Denver Native (Carol)
03-24-2009, 02:03 PM
I hope this has not already been posted.
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11980843
"Yes, he's our quarterback," Josh McDaniels said Monday.
"He's our quarterback. Period," the Broncos' coach repeated.
Gosh, Josh, will Jay Cutler be your quarterback on April 17 when the Broncos' first mandatory mini-camp begins?
McKid Coach, will Jay-C be Denver's QB on April 25, the first day of the NFL draft? On July 24, the opening of Broncos training camp? On Sept. 13, the first Sunday afternoon game of the Broncos' 2009 regular season?
Josh McDaniels, will Jay Cutler be "He's our quarterback" in the Broncos' historic first (NFL) Thanksgiving home game?
"He's our quarterback," McDaniels said in a (league- mandated) interview with the NFL Network on Monday at the owners meetings. "We can't predict the future. He's our quarterback. We want him to be our quarterback."
So, it should be clear to everybody that Jay's "Our Quarterback."
At least, for now, today — but it's early.
What if the Kansas City Chiefs text message McDaniels this afternoon and offer Matt Cassel straight up for Cutler? What if the New York Jets beg for Cutler in exchange for the Nos. 17 and 52 picks in the draft? What if the Chicago Bears propose swapping the No. 18 selection and Kyle Orton to Denver?
He may not be "Our Quarterback" anymore.
"Every decision we make is based on trying to do what's best for the football team in order for us to win and improve," McDaniels said.
In another (league-ordered) interview with The Post and other media today, McDaniels possibly will expand on his statement that Cutler is "one of our better, our best players. He's a good leader, and we look forward to having him back with us."
Cutler should be on the shortlist with Champ Bailey, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal and . . . uh. The list is very short. But Bailey, Marshall (despite a potential half-season suspension) and Royal did not have their names tossed around in trade talk. (Wonder how they would react?)
"Good leader"? McDaniels and others haven't thought much of Cutler's leadership lately. "Looking forward to have him back"? Cutler didn't go anywhere, although McDaniels thought about sending him somewhere, which caused the brouhaha.
But the coach seems to be trying to make nice.
McDaniels told me weeks ago that he is able to "text message," which could have been depicted as a rip job (but wasn't) of predecessor Mike Shanahan, who had admitted he didn't know how to text message.
So McDaniels text messaged Cutler the other day, and Cutler didn't respond, according to an NFL source. A text message is for ordering a pizza or replying to a fishing buddy, not for contacting "our quarterback." Pick up the phone, Josh, or fly to Nashville.
The word I get is that the Broncos won't trade Cutler, although the laughing hyenas are circling and drooling, knowing Cutler instantly would help teams in Tampa, Detroit, Washington, St. Louis, Cleveland, San Francisco, Buffalo, Washington, Chicago, New York (Jets) . . . need I go on?
Meanwhile, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen told Mike Klis of The Post he doesn't want to get "involved." Involved?! This is the same owner who held up the Super Bowl trophy and said it was for the quarterback and fired the coach because he wanted to be more "involved."
The owner has taken the Nero approach, grabbing a fiddle while the Broncos burn.
And there is the case of backup quarterback Chris Simms, who told Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star- Telegram "it's a crazy situation" with the Broncos.
"If you open the paper here in Denver, or turn on the radio, you definitely hear a lot about the whole situation, and deservedly so. It's the Denver Broncos, and it's Jay Cutler, who is definitely one of the top five best quarterbacks in the NFL. . . . Who knows the real story?"
Simms does understand such a story. In 2005, Simms, then 25, replaced Brian Griese, who was injured, as Tampa Bay's starting quarterback and led the Bucs to the playoffs. However, in the third game of the next season, he suffered a ruptured spleen, almost died and didn't play the rest of the season. When Simms returned in 2007, coach Jon Gruden didn't want him on the team. Simms said at the time: "The relationship between me and Coach Gruden, it's broken. And I don't see any way it's going to get better."
At the end of the 2007 season, Simms was released. At the end of the 2008 season, Gruden was fired.
