A Definite Solution to the Jay Cutler Fiasco

For any Broncos fans scratching their heads and wondering why the Broncos are dragging their heels with Jay Cutler, I have a theory.

I’m sure all the doubt surrounding the Broncos signal caller’s future is giving Pat Bowlen’s accountant an almighty headache.

Until this feud broke, Cutler's 2009 season represented one of the best deals for any team in the history of the NFL. OK Cutler is due a $4 million dollar roster bonus in 2010, and a $12 million dollar roster bonus in 2011, but for 2009 anyway, he represents real value for Denver.

This year Cutler is due just $1.035 million, veritable chump change in NFL terms. He was also due a $100,000 roster bonus, but he already forfeited that by declining to attend the team’s first voluntary offseason camp.

Such a bargain basement salary for such a key player is a dream come true for those that balance the books in Denver. Plenty of cap room is left for free agency signings and the big money contracts expected by high draft picks.

Also, the Broncos are not the Redskins. While money isn't scarce and Pat Bowlen hsa more than a few bucks, the organisation's coffers are stretched at present.

What this means is Denver literally cannot “afford” to trade Cutler this year. It makes absolutely no sense for them. If they trade him for players and draft picks they can afford, then there is no way they bring to Denver the calibre of player that they should expect in return for parting with someone of Cutler’s talents.

However if someone comes along and offers them a real package for Cutler, they can't make that deal either, because they simply cannot afford to pay the big money that a group of star players and/or high draft picks would expect.

To illustrate the point, let’s say the Broncos trade Cutler to the Browns. They can probably just afford to make this trade if they accept Brady Quinn and Shaun Rogers in return. But even then, Rogers and Quinn are going to take up a ton of cap room for the foreseeable future and this deal, for many people, still does not represent adequate compensation for Cutler’s true value.

A fairer trade would probably send Derek Anderson (who is a far better fit in a Josh McDaniels system than Quinn), Shaun Rogers, Braylon Edwards, and the Browns first-round pick (No. 5) in the draft to Denver, in return for Cutler and Tony Scheffler.

OK, Denver probably gets the edge on this deal, but the point is, even if I am now overstating Cutler’s value, this proposal wouldn’t just be expensive for the Broncos, it would be financially impossible.

In other words the market just isn’t right for a trade for Cutler at the moment from a Broncos perspective, even if they really want to deal him. They don’t want to make the trade they can afford and cannot afford the trade they'd want to make.

Neither Pat Bowlen nor Josh McDaniels are stupid (although this is an extraordinary set of circumstances they’ve managed to arrive at) and Peter King, writing for Sports Illustrated this morning, has already listened to other NFL coaches say what the Broncos management know all too well themselves.

“Funny thing is, around the lobby and meeting rooms, I couldn't find any coach who thought the Broncos should even think of trading Cutler,” King wrote in SI.

"Say you're the Broncos, and Tampa Bay offers you two ones [two first-round picks] plus [second-year quarterback] Josh Johnson for Cutler,'' one NFC coach told King. "Denver makes the deal and picks a quarterback with one of the ones. You've traded the best young quarterback in football for two guys who might have a chance, but might be washouts, too. Denver's problem is they could never get fair value for him.''

So what to do?

Well the answer is actually so obvious I can’t believe I am yet to read it in print.

Cutler is under contract in Denver. And there is nothing he or Bus Cook can do about this. His only option if he wants to make things completely impossible for the Broncos is to sit out the season. Cook has already gone on record to say Cutler will turn up at the Broncos' first mandatory workout in late April.

In other words, it doesn’t look like Cutler will go as far as to actually cut off his nose to spite his face.

In any case, for the reasons given above, the Broncos simply cannot trade him this year.

So Bowlen and McDaniels should simply ask Jay Cutler to give the Broncos a season. And if Cutler is still unhappy this time next year, if the relationship between quarterback and coach is still not fixed, both parties can go their separate ways knowing that, in at least giving the relationship a chance, they did right by themselves, the fans, and the city of Denver. And what’s more, neither will have lost anything.

Cutler will have had another year to develop in the NFL and, because his physical tools are not in dispute, will still be as desirable for other teams as he is now. People will respect the fact that he stuck it out in Denver and any question marks over his attitude will have been answered.

The Broncos will have time to re-jig their player remuneration structures and would be in a much better position to accommodate a trade for Cutler which represents his true value.

And, best of all, there would be no “what ifs” for either side.

But, I guarantee you, if Cutler stays, responds to McDaniels' spread offence next season, and the Broncos start winning, no one will be going anywhere.