Sports

NFL Outsider thinks Broncos, not Bears, won the Jay Cutler sweepstakes

Most football observers think the Broncos came out on the short end of the trade that sent Jay Cutler to Chicago earlier this year -- a move that may have inspired troublemaking wide receiver Brandon Marshall's own attempt to get out of Denver. But Greg Trippiedi, a Michigan-based blogger who writes for the MVN Outsider site, takes the contrarian view. In "NFL Crystal Ball: Denver Broncos Will Eventually Win the Jay Cutler Trade," he declares, "I feel safe in saying that the Denver Broncos are going to be better off with the plethora of picks they got from the Bears than with QB Jay Cutler." He argues that Cutler's stats -- a 62.5 completion percentage, a 17-20 record as a starter and a tendency to throw two interceptions to every three touchdowns -- is no great shakes: "You have roughly a 30-40 percent chance of picking a name out of a hat filled with quarterbacks who were first round picks in the last five drafts who can do that, easily," he contends. Moreover, he adds, "The loot on Cutler was just preposterous. I'm sure the Bears don't particularly care about the first rounders they lost, but Bears fans now have unrealistic expectations for Jay Cutler, who is still growing into his role of an NFL quarterback. But given the fact that Cutler basically forced his way out of town, the Broncos' ability to turn the Cutler market into a sellers' market is one of the greatest business stories in the history of the NFL."

Note to the Broncos: Hire this guy immediately. He spins better than you do.

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Michael Roberts has written for Westword since October 1990, serving stints as music editor and media columnist. He currently covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports and stories that defy categorization.
Contact: Michael Roberts

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