My Questions for Jay Cutler
Published by Patrick Gearty on June 5, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler is a Chicago Bear. This is as exciting a time in Chicago sports as there has been since the 1998 Bulls were busy winning their sixth NBA title. Bears’ fever has hit Chicago big time, and a game has not even been played yet.
However, there are many things to wonder about Jay Cutler. I mean, he is a 26 year old QB from Vanderbilt who just finished a Pro Bowl season with Denver. And yet, he was traded while still well in his prime.
There are many questions I would ask of Jay, and since I do not have him here with me, I can only speculate exactly what I think the answers might be. For our purposes here, I will present the questions and analyze what Cutler may say based on his past.
My first question to Jay would be, ” What exactly went wrong with you and coach McDaniels?”
From all reports, Cutler was upset that new Denver coach Josh McDaniels (former offensive coordinator for New England) attempted to trade for his QB last season, Matt Cassel. Cassel led New England to an 11-5 record, and McDaniels believes his system is quite complex and that Cutler would have difficulty grasping it.
I got a feeling this is where Jay would start. Cutler likely would talk about how McDaniels never even gave Cutler a chance to learn the new playbook, nor did McDaniels discuss the idea of trading for Cassel with his franchise QB. Based on all that, Cutler likely would say the past is the past and that he is ready to move past that ugliness in Denver.
Following up on that, my next question to Jay would be, “If McDaniels talked to you first, would you still be a Bronco?”
This answer would bother any Bears’ fan, for I believe the answer would be yes. How could it not be? This whole mess could have been avoided with a simple sit down or phone call with Cutler prior to attempting the trade for Cassel.
Tony Dungy, former coach of the Colts, went on record questioning Cutler’s maturity and his role in getting traded out of Denver. So, I would ask Cutler, ” Do you think that Coach Dungy is right, and do you think you could have resolved the situation better than asking for a trade?”
Cutler would undoubtedly deny that he is immature. He does have past issues that would concern me though. In addition to his issues with McDaniels, Cutler called out wide receiver and teammate Brandon Marshall when he broke a TV supposedly tripping on a McDonald’s bag.
Just this offseason, Cutler also brushed off a group of kids looking for an autograph, as he was too tired and not wanting to sign autographs for people looking to sell his autograph. Cutler also was late to many designated autograph sessions during his time in Denver.
These issues may not make Cutler immature on the field, however, and that’s really what the fans will care about. Plus, he is a very vocal individual who expects as much from his teammates, as he would expect from himself. So, his answer would focus on these things and less on his misgivings.
Speaking of Marshall, my next question would be, ” Do you think that you will be able to match your previous numbers with the receivers in Chicago?” This one is difficult to answer, as there are so many unknowns on the Bears’ receiving core.
This year, the Bears drafted Oklahoma wideout Joaquin Iglesias with their first pick in the third round. Iglesias will now join a receiving core of him, Devin Hester, Rashied Davis and Earl Bennett. Not exactly household names, but neither was Eddie Royal going into last season, and Royal caught a Broncos’ rookie record 91 passes for 980 yards and 5 TD’s.
So, my guess is that Cutler does not care who he throws to, provided they catch it when he hits their hands. If Hester can maintain his blazing speed, and with the underneath threats of tight ends Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark, along with running back Matt Forte, the Bears’ passing game should be exciting and effective.
My final question for Jay Cutler would be, “Knowing many in Chicago are expecting you to be a savior at quarterback, and knowing the history of Bears’ quarterbacks, how much do you expect of yourself and what are your expectations?”
Cutler never saw the type of media attention he will receive in Chicago. Considering the last great All-Pro level quarterback for the Bears was Sid Luckman in the 1940’s, Cutler needs to expect to be asked this question more than once.
This last question, I am unsure how Cutler would answer it. For Bears’ fans, however, they just hope he answers it on the field with plenty of wins and a trip to the playoffs.
