Green Mountain Grumblings: This Is What the Broncos Fired Mike Shanahan for?

Jay Cutler is right to be angry.

By now everyone knows that the Broncos' 25-year-old quarterback's name came up in trade talks over the weekend. The discussions apparently involved a three-way trade in which the Broncos would receive Matt Cassel, Cutler would be shipped to either Detroit or Tampa Bay, and the Patriots would receive a draft pick in compensation.

It was just a potential trade, so there should not be any hurt feelings, should there? Besides, the Broncos came out right away and said that Cutler was their quarterback and they did not intend to trade him. Furthermore, anyone is a tradable commodity in the NFL, right?

Wrong. Quarterbacks for the top offenses in the league are not tradable. Quarterbacks who set season records for passing yards and 300-yard games in a season for a franchise that had a signal-caller named John Elway are not tradable. A guy who is still in the middle of his six-year rookie contract and has just made the Pro Bowl in his second full season of starting is not tradable.

And what were they going to get in return? A career backup in Matt Cassel, who has started one season since high school—the same quarterback who was nearly cut by the Patriots before last season.

Now some point out that Cutler has never had a winning season, which Cassel did last year, and furthermore that Cassel had a higher completion percentage and fewer interceptions.

Remember, however, two things. First, Denver lost seven running backs to IR this past season. As we all know, of course, the Mike Shanahan offense operates based on the run setting up bootlegs and play action. Without a steady running back, this wasn't possible to set up, and that lowered Cutler's completion percentage and raised his chance to have interceptions.

Second, Cassel was stepping into a team that was 16-0 the previous season, so he should be expected to have a winning season.

It was even more suspicious that the quarterback who the Broncos would have theoretically received was the same that new coach Josh McDaniels worked with last season when he was the offensive coordinator in New England.

After the firing of Shanahan, it was clear that Pat Bowlen realized that the Broncos needed a new message. There were rumors flying that Bill Cowher was going to be hired, or that they might go after an experienced GM to have great expertise in player evaluation. There could not have been too much of a shortage of established coaches who were drooling at the chance to run a team with Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler, and running back TBA.

Instead, Bowlen hired rookie coach McDaniels and a first-time GM in Brian Xanders. Right away it was clear that McDaniels wanted his own stamp on the team. Like a lion who takes control of a pride and kills all of the cubs born from another alpha, McDaniels cut half of the sorry defense and began signing over-the-hill safeties and Miami Dolphins backups.

But the head coach's pride was too much to work with a starting quarterback and former first round pick that he had not selected or developed. Cutler had said previously that he was looking forward to learning and working with McDaniels' elaborate offense, and Brandon Marshall had said he expected great things from this team in 2009.

All over ESPN and in columns, it has been said that these trade talks were just speculation, pointing out that the Broncos have said they did not approach anyone, they just listened to offers, and Cutler is being a crybaby.

But look at what the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning said when there were trade rumors and offers circling about elite forward Vinny Lecavalier:

"We're not going to trade Vinny Lecavalier, I'm going to say, 'never,' so I don't have to deal with it...You can usually say you should never say never, but because people have taken such liberties with that whole deal, we never shopped Vinny Lecavalier. Did people ask about him? Of course. Who wouldn't? Were we actively calling teams? No. We never did and we never will."

That is a message that will shut down rumors, and it did for the most part. Plus, it is a vote of confidence and loyalty to a fan favorite. And this is the Tampa Bay Lightning, not exactly a poster boy for successful franchises. You don't get the right to pick Steve Stamkos first overall by being great.

Last season against the Chargers, in the infamous Ed Hochuli game, Jay Cutler rolled to the side and tried to throw the ball, but it slipped out. Everyone knew it was a fumble—the defense, the fans, even Cutler himself. Only Hochuli, positioned behind him, thought it was an incomplete pass and blew the whistle, deadening the play.

Last weekend, rookies McDaniels and Xanders dropped the ball and tried to convince everyone it was an incomplete pass. We're not falling for that twice.