getlynched47
03-16-2009, 11:43 AM
http://cbs4denver.com/broncos/trade.cutler.denver.2.960109.html
DENVER (CBS4) ―
Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler and Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels botched what should have been a make-up meeting on Saturday morning, and now the situation has spiraled even further out of control.
Cutler has now flown out of Denver; his agent is expected to formally request a trade; Cutler will not attend the start of the team's voluntary off-season workout program Monday, and he says that he will not report to the Broncos facility until the first mandatory mini-camp sometime in late April or early May.
This situation is perilous for both Cutler and McDaniels.
While each man clearly believes that "justice" is on his side of the argument, people are watching this feud and drawing their own conclusions. Obviously public opinion has an impact on ticket sales for the Broncos and endorsement opportunities for Cutler. But this feud also directly affects their ability to play and coach in the NFL.
McDaniels is a young, first-time coach, and while there's no doubt that he has the football expertise to run an offense, there are serious questions about whether he has the managerial skills necessary for the job.
Although the rift with Cutler is the issue that has drawn the most public attention, I've spoken to several Broncos players who believe that McDaniels sabotaged his credibility in the locker room when he cut long-snapper Mike Leach and signed former Patriots long-snapper Lonnie Paxton to a $2 million contract.
Leach has proven to be among the most reliable snappers in the NFL, and replacing him seemed completely unnecessary and out of step with the message that a new coach should be sending to his team.
The players who were drafted or signed by the previous coach want to believe that the new coach will judge them based on their ability to perform on the field. But when McDaniels got rid of Leach it sent a very clear message that no matter how well the veterans performed, the new coach would cut them and pay more money to get players with whom he was more familiar.
Engaging in trade talks for Cutler was another McDaniels mistake. It's true that any player on any team is subject to trade, but this particular trade didn't make any sense. McDaniels wanted to ship Cutler to Tampa Bay in a three-way deal that would have brought then-Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel to Denver.
This is a carbon-copy of the Leach exchange, only worse. At least Leach and Paxton have similar ability. There was no reason to swap them out, but at least it wasn't a downgrade.
In the proposed Cutler-Cassel exchange, McDaniels would have been putting a less talented player under center, and the only rationale is the McDaniels is familiar with Cassel.
Again, the message to the Broncos veterans is clear: Your ability and performance on the field are irrelevant. McDaniels will replace you with someone less talented if he has had a longer relationship with that person.
This feud has the potential to doom McDaniels first stint as a head coach.
This dispute is dangerous for Cutler's career, too. He's supposed to be the leader of this team, and at some point he has to decide whether it's more important to keep fighting this personal crusade or to step up and act like a team leader.
The off-season workout program is an important period of bonding for players. There are a lot of new players on the Broncos roster. Every day that Cutler is not there, he loses another opportunity to earn the respect of his teammates. They will acknowledge him as a leader because he's the quarterback, but acknowledgement and respect are not equivalent terms.
Cutler also risks alienating other teams. For weeks, Cutler's tantrum has been a story in the national media and that could affect his future in the NFL. Everyone knows that Cutler is an extremely talented quarterback, but how many coaches want a signal caller who will frequently and publicly defy them?
Coaches are part of a small and tight fraternity and they empathize with each other. Each of them was a first-time coach at one point in his career, so they understand what McDaniels is going through. None of them will appreciate the fact that Cutler is going so far out of his way to undermine McDaniels' authority.
It's bad enough when a wide receiver, a running back or a defensive player throws tantrums or otherwise creates distractions, but when it's the guy who touches the ball on every offensive play, that's much harder for a team to manage.
Before all of this started, the only teams that wouldn't have wanted Cutler were those that already had a franchise quarterbacks. Every other team would have viewed Cutler as an upgrade. But now, there's probably a much shorter list of teams who are prepared to deal with the tantrums and PR fiascos that Cutler might bring with him.
Plus, this feud is eroding Cutler's trade value. Every team knows that he doesn't want to be in Denver, so the Broncos might not get as much as if Cutler was publicly content. The only thing that can save his value now is if two or three teams start competing for him.
But are there two or three teams out there who a) need Cutler, b) want Cutler despite his tantrums, and c) have something that the Broncos would accept in exchange for Cutler?
and that ESPN article further makes it more evident that McDaniels is not helping this situation out the way he should. Get off of Cutler's back...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3983805
EDIT: I saw this posted in another thread...so credit goes to that person that posted it first :salute:
DENVER (CBS4) ―
Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler and Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels botched what should have been a make-up meeting on Saturday morning, and now the situation has spiraled even further out of control.
