Broncos have done about as well as they could for Cutler here. Be interesting to see what the Broncos do in the draft now. Is Freeman gonna fall as low as 18? Or is the Broncos best hope of landing a top QB trading up? Or does McDaniels feel confident enough that he call pull another Brady or Cassell from deep in the draft?

The Bears seem to have given up a lot for a still unproven QB. You can be tooo desperate for a player at a particular position. Wasn't Grossman supposed to be the new McMahon? Was McMahon really THAT good to be considered a franchise QB (Superbowl win does not make franchise QB, and as I remember it McMahon didn't have the lenghtiest run as Bears QB?? May be wrong there mind!) Interesting move though, I think the Broncos have the best of it for now, depending on how they draft.

[Burning River]

Doesn't Cutler have a lifetime under .500 record? What again is the big deal?

I am by NO means a Cutler fan. I think the antics by both the Broncos and Cutler has been embarrassing. That being said, "Cutler's Record" being below .500 has EVERYHTING to do with the Broncos Defense.

I am wondering if this is Phase One: Will Denver will still try to swing a deal and trade one of those #1 picks for a different QB?

[DEAD!]

Cutler will wear No. 6.

Ooh, one letter away from being a Kevin "Butt-head" Butler throwback.

I can just imagine the conversation:

Customer: I would like a customized Bears jersey. The number 6, with the name Butler on the back.

Store clerk: Ok. Cutler it is...

Customer: No, I said Butler.

Store Clerk: Right, Cutler...

Customer: No, no, no.... It's B-U-T-L-E-R

Store Clerk: Yes, C-U-T-L-E-R....

[John in KY]

I think the Broncos have done about as well as they could for Cutler here. Be interesting to see what the Broncos do in the draft now. Is Freeman gonna fall as low as 18? Or is the Broncos best hope of landing a top QB trading up? Or does McDaniels feel confident enough that he call pull another Brady or Cassell from deep in the draft?

The Bears seem to have given up a lot for a still unproven QB. You can be tooo desperate for a player at a particular position. Wasn't Grossman supposed to be the new McMahon? Was McMahon really THAT good to be considered a franchise QB (Superbowl win does not make franchise QB, and as I remember it McMahon didn't have the lenghtiest run as Bears QB?? May be wrong there mind!) Interesting move though, I think the Broncos have the best of it for now, depending on how they draft.

McMahon could possibly have been a franchise QB; we'll never know because he was the "retribution target" from the Bears' Buddy Ryan "bounty" defense. When the Bears defense put out any specific opposing team's top player (usually the QB), McMahon played the rest of that game with a target on his jersey (and any other game the Bears played against that specific team that season). I remember McMahon getting slammed on his throwing shoulder by some team in 1986 or 1987; he was never the same after that.

Grossman was always streaky in college - Spurrier kept putting him in and pulling him out. He has played the same way in the pros; putting together one really good season - or at least enough good games to have a winning record in that "one good season" - followed by seasons where he didn't put together that many good games.

I also think part of the difference between what the Bears gave up for Cutler versus what the Chiefs gave up for Cassel was primarily because Cutler is under contract for several more years but Cassel was heading for free agency after the 2009 season. When the trade was done there was no guarantee that the Chiefs were going to be able to re-sign him.

[Saintsfan]

Quick thought. In a lot of the commentary I have seen on the trade, the assumption is that the Broncos need a first round QB. McDaniels has a pretty good record with turning low round picks into starting QBs. Do the Broncos spend most of the draft upgrading there defense still? I personally think McDaniels is probably ok with Orton as QB, or why put him in the trade? If Orton isn't good enough at QB, why not get defensive help in the Cutler trade?

[DDR]

Matt Cassel: 21 td, 11 int, 3,693 yds, 89.4 rating

Jay Cutler: 25 td, 18 int, 4,526 yds, 86 rating

Aaron Rodgers: 28 TD, 13 Int, 4,038 Yds, 93.8 Rating, 0 Hurt Feelings, Looks like Buddy Christ

Yeah, still the best QB in the North.