No foolin' -- Cutler's divorce from Denver is not a one-sided issue

[Denver Native (Carol)]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80f8e2d7&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true

No further proof needed that Jay Cutler's impasse with the Broncos had nosedived into a free-falling split than their latest communication. Or lack of it.

Sources close to Cutler said of owner Pat Bowlen's announcement that his quarterback had failed to reply to phone calls by the Broncos over the last 10 days and that Cutler would be traded, that Cutler contends he has not received any such calls from the Broncos.

Sources close to Bowlen responded in five words: "We have the phone records."

Thus, it ends like it started, with differing views, opposite stories, bruised egos and mistrust. That extends to all parties. Thus, when Bowlen said early on in this drama that "it looks like we might lose our franchise quarterback," he was squarely on. And when Cutler conveyed soon afterward that his differences with new coach Josh McDaniels were irreparable and that a trade was the resolution, he was on point.

I am not buying for one second that this entire episode was orchestrated by Cutler's agent, Bus Cook.

That insults the intelligence and the mindset of Cutler. Cook works for Cutler. Cutler has said that he was not dismayed over McDaniels exploring options of trading him. Rather, he was miffed that the coach conveyed to him that he came to Denver in part to coach him, that they met soon after McDaniels' arrival and talked offensive schemes, that the coach lied to him about the trade talk and then, in their final meeting to patch things up, he felt as if the coach "antagonized" him.

It is clear that in that final meeting, McDaniels reiterated to Cutler that he could be traded like any player on the Denver roster at any point in the future if the coach felt it made the Broncos a better team. My question is: Why say that in a meeting to patch things up? Why say that at all?

Do you not think Cutler or any NFL quarterback knows they can be traded at any time? Do you think the Colts have said that to Peyton Manning, the Giants to Eli Manning, the Chargers to Philip Rivers? Why pick a fight in the middle of a fight?

Clarity is one thing, but clearly some things, if your intent is to build bridges, are better left unsaid. This brings us back to the question that few truly know the answer -- does McDaniels believe the Broncos are better off without Cutler?

If that is his thought, he is totally entitled to that conclusion.

Coaches have the right to let it be known in their organization who they can win with and who they cannot. And players, especially Pro Bowl quarterbacks, have the right to let it be known if they desire to have a long-term relationship with a coach or move on.

We are beyond the days where NFL players are purely teams' "property" and have no voice, no thought, no say. They either get on board or are shipped out. And if they choose not to get on board, well, they deserve that right as much as the team does when it sometimes ships out a player even when he is in tune.

Take another peek at free agency and the notion that players simply go where the biggest dollars exist. This was an original argument of free agency, that all of the best players would run to the largest NFL cities. Hall of Famer Reggie White leaping from Philadelphia to Green Bay in 1993 helped blow up that concept in the earliest stages of free agency.

Sure, some players move strictly for dollars, but a larger portion take into account the systems played, the players already in that system and, particularly, who is doing the coaching and what is the direction of the franchise. This is an issue that will play itself out with the Broncos during McDaniels' tenure as coach. Around the league, I believe players will look at this situation in upcoming seasons of free agency, form their view on how this situation played out with Cutler and McDaniels and consider it in their choice of whether to become a Bronco or not.

McDaniels has the chance to put any such queries to rest by putting on the field a united, focused team that plays hard for him. By winning. Quickly.

For Cutler, there could not be a happier resolution than getting to play close to his college town of Nashville, Tenn. How about a shot with the Titans? How about the Bears? Among several teams that Cutler would love to move on to, those teams have to be considered among his top choices. Of course, the Broncos and only the Broncos will decide where Cutler will be traded. And considering the money they have already invested in him, with what they are losing, with the financial considerations they must take on in a new quarterback, that is a well-deserved right of the franchise.

Finally, this notion that Cutler has shown too much immaturity and that a preponderance of NFL teams will be reluctant to jump in for his services is nonsense. NFL teams are too smart for that. They have had their own issues with their own players and realize that every situation is different. NFL teams see the rare talent Cutler possesses, understand he is a young quarterback who needs grooming like all young quarterbacks do and will think this one thoroughly through. And in the end, if they want him, they will bid fiercely to get him. I believe that will happen soon among a handful of NFL teams and the Broncos.

What a day for both Cutler and the Broncos. On a day full of practical jokes, with a trade now clearly unavoidable, this is far from a slapstick split.

[bcbronc]

why does every single article on the subject need it's own thread??

:tsk:

[Watchthemiddle]

why does every single article on the subject need it's own thread??

:tsk:

Its a new article....don't hate on Carol...:tsk:

[DenverBronkHoes]

why does every single article on the subject need it's own thread??

