This is a response to a friend:
I knew you’d respond to my comment that the bears got Cutler for nothing. When there were first discussions regarding the bears getting Cutler, I said that if they got Cutler, other great free agents would come to the bears to play with him, since the bears always have a good defense and now they’d have a good offense. Other great players would see the potential for winning. I was proven right on this with Peppers and Marshall (who wanted to play with Cutler), and others, such as Chester Taylor (who didn’t work out) were interested since they saw the potential. I said I’d give up 5 first-round draft choices in a minute for Cutler, because the other great players who would sign would take their place. Plus, the bears have a relatively bad record with first-round draft choices anyway. So, let’s just take Peppers. I don’t believe he comes to the bears if Cutler isn’t here. So, let’s see, would you rather have Cutler and Peppers or two first-round draft picks and a third round pick? Anyone who even has to think about this doesn’t understand football. Cutler was 25 years old and had just thrown for 4500 yards. He was obviously going to be an elite QB for the next 10 years, and any team he went to would be able to contend if they surrounded him with players. Are you going to actually tell me that Kyle Orton was a loss when you can get Cutler? Getting Cutler made the bears an instant contender when they wouldn’t have been with Orton or others. So, getting Cutler and the ability to contend for the next 10 years wasn’t worth FAR MORE than those picks and Orton? Everything I said would happen if the bears got Cutler before they even got him has come true. They gave up far less than they should have, they became an instant contender, other great players want to come to the bears, etc. I said it before and I’ll say it again. Five first-round picks would have still been a steal for the bears. Elite QBs are very difficult to get, and the money you would spend on first-round picks can be spent on proven great veterans who can compete immediately and who want to come to the team. You need an elite QB to compete in the current NFL. The bears weren’t serious contenders before Cutler got there, and wouldn’t be now if they still had Orton. You sound like all the other writers, etc. who were saying the bears gave up a lot to get Cutler! Again, do you want Cutler and Peppers, or those draft picks? I’m not even adding Marshall to the equation, or Bush, the running back, or the others that will also sign because Cutler made the bears a contender. Once again, I was proven right on what I said would happen. And, as I told you, thanks to Ted Thompson, Cutler is on the bears instead of the Browns. The Broncos wanted Brady Quinn, not Orton, but Cutler’s agent wouldn’t let him play for Mangini since he saw what Mangini did to Favre (his client) with his ridiculous conservative offense.