Cutler's agent Cooks up another drama
by John Czarnecki
John Czarnecki has been the editorial consultant for FOX NFL Sunday since its 1994 inception. This season marks Czarnecki's 30th year covering the NFL. He is one of 44 selectors to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Updated: March 17, 2009, 7:36 PM EST
There are a number of issues to consider in this Jay Cutler "I want to be traded" drama. First, Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels isn't Bill Belichick. He's only 32 and he's new to being the boss. He's also not used to being around a pouty, immature quarterback.
Then, there is Cutler's agent, Bus Cook. Fans became familiar with Cook last summer because he is Brett Favre's agent. And we all know how that once great Favre-Green Bay marriage turned out. It went up in flames and now Favre is retired and looking for TV work.
Cook has forever claimed that he couldn't reason with Favre and protect him from himself. That's why Favre landed with the Jets and not with Jon Gruden and the Bucs. I always thought a wise, old agent like Cook would have pulled those strings a little better than he did.
But give Cook credit. He's been pulling the strings nicely for Cutler. Everyone should know that Cutler has wanted out of Denver ever since Mike Shanahan was fired and quarterback coach Jeremy Bates left for USC shortly afterward.
Before McDaniels and the Broncos pursued a failed trade for Matt Cassel, Cook had already been begging to get his client out. Denver told him no from the beginning. But somehow Cook has been able — how hilarious is this? — to paint Cutler as some victim in the cruel world of NFL trade talk. At the moment, the Broncos seem to be losing the PR war.
Cutler is from Santa Claus, Indiana. So, he wouldn't mind playing in the Midwest, but probably not Detroit. He wouldn't mind Tampa, either, considering the Bucs were very serious about possibly acquiring him in the botched three-way trade with New England.
A wise man once told me it's not about more money, but dollars always seem to be an issue. Cassel, who has played one NFL season since high school, is on the financial ledger for $14.6 million this season. Cutler, a first-round bonus baby, has a $2.3 million salary for 2009. The only way Cook is going to receive a better commission (and a higher salary for his 25-year-old quarterback) is by forcing Denver to trade Cutler, who is entering the fourth year of a six-year contract.
I don't know what to make of Cutler. He turned me off last season when he said his arm was better than John Elway's. He talks about McDaniels not being smart enough to simply pull him aside and talk to him one-on-one and sing sweet accolades into his ear.
One NFL general manager emailed me, saying Cutler's immaturity has plagued him throughout his Broncos' tenure. Consequently, prospective suitors are forewarned that Cutler may look great on Sunday, zipping passes on the field, but that he has poor practice habits, has never been a lover of watching film or isn't a leader like Tom Brady. Oh, and his won-lost record is 17-20.
It is going to be hard for McDaniels to turn this situation around. But there is no question that he needs to be able to talk with Cutler alone. Cutler needs to make his own decisions without Cook in the room. In Green Bay, the Packers never felt that Cook helped matters when dealing with Favre. The same situation has mushroomed in Denver, where McDaniels feels he might get somewhere with Cutler if he's minus Cook. The agent is complicating matters.
By now, knowing what he knows about Cutler, the young head coach is torn about what course to pursue. But it is never good to be trading a star player while in a weakened position. Teams never seem to receive the proper compensation — like two first-round picks — when a petulant player is making demands and failing to show for work. Yes, this week's minicamp is optional, but you would think that a young quarterback would want to find out how McDaniels is as a coach before turning his back on him.
The league's owner meetings begin Sunday in Dana Point, Ca. and Denver's Pat Bowlen and McDaniels will be able to talk directly to any potential bidders for Cutler. Tampa Bay, Detroit and Minnesota make the most sense because all three teams need a starting quarterback. Yes, the Vikings just signed Sage Rosenfels to compete with Tarvaris Jackson, but no one really views him as a long-term solution.
The dilemma for Denver is what quarterback do they pursue or accept as compensation? The cupboard is pretty bare, and that's why Cleveland is mentioned (Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson) and Arizona (Matt Leinart). The Jets may join the pursuit, too. The Bears, who were Cutler's favorite team while growing up in Indiana, make a lot of sense, but they seem to be pinching pennies again. Also, I don't see Kyle Orton as Denver's next quarterback. Right now, forgotten Chris Simms is running with the first team in Denver.
It would be ridiculous for Denver to trade Cutler to Detroit for the first overall pick, and thus be forced to pay either Georgia's Matt Stafford or USC's Mark Sanchez about $33 million in guaranteed money if they deem either one of those prospects as a decent replacement. Both Tampa and Detroit have mid-first round picks, but it's unlikely either of those quarterbacks would be available at No. 19 or No. 20, respectively.
The bottom line is that the Broncos would be better off keeping Cutler and finding a way to make it work. But we all know that isn't going to happen.
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