:tsk:

why is the sky blue?

[bcbronc]

Its a new article....don't hate on Carol...:tsk:

I'm not hating on Carol. I'm appreciative that she posts the articles. just asking if a new article couldn't have gone in an already existing thread. hard to keep up with the conversation when it's taking place in 7 different threads.

[G_Money]

Really? that's the only way I can keep up with any of the conversation, otherwise I'm 5 pages behind after sending a work email. :tsk:

~G

[CrazyHorse]

why is the sky blue?

Because of the way light refracts through the atmosphere.

[Watchthemiddle]

I'm not hating on Carol. I'm appreciative that she posts the articles. just asking if a new article couldn't have gone in an already existing thread. hard to keep up with the conversation when it's taking place in 7 different threads.

I hear ya, but I have seen her post new articles in an existing thread and it was washed over and no one even noticed it.

I personally like the "new" thread or article with the new news in it. That way we ALL don't keep re-hashing the "old" news over and over again.

[bcbronc]

I hear ya, but I have seen her post new articles in an existing thread and it was washed over and no one even noticed it.

I personally like the "new" thread or article with the new news in it. That way we ALL don't keep re-hashing the "old" news over and over again.

fair enough. I voiced my opinion on the matter and you and others feel the opposite. I can dig it.

[deacon]

It is clear that in that final meeting, McDaniels reiterated to Cutler that he could be traded like any player on the Denver roster at any point in the future if the coach felt it made the Broncos a better team. My question is: Why say that in a meeting to patch things up? Why say that at all?



You've gotta know the context. Maybe Jay asked for a guarantee he will never be traded? Kinda sounds like him. Of course McD and Bowlen would tell him they can't guarantee anything because they're gonna do what's best for the organization.

[silkamilkamonico]

You've gotta know the context. Maybe Jay asked for a guarantee he will never be traded? Kinda sounds like him. Of course McD and Bowlen would tell him they can't guarantee anything because they're gonna do what's best for the organization.

That was a huge deal, just like in the "conference call" when people were upset that McDaniels told Cutler what he needed to work on, and some people were just incensed that he would say that at that time.

Like he just cold out of the blue states "oh, btw Jay, you need to cut down on your turnovers...."

There's a lot of people here that don't understand "context" of conversation.

[atwater27]

Blistering article on the McDaniels regime. Let's just see if his "take no prisoners, two faced, I am God and you will all do as I say or be traded' charade works after he trades Cutler. I will be first in line to eat crow if he actually succeeds with the Broncos.

[Superchop 7]

Absolutely he antagonized him, lied to him, refused to patch things up.

Thats what scumbags do.

[Hawgdriver]

why does every single article on the subject need it's own thread??

:tsk:

In my opinion this deserves its own thread.

[turftoad]

Listen to the video in this linki

Klis said Cutler told one of his teammates that he would have liked to have stayed.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80f8e2d7&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true

[Lonestar]

I find the following perhaps the most telling..

Cutler has said that he was not dismayed over McDaniels exploring options of trading him. Rather, he was miffed that the coach conveyed to him that he came to Denver in part to coach him

Does this clown think he is above being coached?

[turftoad]

I find the following perhaps the most telling..

Cutler has said that he was not dismayed over McDaniels exploring options of trading him. Rather, he was miffed that the coach conveyed to him that he came to Denver in part to coach him

Does this clown think he is above being coached?

No, he was miffed that the coach came here in part to coach him them McD tried to trade him. That;s why he was miffed.

[Lonestar]

Listen to the video in this linki

Klis said Cutler told one of his teammates that he would have liked to have stayed.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80f8e2d7&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true


Then why did he not call Pat? he had a couple of weeks to do it..

[JONtheBRONCO]

Listen to the video in this linki

Klis said Cutler told one of his teammates that he would have liked to have stayed.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80f8e2d7&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true

Then show up for the workouts, camp, or whatever. Hold true to your word when you say "I play for my teammates not the coaches," show up to prove your boss and owner wrong, don't speak to the media like an impulsive 15 year old, don't stay in Nashville for 2 weeks, stop letting your agent speak for you, respond to phone calls, patch things up, be a man for christs sake.

Sorry, I don't buy it. This is bullshit. If he wanted to stay so bad, HE WOULD. He wouldn't request a trade if he told one of his teammates HE WOULD have LIKED to stay in Denver.

"Yeah, I would of loved to stay here, but, naa, sorry, I just, I just can't..."

We got wind of Cutler asking for a trade after the firing of Mike and Bates. In fact, his agent, Bussy Boy, denied a request for a trade after Mike got fired, then it was leaked he really did. I'm not going to believe AN AGENT, or a QB who stays at home and SKIPS workout with his teammates, REQUESTS for a trade, over a coach and an owner (<--- and a damn good owner) who have said over and over they'd like to meet with Cutler 1 on 1 to patch up the mishaps.

Stop letting his talent cloud your minds people, this guy is a jerk.

[Hawgdriver]

Stop letting his talent cloud your minds people, this guy is a jerk.

it's just a bad fit, JR.

[Hobe]

Really? that's the only way I can keep up with any of the conversation, otherwise I'm 5 pages behind after sending a work email. :tsk:

~G

Try coming home after a WHOLE DAY! :eek:

[omac]

Great article, Carol! :salute:

While fans have every right to believe players are being disloyal when they wanted to be traded to another team, players now have more say in their future and have every right to secure what they feel is a better situation, because it affects themselves and their families.

Cutler believes he'd do much better outside of McDaniels new regime, and as it's the right of a team to trade a player anytime they want, the player has the right to request a trade too. Just business both ways.

[hotcarl]

can we start another thread about this? i have some ideas

[Denver Native (Carol)]

can we start another thread about this? i have some ideas

Have at it - no one is stopping you :rolleyes:

[getlynched47]

why does every single article on the subject need it's own thread??

:tsk:

Why do people always have to whine about articles posted??

:coffee:

[claymore]

I find the following perhaps the most telling..

Cutler has said that he was not dismayed over McDaniels exploring options of trading him. Rather, he was miffed that the coach conveyed to him that he came to Denver in part to coach him

Does this clown think he is above being coached?

Talk about reading in to shit. Gosh Damn.

[WARHORSE]

Talk about reading in to shit. Gosh Damn.


Nice sig though.:D

[BroncoJoe]

I personally like new articles posted in their own threads. Makes it easy to read them, and not have to search through a 1,000 page thread to find the "good" stuff.

[Dean]

Then why did he not call Pat? he had a couple of weeks to do it..

Oh, you mean the owner who said it was Jay's team and that Jay was the man. Who said that there was no need to change the offense. Who after firing Shanahan said that he had called and talked to Cutler. The same owner who a little over a week ago suddenly couldn't remember having any conversations with Jay.

Jay might have mistakenly thought that Bowlen was as much of a liar as McKid. Maybe he had passed the point that thought he could work with the Broncos front office.

I guess there is no logical answer for your question JR.

[Lonestar]

Oh, you mean the owner who said it was Jay's team and that Jay was the man. Who said that there was no need to change the offense. Who after firing Shanahan said that he had called and talked to Cutler. The same owner who a little over a week ago suddenly remember having any conversations with Jay.

Jay might have mistakenly thought that Bowlen was as much of a liar as McKid. Maybe he had passed the point that thought he could work with the Broncos front office.

I guess there is no logical answer for your question JR..

then why did he comment that he wanted to stay?

if he did all he had to do it drop a dime.. if he did not because of what you stated then he should not have said he wanted to stay..

Can't have in both ways sir.. or can you

[claymore]

.

then why did he comment that he wanted to stay?

if he did all he had to do it drop a dime.. if he did not because of what you stated then he should not have said he wanted to stay..

Can't have in both ways sir.. or can you
Just like McD saying he is our QB. Bowlen is a wreck. We are the raiders east.

[BroncoJoe]

Just like McD saying he is our QB. Bowlen is a wreck. We are the raiders east.

I swear - one more reference like this is going to cause me to kill the person that stated it.

[Lonestar]

Just like McD saying he is our QB. Bowlen is a wreck. We are the raiders east.

denigrate your team all you want..


I'll cheer for the team Pat field this next year.. regardless of who is on it..

[omac]

.

then why did he comment that he wanted to stay?

if he did all he had to do it drop a dime.. if he did not because of what you stated then he should not have said he wanted to stay..

Can't have in both ways sir.. or can you

After the phone call with McDaniels, he was pissed, but believed they could patch things up. After the face-to-face meeting, he couldn't get the commitment he wanted from McDaniels and decided that a trade was best for his career.

[claymore]

denigrate your team all you want..


I'll cheer for the team Pat field this next year.. regardless of who is on it..

As will the rest of us. I will also root for whoever replaces pat cause I think pat is to old to manage the Broncos.

[claymore]

I swear - one more reference like this is going to cause me to kill the person that stated it.

Who had the better offseason? The raiders QB was a problem and they havent even mentioned trading him.

[getlynched47]

I swear - one more reference like this is going to cause me to kill the person that stated it.

Raiders East.

Dont threaten me either...it's against the CoC :coffee:

[Denver Native (Carol)]

http://www.denverpost.com/jaycutler/ci_12041793

Before he organizes his first practice or calls his first play, Josh McDaniels has an indelible Denver legacy: In his first three months on the job, he drove away the franchise quarterback.

Perhaps he'll be around long enough to overshadow that legacy with brilliant successes of his own. Perhaps not. But in the colorful history of audacious rookie coaches, McDaniels just made the top 10.

The character traits are entirely different, but for Jay Cutler, McDaniels turned himself into Frank Kush, the coach John Elway refused to play for in Baltimore, prompting the trade that launched the Broncos' golden age.

Blame Cutler for immaturity if you like. Blame him for overreacting to trade talks. But know this: Cutler's refusal to communicate with Broncos brass over the past 10 days was not a fit of pique. It was the result of a calculated decision that he doesn't want to play for this guy.

McDaniels may never have wanted him to. We really don't know. The young coach's mealy-mouthed assurances — "Jay Cutler is our quarterback" — were reminiscent of Bill Clinton. They actually depended on what the meaning of "is" is. They made it impossible to know what he really thinks. Cutler may have been petulant, but at least he was honest.

McDaniels' power play in his first few weeks as an NFL head coach was as audacious as it was puzzling. Did no one ever tell him that the first priority of a rookie coach should be to develop good working relationships with his key veterans?

The notorious trade talks for Matt Cassel did not ruin this relationship all by themselves. McDaniels might have overcome those with a concerted effort he never made. Rather, it was pride, and it was arrogance.

McDaniels refused to clue Cutler in before those talks, refused to come clean afterward and refused to the end to be the bigger man, to admit he had fumbled the ball and try to make it right.

Assuming this is not a reflection of rank incompetence, you have to conclude he wanted this outcome. You have to assume he believes he's better off with another quarterback, whoever that might turn out to be.

And so you are left to choose between the football acumen of McDaniels and Mike Shanahan, the man who saw Cutler as a franchise player.

Owner Pat Bowlen put the onus on Cutler in his statement Tuesday night, much as McDaniels did last week at the owners' meetings.

In a certain myopic sense, they're right. Cutler could have shrugged it all off and returned. But when you're counting on a 25-year-old player to be the bigger man than your head coach, your organization has the usual dynamic backward.

Just as McDaniels cannot admit his mistakes in dealing with Cutler, Bowlen is unwilling to consider that his whirlwind romance of McDaniels might have been a tad hurried.

A generation ago, forced to choose between a coach and a franchise quarterback, Bowlen chose the quarterback, firing Dan Reeves. A generation later, he chose the coach. You may say Cutler is no Elway, but there's another difference, too: Reeves wasn't Bowlen's hire. McDaniels was. For Bowlen, too, this looks all about pride.

For Broncos fans, it is no longer about who did what. It is about the good of the team. And the Broncos are about to lose the only asset that distinguished them from a bad football team.

This is not to re-engage the Cutler argument. Yes, he had a losing record as a starter. Yes, the Broncos had two of the worst defenses in their history over that span. Yes, when the defense performed, Cutler's record was stellar. We know all this. Everyone is entitled to an opinion about Cutler's ability and potential.

But given Shanahan's opinion, which carried a lot of weight in this town until three months ago, Cutler's replacement becomes the crucial question. Generally speaking, you don't disparage a player before trying to trade him.

So now we'll see how McDaniels picks up the pieces. He can demand a veteran quarterback as part of the Cutler deal or he can prepare to draft a quarterback later this month and go with Chris Simms for now.

Maybe this is the way he wanted it — to be rid of Cutler and able to blame him for the split at the same time. But that will work for fans only if McDaniels manages to build a competitive team around his new guy.

In his first three months on the job, the Broncos' new coach has driven off the franchise quarterback and made it difficult to believe anything he says. Give him this: Dude works fast.

[BroncoJoe]

Raiders East.

Dont threaten me either...it's against the CoC :coffee:

:laser:

You're dead to me.

[getlynched47]

:laser:

You're dead to me.

:lol:

[BroncoAV06]

I am upset that Cutler is not going to be the QB next year, that does not mean I am not going to root for the Broncos, we all have the rights to voice our opinions on either side but to say people are not fans because god forbid they actually like a player and see a 25 year old franchise QB as something that a team could really use, well so be it.

Indeed neither side has loked good and the end is near that I hoped would not happen. Makes you think what the whole point of getting an offensive minded head coach was.

[getlynched47]

http://i469.photobucket.com/albums/rr59/getlynched47/McDanielsBook.png
:coffee::coffee::coffee::coffee::coffee:

[Northman]

why does every single article on the subject need it's own thread??

:tsk:

Because Carol starts it. :lol: