2014-15 NFC North/NFL Thread

[Lennys Tap]

Urlacher: Jay Cutler hasn't produced

"Financially, he is one of the elite guys in the NFL. ... He just hasn't produced like an elite quarterback," Urlacher said.

"You look at the Bradys, the Mannings, the Rodgers, the Brees, those guys win every year, even with no one around them," Urlacher said. "Rodgers has no offensive line. He wins. [Tom] Brady has no receivers. He wins.

"And you look at Jay. He's got Brandon [Marshall], Alshon [Jeffery], Matt [Forte], this great offensive line, Martellus Bennett, and they can't seem to put it together, for some reason. I'm not sure if that's his fault, but for some reason, they just can't figure it out."

The man makes a point.

[NavinRJohnson]

The other night after countless references to the Packers, Bears, ARodg, Cutler, etc...Eddie Vedder donned a Packer jersey and closed out an absolutely epic set with a song just for Jay...

http://www.youtube.com/v/Ecl-m0dwRaM?version=3&hl=en_US

[Dish]

I hope whatever happens, CBS never gets rid of Mike Carey. That guy is awesome, I love replay reviews on Thursday nights now.

[jesmu84]

ho hum... another Thursday night blowout.

[ChicosBailBonds]

ho hum... another Thursday night blowout.

Missed you the last two weeks.......of course tonight had the best team in the NFL playing at home so they are usually going to win that game handily.

Good to see Mike Carey has brought Dish back to watching Thursday night football...I was worried.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Must be because he's gay, ain'a?

All I care about is that he isn't very good right now.  Undersized, not strong enough, and we need guys that can play.  With as weak a pass rush as Dallas has, if he can't break into the lineup that doesn't bode well.

Wish the young man well.  Dallas was the perfect team to go to, it's a circus 24/7 for them and everything is already a distraction, so adding Sam is basically business as usual...jus one distraction among 50 every week. 

Personally, I blame Roger Goodell

[jesmu84]

Missed you the last two weeks.......of course tonight had the best team in the NFL playing at home so they are usually going to win that game handily.

Good to see Mike Carey has brought Dish back to watching Thursday night football...I was worried.

That's because the last 2 weeks were closer games. 6 out of 8 however, have been significantly one-sided.

[MU82]

Urlacher: Jay Cutler hasn't produced

"Financially, he is one of the elite guys in the NFL. ... He just hasn't produced like an elite quarterback," Urlacher said.

"You look at the Bradys, the Mannings, the Rodgers, the Brees, those guys win every year, even with no one around them," Urlacher said. "Rodgers has no offensive line. He wins. [Tom] Brady has no receivers. He wins.

"And you look at Jay. He's got Brandon [Marshall], Alshon [Jeffery], Matt [Forte], this great offensive line, Martellus Bennett, and they can't seem to put it together, for some reason. I'm not sure if that's his fault, but for some reason, they just can't figure it out."

Though Urlacher pretty much stole the Bears' money at the end of his career, and was insulted that they "only" offered $2 million for one final season, he of course is right here.

Brady had just about zero support last season and still won. Great QBs find a way. Not that anyone with any brain ever compared Cutler to Brady or accused Cutler of being a great QB!

[NavinRJohnson]

Brady had just about zero support last season and still won. Great QBs find a way. Not that anyone with any brain ever compared Cutler to Brady or accused Cutler of being a great QB!

Those who negotiated his contract appear to have done just that.

[Dish]

Missed you the last two weeks.......of course tonight had the best team in the NFL playing at home so they are usually going to win that game handily.

Good to see Mike Carey has brought Dish back to watching Thursday night football...I was worried.

That's cute! Your football prowess far exceeds my feeble pace, your concern is appreciated!

[JWags85]

Those who negotiated his contract appear to have done just that.

Again?  He got paid market rate in a front loaded, team friendly deal.  Its in line with guys like Stafford, Dalton, Rivers, and even Alex Smith.

People just need to take away Urlacher's mic.  His jilted girlfriend schtick is getting really old.

[NavinRJohnson]

Ummm....no.

Rodgers - $61M guaranteed
Brady - $57guaranteed (actually $33M)
Manning - $58M guranateed
Cutler - $54M guaranteed

Stafford - $41M guaranteed
Dalton - $17M guaranteed
Rivers - $38M guaranteed
Smith - $45M guaranteed

Not nearly as relevant, but the 3-year APY's also very much in line with Rodgers, Brady, etc.

[wadesworld]

Ummm....no.

