turftoad
03-16-2009, 10:14 PM
Sorry guys, yeah I know, another Cutler thread. However, this is one of the best ones I've read and thought it deserved it's own.
I didn't see it posted anywhere else:
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http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80f49d80&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true
Josh McDaniels met with his players on Monday morning for the first time as a group. And with the ruckus, the rumble already created between McDaniels and quarterback Jay Cutler, there is no way that some of those players left that meeting wondering if McDaniels said what they think he said and if he meant what he said.
Cutler -- who skipped the involuntary pow-wow -- already has his answer.
Cutler's version of the events that preceded his request for a trade and that has put the entire Denver Broncos organization in upheaval is that McDaniels is shady and a fraud. Cutler says that McDaniels, who replaced Mike Shannahan as Broncos head coach on Jan. 12, soon afterward told Cutler that he looked forward to working with him, then worked for a trade that would ship Cutler out and bring Matt Cassel in, then denied it, then said he did entertain talks but did not instigate them, then said Cutler would not be traded.
McDaniels was quoted in the Denver Post on Monday as saying: "Obviously, the trade went through with another team. We moved on. I'm not sure if that's where all the discontent stems from or not. I'm sure most of it does."
Huh?
Well, if he is not sure if that is where it all stems from, what else could it be? That maybe McDaniels watched Cutler act like a buffoon in the way he publicly handled his differences with Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers? Or the way Cutler stumbled his way into a silly discussion over whether his arm was stronger than John Elway's? Or the fact that Cutler is a winging quarterback who in the end will always force the ball, force things and not play the measured, coach-first style that McDaniels gleaned upon in New England?
No doubt, Culter is 25 years old and in some ways is as immature as his actions and age indicate. He needs nurturing as a man as much as he needs it at quarterback. That is a given.
But the onus is on the head coach in this one, because McDaniels did not accurately gauge who he was dealing with and what the fallout would become from a lack of solid communication from the get-go.
What McDaniels needed to do was call Cutler in as soon as Cassel became a topic and say this: Look, Jay, you know how you loved your relationship with Jeremy Bates as your offensive coordinator when he was here? And let's say Jeremy got an NFL head coaching job and Cassel was his quarterback. You think Jeremy would pick Cassel or you if he had a chance? Of course, he would pick you. I am going to take a look at getting Cassel. If that doesn't work, so be it, we will move forward."
Cutler's ego would have been injured, but his trust and respect for McDaniels' integrity would have remained intact.
But what McDaniels did was dangle and dip into a possible deal that would have brought Cassel in for more than $14 million and given up a draft choice while sending his quarterback packing and discussing this with two other teams with agents involved. No way that was not going to leak.
Quarterbacks and head coaches are linked at the hip, especially when the head coach serves as the chief offensive mind, as McDaniels will in Denver. Their days are often 15-hour ones spent together, mapping and building, tinkering and tutoring. You had better figure out what you have in your quarterback, especially his make-up. And Cutler is an intelligent young man with a degree from Vanderbilt. He is prideful and not the kind of person who accepts a lack of honesty in reality or appearance. His relationship with his coach means a ton to him, more than one with fans or a community. That trust is a backbone for Cutler, and, really, for most NFL quarterbacks.
McDaniels took a shot at getting Cassel and hoped it would remain quiet.
A shot in the dark that is now under steaming bright lights.
This is the story of a young quarterback and a young coach (McDaniels is 32) who both have soared early, who are both hotshots in what they do. Often, two young, bold minds clash rather than complement the other, especially when both jostle for an upper hand. These are two young people with similar passion and fire who wound up a colliding train.
Despite his age, the onus is on the coach.
He has to be the leader. He has to fix it. Solve the problem. Find a way to clear the air. Lead. Or grab him a new starting quarterback and move on. His general manager, Brian Xanders, only age 37, was obviously not a source of advisement to McDaniels that could have prevented this disarray.
Usually a first-year coach gets a honeymoon.
McDaniels has ensured his lasted for, oh, barely a couple of months. Part of his attraction is that for a young coach, he is a man of conviction and purpose.
Can he fix what is broken with Cutler or find a new answer?
And can he instill confidence and trust across the Broncos' locker room?