McDaniels and Cutler should talk to "our other quarterback" about coach-quarterback rapport.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11980843
"Yes, he's our quarterback," Josh McDaniels said Monday.
"He's our quarterback. Period," the Broncos' coach repeated.
Gosh, Josh, will Jay Cutler be your quarterback on April 17 when the Broncos' first mandatory mini-camp begins?
McKid Coach, will Jay-C be Denver's QB on April 25, the first day of the NFL draft? On July 24, the opening of Broncos training camp? On Sept. 13, the first Sunday afternoon game of the Broncos' 2009 regular season?
Josh McDaniels, will Jay Cutler be "He's our quarterback" in the Broncos' historic first (NFL) Thanksgiving home game?
"He's our quarterback," McDaniels said in a (league- mandated) interview with the NFL Network on Monday at the owners meetings. "We can't predict the future. He's our quarterback. We want him to be our quarterback."
So, it should be clear to everybody that Jay's "Our Quarterback."
At least, for now, today — but it's early.
What if the Kansas City Chiefs text message McDaniels this afternoon and offer Matt Cassel straight up for Cutler? What if the New York Jets beg for Cutler in exchange for the Nos. 17 and 52 picks in the draft? What if the Chicago Bears propose swapping the No. 18 selection and Kyle Orton to Denver?
He may not be "Our Quarterback" anymore.
"Every decision we make is based on trying to do what's best for the football team in order for us to win and improve," McDaniels said.
In another (league-ordered) interview with The Post and other media today, McDaniels possibly will expand on his statement that Cutler is "one of our better, our best players. He's a good leader, and we look forward to having him back with us."
Cutler should be on the shortlist with Champ Bailey, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal and . . . uh. The list is very short. But Bailey, Marshall (despite a potential half-season suspension) and Royal did not have their names tossed around in trade talk. (Wonder how they would react?)
"Good leader"? McDaniels and others haven't thought much of Cutler's leadership lately. "Looking forward to have him back"? Cutler didn't go anywhere, although McDaniels thought about sending him somewhere, which caused the brouhaha.
But the coach seems to be trying to make nice.
McDaniels told me weeks ago that he is able to "text message," which could have been depicted as a rip job (but wasn't) of predecessor Mike Shanahan, who had admitted he didn't know how to text message.
So McDaniels text messaged Cutler the other day, and Cutler didn't respond, according to an NFL source. A text message is for ordering a pizza or replying to a fishing buddy, not for contacting "our quarterback." Pick up the phone, Josh, or fly to Nashville.
The word I get is that the Broncos won't trade Cutler, although the laughing hyenas are circling and drooling, knowing Cutler instantly would help teams in Tampa, Detroit, Washington, St. Louis, Cleveland, San Francisco, Buffalo, Washington, Chicago, New York (Jets) . . . need I go on?
Meanwhile, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen told Mike Klis of The Post he doesn't want to get "involved." Involved?! This is the same owner who held up the Super Bowl trophy and said it was for the quarterback and fired the coach because he wanted to be more "involved."
The owner has taken the Nero approach, grabbing a fiddle while the Broncos burn.
And there is the case of backup quarterback Chris Simms, who told Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star- Telegram "it's a crazy situation" with the Broncos.
"If you open the paper here in Denver, or turn on the radio, you definitely hear a lot about the whole situation, and deservedly so. It's the Denver Broncos, and it's Jay Cutler, who is definitely one of the top five best quarterbacks in the NFL. . . . Who knows the real story?"
Simms does understand such a story. In 2005, Simms, then 25, replaced Brian Griese, who was injured, as Tampa Bay's starting quarterback and led the Bucs to the playoffs. However, in the third game of the next season, he suffered a ruptured spleen, almost died and didn't play the rest of the season. When Simms returned in 2007, coach Jon Gruden didn't want him on the team. Simms said at the time: "The relationship between me and Coach Gruden, it's broken. And I don't see any way it's going to get better."
At the end of the 2007 season, Simms was released. At the end of the 2008 season, Gruden was fired.
McDaniels and Cutler should talk to "our other quarterback" about coach-quarterback rapport.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com