How the Detroit Lions Could Have Acquired Jay Cutler

It's recently become known that Jay Cutler was being shopped by the Denver Broncos, and as recently as a couple days ago, he was part of a proposed three-way deal involving the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

What's known is that Denver would get Matt Cassel and Tampa Bay would get Jay Cutler. We aren't sure what Tampa Bay offered in this deal.

However, what eventually took place is Kansas City stepping in and offering their second round draft pick to New England for Cassel. New England accepted the deal.

For starters, Lions fans should be irate that Cassel could have been had for a second round draft pick. A pick, which for the Lions, was higher than what Kansas City offered.

Think about it. If Detroit offered the 33rd overall pick for Cassell, they get a starter with a full productive season under his belt and they get to keep both of their 1st round picks. It's foolproof.

Instead, it would be Kansas City (who coincidentally also has former New England personnel man Scott Pioli as their GM) that would pull off the perceptive steal of a deal.

So what does all this have to do with Detroit?

Well, lets go back to that three-way deal that fell apart between Denver, Tampa Bay, and New England.

We know that Denver was sold on giving up Jay Cutler for Matt Cassel. Who really knows why? To most people, that looks like a downgrade, but Denver had their reasons.

So let's replace Tampa Bay with Detroit in the deal.

Detroit gives their 33rd overall pick to New England, New England then gives Matt Cassell to Denver, and Denver gives Jay Cutler to Detroit.

Simple as that, and Detroit either didn't see it, or sat on their butts scratching their heads in confusion.

It's ridiculous if you think about it, and it's beyond speculation at this point that it would have worked.

New England was set on trading Cassel. Denver wanted Cassel. Denver couldn't have both Cutler and Cassell on their team.

Well, following that progression...you get the idea. All that was needed to complete the puzzle was a third team willing to give New England what it wanted—a high second round pick, or probably in Tampa Bay's case, their first round pick.

Just imagining Jay Cutler as a Lion and knowing that it was possible makes me want to tear my hair out. This could have meant Cutler throwing to Calvin Johnson for the next 10 years!

Now, I've been happy with what Martin Mayhew has done as GM for the Lions so far, but I just don't understand this. Is Mayhew really that set on Daunte Culpepper as his quarterback?

Or should us fans not even bother try to understand the logic and just throw our arms up in frustration again and walk away grumbling, "It's the Lions."