Rodgers - $61M guaranteed
Brady - $57guaranteed (actually $33M)
Manning - $58M guranateed
Cutler - $54M guaranteed

Stafford - $41M guaranteed
Dalton - $17M guaranteed
Rivers - $38M guaranteed
Smith - $45M guaranteed

Not nearly as relevant, but the 3-year APY's also very much in line with Rodgers, Brady, etc.

Ssssshhhhh.  You're just a Cutler hater/cheesehead.  It's not a bad deal, right in line with what he should get, and he's not a bad quarterback.

[MerrittsMustache]

Ummm....no.

Rodgers - $61M guaranteed
Brady - $57guaranteed (actually $33M)
Manning - $58M guranateed
Cutler - $54M guaranteed

Stafford - $41M guaranteed
Dalton - $17M guaranteed
Rivers - $38M guaranteed
Smith - $45M guaranteed

Not nearly as relevant, but the 3-year APY's also very much in line with Rodgers, Brady, etc.

Matt Ryan - $59M guaranteed
Tony Romo - $55M guaranteed
Joe Flacco - $51M guaranteed

I'd put Cutler in the same class as those guys.

It's easy to look at the contract and say that Cutler is overpaid but the problem the Bears faced is that they didn't have any better options at QB, especially with Cutler coming off of the best statistical season of his career. The team is built to win now so drafting Bridgewater or Manziel to learn on the fly wasn't in the cards. The top QB FAs out there were the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Michael Vick and Mark Sanchez. Trading for an unproven Ryan Mallet wouldn't have been an upgrade. The Bears paid what they had to in order to have the best possible starting QB. If they hadn't given Cutler that contract then Houston, Tennessee (he lives in Nashville), Oakland, Minnesota, Tampa (Lovie!) or the Jets (Jay and Rex in NYC!) would have given him at least that much money, if not more. Did the Bears overpay for Cutler? Probably. But what would have been a better option?

[ChicosBailBonds]

That's cute! Your football prowess far exceeds my feeble pace, your concern is appreciated!

Just hoping you are enjoying the product.  My football prowess does not exceed your pace, it is good to see you were able to watch the game on Thursday, a good game in my opinion.  Close at the half, SD had some chances to get back in it late it seems.  Personally, I was unable to watch so I appreciate you doing it....had a community project where we were helping to build out a school playground. 

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Matt Ryan - $59M guaranteed
Tony Romo - $55M guaranteed
Joe Flacco - $51M guaranteed

I'd put Cutler in the same class as those guys.

It's easy to look at the contract and say that Cutler is overpaid but the problem the Bears faced is that they didn't have any better options at QB, especially with Cutler coming off of the best statistical season of his career. The team is built to win now so drafting Bridgewater or Manziel to learn on the fly wasn't in the cards. The top QB FAs out there were the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Michael Vick and Mark Sanchez. Trading for an unproven Ryan Mallet wouldn't have been an upgrade. The Bears paid what they had to in order to have the best possible starting QB. If they hadn't given Cutler that contract then Houston, Tennessee (he lives in Nashville), Oakland, Minnesota, Tampa (Lovie!) or the Jets (Jay and Rex in NYC!) would have given him at least that much money, if not more. Did the Bears overpay for Cutler? Probably. But what would have been a better option?

They could have franchised him from year to year.

They would overpay, but limit their risk because they could walk away.

I actually kind of like Jay, but I can't quite figure out why he's not better, and why his teams don't win more. Maybe he really is Jeff George 2.0. We can all see the talent, but it never seems to create many wins.

[brandx]

They could have franchised him from year to year.

They would overpay, but limit their risk because they could walk away.

I actually kind of like Jay, but I can't quite figure out why he's not better, and why his teams don't win more. Maybe he really is Jeff George 2.0. We can all see the talent, but it never seems to create many wins.

Brian Urlacher's critique -- that Cutler is "elite" only in terms of how much money he earns jibes with responses from 26 coaches and personnel evaluators polled in the offseason. None of the 26 placed Cutler in the first tier. Ten put him in the second tier. Sixteen put him in the third tier. Cutler came in 17th out of the 32 quarterbacks projected to start in Week 1. He currently ranks 13th out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks in Total QBR.

[MerrittsMustache]

They could have franchised him from year to year.

They would overpay, but limit their risk because they could walk away.

I actually kind of like Jay, but I can't quite figure out why he's not better, and why his teams don't win more. Maybe he really is Jeff George 2.0. We can all see the talent, but it never seems to create many wins.

That's a good point about the tag and the cap hit would be roughly what it is these first few years anyway. Although, it would also likely lead to a disgruntled QB and a potential hold-out. Players typically don't want to be franchise tagged.

