Cutler re-signs with Bears

Bears were in a tough spot.  Cutler is a decent QB, but definitely not elite.

 

They almost made the playoffs this year, and quite honestly, they should have.  It wasn't the offense's fault, either.  The offense is really, really good and should be good next year.  I think even with the crap defense, the Bears feel they're really close because of the offense.  It is, after all, an offensive NFL right now. 

 

Even with all the UFAs right now, the Bears will have a couple of tough choices over the next 2 years.  Brandon Marshall is a UFA after next season and then Forte and Jeffrey the year after that (Briggs too).  I really think the 7 year deal is to help the cap in 2014 (Jay's cap # won't be anywhere near $17 mil) to fix the D.  Had they franchised him, ALL of his salary would count against the 2014 cap.  They use the savings to try and shore up the defense a little bit.  I also think they let Peppers go and eat the $12 mil or so in dead money.

 

Despite McCown's play this year, I don't think they felt comfortable going with him for next year.  And drafting a QB is ALWAYS a crap shoot.  For every good/great QB drafted there's another who was a bust. 

 

With a little upgrade n the defensive side o the ball, I think Emery believes the Bears can be a legit SB contender next year.  IMO, the Bears are going for broke next season.

quote:

They almost made the playoffs this year, and quite honestly, they should have

When AR is healthy for 16 games next year, the Bears ain't gonna be close.

 

Cutler signed? Best news this week.

Bears were in a situation like the Packers with Raji.  Guys with their talent don't come around often so when you have one, you do what you can to keep them.  However, at some point you are what you are and just like with Raji, Cutler is an average QB.

 

 McCown had a better year than Cutler.  Let me repeat that.......a 35 year-old journeyman QB who had very little success elsewhere had a better year with the same team as your now $17m a year "franchise" QB.  This is not going to help the Bears get to a Super Bowl.  

 

AR being healthy only matters to the Bears in the two games they play in the regular season.  The Bears offense was good enough to make the playoffs this year.  The defense **** the bed and they still were a half a minute away from winning the division.  They'll have essentially the same offense next year barring injury. 

No, it'll also make a difference in the other 14 that GB plays, which will make a big difference on where CHI is in the standings.  

I'm not suggesting the Bears are a better team than the Packers.  I'm taking the Packers out of the equation because more than one team from the division can make the playoffs.  The Bears offense is pretty potent. Most of their problems were related to injuries, the defense and some iffy coaching decisions.  I think they have the opportunity to be better next year in each phase.  Their defense was the worst in the league, so it can't really get worse.  Any improvement should mean an overall improvement in the team.

 

Don't get me wrong, though. I hope the Bears such and Cutler relaxes with the contract and continues to be the INT machine he's been.

Just heard Darlene on NFL Network say hopes the Bears have enough money left over to sign other players. Then he said the defense has a bunch of guys who don't know how to tackle. Ha! Pot, kettle.

Thank you, Bears! 

 

Instead of keeping the backup QB that performed at a high level, freeing up money to address your porous run defense, you give a wad of money to Cutler. Well done.

Originally Posted by Grave Digger:

Wouldn't it be better to stay competitive with Cutler and develop a guy behind him? He has three years guaranteed. Perfect amount of time to get a guy ready.

Cutler should give Trestman 10% of his contract. That offense - and the WR's, TE and RB - let him have his best season ever. Of course his best season ever is worse than Rodgers worst season ever. This is what the NFL has come to. A good QB that is occasionally very good is worth more than $100 million.

Not worth more than 100 million but able to sign a contract for more than 100 million.

Right. I don't think Cutler, Stafford, Flacco, Romo or Ryan are worth the money they got but we will continue to see this.

Breakdown of the contract.  Pretty telling, and the Bears took the bait.  

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/...llion-151043344.html

I think this is basically a 3 year contract. The $54 million guaranteed averages to $18 million for 3 years.  In the 4th year he will be cut and the Bears will take the remaining cap hit and move on.  Packers will go at minimum 4-2 against the Bears in those 3 years and maybe even 6-0 .

Maybe ammo, but it will likely depend on which team fixes their defense.

I understand it...and maybe the alternative would have got them all fired...but this is very good news for the Packers....18 million a year they can't spend on defense...imagine the Bears record without +5 turnover--thanks to Jay being on the bench.

If Forte and one of those tackles gets hurt--not unlike Green Bay 2013----they won't win 4 games and chaos will ensue....maybe not...maybe the'll score enough to win 9 games...but with Green Bay and Detroit in this division--the Bears are pretty much destined to third place----and Smoking Jay will be the face of the Franchise

Not that bad a call by the Bears under the situation. The key is that their situation sucked. It's a QB's league and you need a decent one to have a chance.

 

They don't have McCown under contract and he is 34 anyway.  Not a solution. He wasn't even sure he would play next year.

 

Drop Cutler and draft a rookie? That will waste a year or two at best. It might be a decade before they get a QB as good as Cutler. Forte and Marshall would be done before even a good rookie QB got to where Cutler is today.

 

It sucks to not have a top rank QB, but it is reality for most NFL teams. Sometimes you draft a ARod and sometimes you get Vince Young. The Packers went a decade after Starr without even a decent QB. Dickey was our only decent QB between 1970 and 1988 (at least).

 

Flacco's contract caused the Ravens to dismantle their team. The money that Stafford makes means that after paying Megatron, there is no money left for the defense. You have to pay a mid-level QB because even they are rare. Is Cutler a Top Ten? Is Romo? Is Stafford? Maybe not, but they are probably top 16. Lose them and you can be in Ponder, Freeman, Cassel territory, which gets coaches and GMs fired.

 

I like (?) Cutler better than Stafford, since I think he can cut his INTs and be dangerous. Stafford without Megatron isn't very scary. I think Cutler is better than Romo too, so not too surprised to see him get that payday.

 

IF...  Cutler could cut down on INTs, he could be Flacco and more. He should be experienced and sure, but he has had about a half dozen OCs. Chicago will give him a chance to fix his gunslinging ways with a decent HC. If he can do that, he won't be the reason TBSS.

Good stuff, hof, and I agree.

 

I met a Bears fan at the New Years Eve party I attended. He was of the strong opinion that they should let Cutler go, which honestly stunned me. Even with all his flaws, he's still the best QB they've had in my lifetime, and I said they had to resign him. The next day, they did just that.

 

He has all the tools you'd want in an elite QB...if he can cut the mistakes down a bit, he could easily win a championship with the proper players around him.

go to bed fond of dudes...and sleep it off

I think it's closer to a 5 year deal than 3 years.  In years 4 & 5, his salary is significantly reduced ($12-13 mil) before escalating in the final 2 years to over $20 mil each.

A look back on Cutler's only career win vs GB in Sept 2010:

 

http://www.pro-football-refere...res/201009270chi.htm

 

At Chicago.  Packers had 18 penalties for 152 yards.  Two Cutler interceptions were called back by penalty, a couple more should-have-been ints were dropped.  Packers did manage to hold onto one INT.  Bears had a punt return TD and a long (44 yd) kick return.  Packers had two turnovers.   Packers had no running game to speak of (43 yard total for RB's Kuhn and Jackson).  Bears win by 3 on a last second FG after James Jones fumble.

 

This is what it takes for Cutler to win a game vs. GB. 

I know he's nothing close to the QB we have, but he's the best they're gonna get. Unless they make a move to get one of the top prospects, and then wait a year or two for that guy to (hopefully) develop.

 

The Bears made the only decision they could in a not so great situation. Cutler can win with Marshall, Jeffrey, Bennett, and Forte...assuming the Bear defense becomes at least a little better than it is now.

Agree on the first point, as for the second, what makes you think something like that would happen now?

@ 18c. The thing I remember most about that game was Jones fumble looking like it was going out of bounds 4 different times but never did. But those were the apex "horseshoe firmly planted in ass" days for Lovie and the Bears.

Boykins fumble recovery helps even things out I guess.

EKB, I don't know that it would happen. I do believe going into the future with Jay Cutler is their best option, though. 34 year old Josh McCown is not the answer IMO...he played well this year, but how much longer can he be counted on?

 

I'm not at all enviable of the Bears predicament, here. I just think that given the position they're in, Cutler gives them the best chance to succeed.

 

Of course the whole thing could backfire, and I'd be happy if it did. What if the Bears have a Texans type season in 2014, and are looking at a top 3 pick, and a great QB prospect is available. Well, that would really suck since they have so much cap space tied into the position already.

Dumdums would have been way better off paying their other FA - McCown - less than half of what they gave Captain Backbreaking Interception.  The difference in their play over the next year or so would not justify the extra $10 million for the slightly above average guy.

 

This is what s**t teams do - wildly overpay for mediocre talent.  I love it.  

I guess signing McCown to a short deal (2 years?) and making a move for a top prospect this year to develop behind him would have been a viable option, as well. Like the Judge said, it would certainly save beaucoup bucks.

 

I think we have to consider the psychology of the Bears organization regarding QBs, as well. They've been wandering in the wilderness as long as I've been alive at that position. They finally have a guy with a rocket arm, who can make all the throws. It's the closest they've had to an elite passer since Sid Luckman...of course they're probably willing to live with his flaws to ensure he sticks around.

 

 

They really had no other option, as was stated before, their mistake was signing him in the first place.

This was a great gift for the NFC North

 

This say a lot 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/...llion-151043344.html

 

If you can sign McCown to a two year deal...for a 34 year old, he has limited wear and tear---draft a QB...and they are out there...I'd say your chances are as good of getting a Wilson/Kapernick/Luck type as they are that Cutler will ever lead you anything substantial. 

You could argue that this will keep the Bears from getting an upgrade for the next 5 years....while keeping their defense as bad as it is.

Put McClown in and Alshon Jeffery has a chance to see the ball on occasion.   ****ler locks in on his boy toy Marshall Marshall Marshall

 

Fond of dudes...glad a little rest has helped sober you up a bit and you are making a bit more sense today.   Drunk posting is not good on you.

 

Are you freakin kidding me...I'm two sheets to the wind NOW. The more blasted I am, the more sense you begin to make.

 

Friends don't let friends go on x4 sober.

If they only get 3 years out of this then it's a terrible deal. They could have paid McCown a 3rd of this and probably got as much production over the next 2-3 years, and maybe more healthy starts.

And drafted a top QB in round 1 this year, developed him and been farther ahead in 3 years than they will be with Va Jay Jay.

bout time for a drunken pro ****ler rant from fond o dudes.