Jay Cutler Has Been Traded to the Chicago Bears: Was It the Right Move?

After the story broke, earlier this week, that the Denver Broncos were going to trade quarterback Jay Cutler, many potential suitors lined up to present an offer. 

It did not take long for the Broncos to find an offer they liked. 

Chicago is the new home of Jay Cutler.  The Bears needed to pony up two first-round picks—for the 2009 and 2010 seasons—a third rounder, for the 2009 season, and their starting quarterback Kyle Orton to land Cutler and revive the Bears in a competitive NFC.

The Chicago Bears have been a franchise without a Pro Bowl quarterback since Jim McMahon led them to the Super Bowl in 1985.  The acquisition of Cutler gives Bears fans hope that the team is moving in the right direction. 

However, is it the right decision?

For two seasons, Kyle Orton was the starting quarterback for Chicago and leaves with a 21-12 career record.  During his tenure he didn’t receive much help from the offensive team—in 2008, his two leading receivers were rookies RB Matt Forte and TE Gregg Olson.  He was never given a big name receiver to work with, someone who could make the difficult catch in traffic or the big play in crucial situations. 

Jay Cutler is walking into the same situation.

The Bears are still without a big-play receiver to whom Cutler can throw the ball.  Without someone to catch for him, it will be difficult to put up the same high numbers as he did in Denver—over 4500 yards and 25 touchdown passes. 

By not making a play for a receiver during free agency and trading away their first-round selection, where they were in line to pick a wide receiver, the Bears' offense will be limited in their play calling. 

Unless a young receiver like Rashied Davis can develop or Devin Hester can turn from a specialist to a full-time receiver and not a gimmick play maker. 

In any case, Cutler is likely to get frustrated with the system.  Cutler will soon feel Orton’s pain, and Orton gets to reap the rewards of a new situation.

Orton goes to Denver with a quarterback genius for a coach, some young and talented offensive weapons—Marshall, Royal, Tatum Bell and Mike Bell—and a team with two high draft picks that will most likely be used to upgrade the defensive side of the ball—which until now failed to deliver; Cutler was 13-1 in games where the Broncos surrendered 21 points or less. 

Though, Orton hasn’t filled the stat pages during his time in Chicago, he has a better chance to do so in Denver.

While the Bears may reap the rewards of this trade in the long-term, as Cutler seems to be a better weapon, the Broncos will not struggle with Orton behind center and with two high draft picks in the weaker AFC West.