Cutler has now flown out of Denver; his agent is expected to formally request a trade; Cutler will not attend the start of the team's voluntary off-season workout program Monday, and he says that he will not report to the Broncos facility until the first mandatory mini-camp sometime in late April or early May.
This situation is perilous for both Cutler and McDaniels.
While each man clearly believes that "justice" is on his side of the argument, people are watching this feud and drawing their own conclusions. Obviously public opinion has an impact on ticket sales for the Broncos and endorsement opportunities for Cutler. But this feud also directly affects their ability to play and coach in the NFL.
McDaniels is a young, first-time coach, and while there's no doubt that he has the football expertise to run an offense, there are serious questions about whether he has the managerial skills necessary for the job.
Although the rift with Cutler is the issue that has drawn the most public attention, I've spoken to several Broncos players who believe that McDaniels sabotaged his credibility in the locker room when he cut long-snapper Mike Leach and signed former Patriots long-snapper Lonnie Paxton to a $2 million contract.
Leach has proven to be among the most reliable snappers in the NFL, and replacing him seemed completely unnecessary and out of step with the message that a new coach should be sending to his team.
The players who were drafted or signed by the previous coach want to believe that the new coach will judge them based on their ability to perform on the field. But when McDaniels got rid of Leach it sent a very clear message that no matter how well the veterans performed, the new coach would cut them and pay more money to get players with whom he was more familiar.
Engaging in trade talks for Cutler was another McDaniels mistake. It's true that any player on any team is subject to trade, but this particular trade didn't make any sense. McDaniels wanted to ship Cutler to Tampa Bay in a three-way deal that would have brought then-Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel to Denver.
This is a carbon-copy of the Leach exchange, only worse. At least Leach and Paxton have similar ability. There was no reason to swap them out, but at least it wasn't a downgrade.
In the proposed Cutler-Cassel exchange, McDaniels would have been putting a less talented player under center, and the only rationale is the McDaniels is familiar with Cassel.
Again, the message to the Broncos veterans is clear: Your ability and performance on the field are irrelevant. McDaniels will replace you with someone less talented if he has had a longer relationship with that person.
This feud has the potential to doom McDaniels first stint as a head coach.
This dispute is dangerous for Cutler's career, too. He's supposed to be the leader of this team, and at some point he has to decide whether it's more important to keep fighting this personal crusade or to step up and act like a team leader.
The off-season workout program is an important period of bonding for players. There are a lot of new players on the Broncos roster. Every day that Cutler is not there, he loses another opportunity to earn the respect of his teammates. They will acknowledge him as a leader because he's the quarterback, but acknowledgement and respect are not equivalent terms.
Cutler also risks alienating other teams. For weeks, Cutler's tantrum has been a story in the national media and that could affect his future in the NFL. Everyone knows that Cutler is an extremely talented quarterback, but how many coaches want a signal caller who will frequently and publicly defy them?
Coaches are part of a small and tight fraternity and they empathize with each other. Each of them was a first-time coach at one point in his career, so they understand what McDaniels is going through. None of them will appreciate the fact that Cutler is going so far out of his way to undermine McDaniels' authority.
It's bad enough when a wide receiver, a running back or a defensive player throws tantrums or otherwise creates distractions, but when it's the guy who touches the ball on every offensive play, that's much harder for a team to manage.
Before all of this started, the only teams that wouldn't have wanted Cutler were those that already had a franchise quarterbacks. Every other team would have viewed Cutler as an upgrade. But now, there's probably a much shorter list of teams who are prepared to deal with the tantrums and PR fiascos that Cutler might bring with him.
Plus, this feud is eroding Cutler's trade value. Every team knows that he doesn't want to be in Denver, so the Broncos might not get as much as if Cutler was publicly content. The only thing that can save his value now is if two or three teams start competing for him.
But are there two or three teams out there who a) need Cutler, b) want Cutler despite his tantrums, and c) have something that the Broncos would accept in exchange for Cutler?
and that ESPN article further makes it more evident that McDaniels is not helping this situation out the way he should. Get off of Cutler's back...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3983805
EDIT: I saw this posted in another thread...so credit goes to that person that posted it first :salute: