The Jay Cutler trade buzz really started to rev up once it became clear he probably wasn't coming back for another season in 2017. While many Chicago Bears fans remain faithful to the belief he can still be that guy the team wins with, the fact is he's burned through one too many opportunities. It's been eight years. He had some good cracks at it, but for one reason or another couldn't finish the job.
Thus the conversation must shift to how the Bears move on from him. Of course the discussions to that topic center on who is replacement will be. Is Jimmy Garoppolo that guy? Tony Romo? A draft pick? Those answers will come in due time. A more imminent issue is what happens with Cutler. Namely whether he's tradeable.
Veteran quarterbacks can be difficult to move, especially if they've got expensive contracts. Then again Cutler might be a special case given he still has a lot of juice in that right arm. His current deal no longer has any guaranteed money attached to it either. Some teams may be willing to take that risk, provided the cost isn't outrageous.
It turns out that not one but two teams might be in position for such a move.
The New York Jets
More recent of the two, this is actually an older idea fans have tried to get going for months. Most of the Cutler-to-Jets hype centered around the simple connections he shared with former teammates Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte. New York seems to have gotten some good juice out of veteran Bears in recent years. Thomas Jones 10 years ago. Marshall in 2015. Forte last year. This team has well-documented quarterback woes. Ryan Fitzpatrick crashed back to earth. Bryce Petty failed his audition. Christian Hackenberg might still be their future but many rumors indicate he's still far from ready. Cutler could represent a nice bridge option until that changes. Even so, those were flimsy connections to start with. That may be about to change according to MMQB columnist and NFL insider Albert Breer. https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/828729134260043777 This is a fascinating twist because Bates, as it turns out has a bit of a history with Cutler. A good portion of it being the productive kind. https://twitter.com/NFLFilmStudy/status/828733064222298112 [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Jay-Cutler-Highlights.mp4"][/video] Bates was also with the Bears for a year in 2012 as quarterbacks coach. Cutler wasn't overly prolific on the stat sheet but he did go 10-5 as a starter. So it's safe the say the two have had some success together. If the Jets are indeed looking for a short-term fix until they can get a younger QB ready, then this isn't a bad idea. Especially if they plan to dump Marshall, what with he and Cutler having a falling out prior to his exit from Chicago.The San Francisco 49ers
It turns out New York wasn't the only destination that Jay has been attached to over the past week. Before that there was a legitimate run of rumors that he could ship out west to the San Francisco 49ers. At the time there really wasn't anything substantial to back that up. That is until ESPN analyst Dan Graziano foresaw the same thing and stated his belief it will happen."Well, unless new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan can swing a trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, he'll have to go with a secondary solution. He's on record saying he's looking for a "pure thrower," and whatever else Cutler may or may not be, he's that. Cutler isn't the long-term answer in San Francisco, but Shanahan and general manager John Lynch are getting six-year contracts. Their long-term quarterback solution could still be in high school."If anything this makes even more sense than the Jets. For one the 49ers will have more than enough money to handle Cutler's $16 million salary cap hit. Current estimates say they could have over $80 million in space, and that's before Colin Kaepernick opts out of his current contract. This will remove another $19.3 million from the books. So if anything the team is getting a discount. Then there is the Shanahan connection. Kyle Shanahan is head coach. His father, Mike Shanahan, was the man who drafted and developed Cutler during his first three years in Denver. They run similar offensive schemes. One that has turned Jay into a Pro Bowler once before. Why not try to see if it can happen again? Last but not least, his wife Kristin Cavallari is a prominent actress who lived a good portion of her life in California. The idea of returning there both for her career and her family? It's an added bonus that would make the trade even smoother. Keep in mind Cutler is turning 34-years old in April. The most he'll command is a late round pick in any deal. Still, if the Bears can get anything out of him at this point it would be considered a win.
