Needs More Ditka

The Chicago Bears and Jerry Angelo better hope that they were thinking clearly Thursday, because in one day, the franchise has been changed irrevocably.

The Bears on Thursday bought high, not waiting for market price to fall, sending Kyle Orton and two first round draft picks to Denver for maligned Broncos’ quarterback Jay Cutler. Also today, the Bears agreed to a three year contract future Football Hall of Famer tackle Orlando Pace, agreeing on a contract for three years worth $15 million dollars.

Cutler, the former Broncos’ quarterback of the future, will be asked to stop the seemingly endless carousel of Bears quarterbacks that has been turning for decades. The 11th pick in the 2006 draft, Cutler was a Pro Bowl player last season, and after leaving the Broncos in a spat, debatably much of his own fault, he has been handed the keys to a proud franchise, with the Bears having to ignore the immaturity and bratiness the 25 year old has displayed in the soap opera like saga he created with his previous employer. Make no other point, Cutler, started the drama in Denver, and it was he who continued the saga for weeks unable to recover from his feelings being hurt.

There’s no question that the Bears should have been in the market for Cutler, but the euphoria needs to subside just a bit over this Cutler trade. There is no doubt, further, that Cutler is an upgrade, but not as big as the football world would make it out to be.

Cutler:

Orton:

A significant upgrade, no doubt, but is that upgrade worth two first round draft picks? Debatable. Furthermore, Cutler had Brandon Marshall to throw to. With Devin “where’s the ball?” Hester, being the Bears number one receiver last season, it’s almost possible to throw out Marshall’s stats to see what the Bears have with Cutler. That brings the margin even closer between Cutler and Orton, in a straight up scenario. Add in two first round draft picks, and the Bears looked foolish in this trade.

What does Cutler have on his new team? A solid running back, a now overrated line with the oft-injured and likely over the hill (if we could ever see him play) Orlando Pace, a solid defense and absolutely no wide receivers whatsoever. Will Cutler be able put up Pro Bowl numbers in Chicago this year? Next year? Bet on him hovering where Orton did with his statistics next year. The first round picks that went with Orton to the mile high city would be so vital to whatever quarterback the Bears have. At least the 2009 first pick should have been used on a wide receiver, spelling the idea that Hester is the number one option. Darrius Heyward Bey would make any quarterback better, as he is the most likely of the draft eligible wideouts to be succesfull in the league. If he was on the Bears, the Cutler trade wouldn’t be so foolish, but the number one need was wide receiver. Without any good target, it is counterproductive to upgrade at a position that was solid but not spectacular, furthermore, when it mortgages the possibility of plugging the whole at the true need, the needless upgrade better be significant and fix-all.

This trade is not not the later.

Then look at how much the Chiefs played for Matt Cassel, a similar quarterback, and one has to wonder who’s naming the market prices, because the Bears are certainly working on a different standard. In this case a standard of overpaying for things they don’t need with things they do need.

What the Bears are hoping for is Cutler’s talent will continue to blossom in Chicago. That’s the Bears one and only ace in the hole. There is no doubt that he has the talent to be the best quarterback in the league, if Cutler does further develop his endless talent, this trade could be great for the Bears. But without people to throw the ball to, it seems all too possible that Cutler’s growth will be stunted. And the Bears need to be concerned, immediately, that the lack of offensive talent out wide for Cutler might spark another insubordinate whine from the quarterback.

Lest anyone forget, with Jay Cutler, it’s buyer beware. There was a reason that a Pro-Bowl quarterback was traded. In this case, the Bears did not head to the warnings, and might be paying dearly in draft picks and headaches, very soon.