I do not think we have to wait long for both of those answers. Sure, the NFL is business. This was risky business that looks headed for more bizarre than benefit.
I didn't see it posted anywhere else:
------------------------------------------
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80f49d80&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true
Josh McDaniels met with his players on Monday morning for the first time as a group. And with the ruckus, the rumble already created between McDaniels and quarterback Jay Cutler, there is no way that some of those players left that meeting wondering if McDaniels said what they think he said and if he meant what he said.
Cutler -- who skipped the involuntary pow-wow -- already has his answer.
Cutler's version of the events that preceded his request for a trade and that has put the entire Denver Broncos organization in upheaval is that McDaniels is shady and a fraud. Cutler says that McDaniels, who replaced Mike Shannahan as Broncos head coach on Jan. 12, soon afterward told Cutler that he looked forward to working with him, then worked for a trade that would ship Cutler out and bring Matt Cassel in, then denied it, then said he did entertain talks but did not instigate them, then said Cutler would not be traded.
McDaniels was quoted in the Denver Post on Monday as saying: "Obviously, the trade went through with another team. We moved on. I'm not sure if that's where all the discontent stems from or not. I'm sure most of it does."
Huh?
Well, if he is not sure if that is where it all stems from, what else could it be? That maybe McDaniels watched Cutler act like a buffoon in the way he publicly handled his differences with Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers? Or the way Cutler stumbled his way into a silly discussion over whether his arm was stronger than John Elway's? Or the fact that Cutler is a winging quarterback who in the end will always force the ball, force things and not play the measured, coach-first style that McDaniels gleaned upon in New England?
No doubt, Culter is 25 years old and in some ways is as immature as his actions and age indicate. He needs nurturing as a man as much as he needs it at quarterback. That is a given.
But the onus is on the head coach in this one, because McDaniels did not accurately gauge who he was dealing with and what the fallout would become from a lack of solid communication from the get-go.
What McDaniels needed to do was call Cutler in as soon as Cassel became a topic and say this: Look, Jay, you know how you loved your relationship with Jeremy Bates as your offensive coordinator when he was here? And let's say Jeremy got an NFL head coaching job and Cassel was his quarterback. You think Jeremy would pick Cassel or you if he had a chance? Of course, he would pick you. I am going to take a look at getting Cassel. If that doesn't work, so be it, we will move forward."
Cutler's ego would have been injured, but his trust and respect for McDaniels' integrity would have remained intact.
But what McDaniels did was dangle and dip into a possible deal that would have brought Cassel in for more than $14 million and given up a draft choice while sending his quarterback packing and discussing this with two other teams with agents involved. No way that was not going to leak.
Quarterbacks and head coaches are linked at the hip, especially when the head coach serves as the chief offensive mind, as McDaniels will in Denver. Their days are often 15-hour ones spent together, mapping and building, tinkering and tutoring. You had better figure out what you have in your quarterback, especially his make-up. And Cutler is an intelligent young man with a degree from Vanderbilt. He is prideful and not the kind of person who accepts a lack of honesty in reality or appearance. His relationship with his coach means a ton to him, more than one with fans or a community. That trust is a backbone for Cutler, and, really, for most NFL quarterbacks.
McDaniels took a shot at getting Cassel and hoped it would remain quiet.
A shot in the dark that is now under steaming bright lights.
This is the story of a young quarterback and a young coach (McDaniels is 32) who both have soared early, who are both hotshots in what they do. Often, two young, bold minds clash rather than complement the other, especially when both jostle for an upper hand. These are two young people with similar passion and fire who wound up a colliding train.
Despite his age, the onus is on the coach.
He has to be the leader. He has to fix it. Solve the problem. Find a way to clear the air. Lead. Or grab him a new starting quarterback and move on. His general manager, Brian Xanders, only age 37, was obviously not a source of advisement to McDaniels that could have prevented this disarray.
Usually a first-year coach gets a honeymoon.
McDaniels has ensured his lasted for, oh, barely a couple of months. Part of his attraction is that for a young coach, he is a man of conviction and purpose.
Can he fix what is broken with Cutler or find a new answer?
And can he instill confidence and trust across the Broncos' locker room?
I do not think we have to wait long for both of those answers. Sure, the NFL is business. This was risky business that looks headed for more bizarre than benefit.