Jeff George had a career winning percentage of .371 compared to Cutler's .531.

As a Chicago sports fan, Jay Cutler reminds me the most of Carlos Zambrano - tremendous amounts of raw talent but unable to consistently put it all together, prickly personality, divisive figure among his own team's fans, hated by opposing fans, just as likely to look like a HOFer as to self-destruct, too much talent for the team to let him go but not completely confident counting on him in a clutch game/situation. After these next 3 seasons, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Cutler had led the Bears to the SB or if he's out of the league completely.

[NavinRJohnson]

Brian Urlacher's critique -- that Cutler is "elite" only in terms of how much money he earns jibes with responses from 26 coaches and personnel evaluators polled in the offseason. None of the 26 placed Cutler in the first tier. Ten put him in the second tier. Sixteen put him in the third tier. Cutler came in 17th out of the 32 quarterbacks projected to start in Week 1. He currently ranks 13th out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks in Total QBR.

That I think is essentially the point. He's paid like a top 5 guy, but plays like a top 15 guy. Top 15 isn't necessarily bad. A top 15 guy may not often be the primary reason a team loses games, but a top 5 guy is most definitely the primary reason a team wins games.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

That's a good point about the tag and the cap hit would be roughly what it is these first few years anyway. Although, it would also likely lead to a disgruntled QB and a potential hold-out. Players typically don't want to be franchise tagged.

Jeff George had a career winning percentage of .371 compared to Cutler's .531.

As a Chicago sports fan, Jay Cutler reminds me the most of Carlos Zambrano - tremendous amounts of raw talent but unable to consistently put it all together, prickly personality, divisive figure among his own team's fans, hated by opposing fans, just as likely to look like a HOFer as to self-destruct, too much talent for the team to let him go but not completely confident counting on him in a clutch game/situation. After these next 3 seasons, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Cutler had led the Bears to the SB or if he's out of the league completely.

Ya, his demeanor makes him tough to love, but his arm makes him tough to leave.

I understand why a team would want him... but at this point, the guy is who he is. He's an above average QB with great physical talent, poor fundamentals, and prickly demeanor.

You can't pay him on potential anymore. That's where the Bears are caught. Tough spot.

[wadesworld]

That's a good point about the tag and the cap hit would be roughly what it is these first few years anyway. Although, it would also likely lead to a disgruntled QB and a potential hold-out. Players typically don't want to be franchise tagged.

Jeff George had a career winning percentage of .371 compared to Cutler's .531.

As a Chicago sports fan, Jay Cutler reminds me the most of Carlos Zambrano - tremendous amounts of raw talent but unable to consistently put it all together, prickly personality, divisive figure among his own team's fans, hated by opposing fans, just as likely to look like a HOFer as to self-destruct, too much talent for the team to let him go but not completely confident counting on him in a clutch game/situation. After these next 3 seasons, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Cutler had led the Bears to the SB or if he's out of the league completely.

The Zambrano comparison is pretty good actually.  I agree with everything you said other than the last sentence.  I think it is very unlikely he is out of the NFL in 3 years, and I think it is far, far less likely that he leads a team to a Super Bowl.  He's just not a guy that is going to do that.  You can't turn the ball over as much as he does and win 3 or 4 games in a row against the toughest competition in the NFL.  He is a guy who has the talent to lead a team over a Super Bowl contending team, but to do it 4 straight weeks (the Playoffs), will never happen.

[jesmu84]

That I think is essentially the point. He's paid like a top 5 guy, but plays like a top 15 guy. Top 15 isn't necessarily bad. A top 15 guy may not often be the primary reason a team loses games, but a top 5 guy is most definitely the primary reason a team wins games.

Because of the timing of the end of his contract, and the other available QB options out there, he was going to be paid like a top 5 QB by someone. And, as pointed out already, he was the best QB option for the Bears right now.

Be objective and tell us what you think they should have done differently.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Final Thursday night numbers in for CBS.

I'm guessing they and the NFL are quite pleased.


http://news.yahoo.com/big-audiences-cbs-thursday-night-nfl-games-204614403--spt.html

[Loose Cannon]

Because of the timing of the end of his contract, and the other available QB options out there, he was going to be paid like a top 5 QB by someone. And, as pointed out already, he was the best QB option for the Bears right now.

Be objective and tell us what you think they should have done differently.

I think you made your point.  But that's in the rearview mirror.  Going forward is the Only option we have is to ride this horse until he can't run.  What is there for Plans B.. C or do we just sit and stare?  Anyone!

[Dish]

The sun rose today. The sky is still blue.

That is all. Carry on.