Cutler requests to be traded.

[madd futher mucker 36]

Per Rotoworld:

 

Jay Cutler confirmed late Sunday that he will not report to offseason training on Monday and has formally requested a trade from the Broncos.

 

Also:

Owner Pat Bowlen acknowledged Sunday that he's disappointed" in Jay Cutler and says the Broncos "might lose our star quarterback."

 

"I'm disappointed in the whole picture," Bowlen said, also confirming that he steadfastly supports coach Josh McDaniels' handling of the situation. Bowlen may have been turned off by Cutler's refusal to answer the owner's phone call. Cutler reportedly won't show for offseason conditioning, and the paper suggests that he may be asking for a new contract as a sign of "commitment." The Broncos have taken a hard-line approach this far, so that seems highly unlikely.

[Gepetto 1,454]

Updated: March 16, 2009, 12:26 AM ET

Cutler says he can't trust McDaniels

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By Chris Mortensen

ESPN.com

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Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler said Sunday night that he will not report to the team's first meeting on Monday and has formally asked to be traded. He confirmed that a Saturday meeting with first-year coach Josh McDaniels ended badly from his perspective while McDaniels offered another viewpoint on Sunday night.

 

"I went in there with every intention of solving the issue, being a Bronco, moving forward as a Bronco," Cutler said. "We weren't in there but about 20 minutes, [McDaniels] did most of the talking and as far as I'm concerned, he made it clear he wants his own guy. He admitted he wanted Matt Cassel because he said he has raised him up from the ground as a quarterback. He said he wasn't sorry about it. He made it clear that he could still entertain trading me because, as he put it, he'll do whatever he feels is in the best interest of the organization.

 

Jay Cutler said while new Denver coach Josh McDaniels hasn't been critical of him, Cutler can no longer trust McDaniels and requested a trade.

 

"At the end of the meeting, he wasn't like, 'Jay, I want you as our quarterback, you're our guy.' It felt like the opposite. He basically said that I needed to tell him if we can't work this out, to let him know," Cutler added. "I thought he was antagonizing me and that was disappointing because I was ready to move on, committed as a Bronco. Really, I figured we'd hash things out, shake hands, laugh a little and move forward. What happened [saturday] was the last thing I expected. If I didn't think it could be fixed, I never would have come back to Denver. It was painfully obvious to me and Bus [Cook, his agent] it's not something they want to fix."

 

Consequently, Cutler instructed Cook, who also attended the meeting, to formally request a trade. The quarterback said he left town late Sunday and would skip McDaniels' first team meeting on Monday as they begin their offseason program.

 

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen told the Denver Post on Sunday that he was disappointed with how Cutler has handled the situation. In a telephone interview with ESPN, McDaniels was reluctantly expansive on the story.

 

"I really have wanted to avoid a he-said, she-said thing but it's only fair for us to present the Bronco side of the story rather than let things get taken out of context," McDaniels said. "There's been a pattern here for the past two weeks the way things [have been represented] in our communications. I don't think anythng that happened [saturday] was out of the ordinary. At the end of the meeting, Jay said he had thought about things quite a bit and requested a few more hours to mull things over. He said he wanted to talk to Bus on how to proceed. He was gonna call me on my cell phone and that never happened. Instead, Bus called [GM] Brian [Xanders].

 

"Again, I think that's been a pattern. I couldn't get [Cutler] to talk to me for two weeks or to talk to Mr. Bowlen. Then when he came here this weekend, we couldn't get a one-on-one meeting, just me and him alone. He wanted Bus in there, so I had Brian sit in, too. And it was the four of us. There wasn't any yelling, none of that. I can't believe we get to a totally different [interpretation].

 

"It's an unfortunate set of circumstances that has cropped up, a potential distraction and we've done our best to limit that. The main message I want to get out is that we're excited to start our offseason program [Monday]. It's an exciting time for us."

 

Cutler won't be present at the team meeting.

 

"I certainly went back there, expecting I'd be there [Monday] but not now," Cutler said. "It's not mandatory. I'll attend every mandatory mini-camp and training camp but that's it. Really, it's best for me to move on. As coach said, he needs every eye in the meeting room to be on him and not me."

 

As McDaniels pointed out, Cutler had a completely different expectation when he left their private meeting on Saturday.

 

Cutler said: "You know, even after the meeting, I hung around town, kind of expecting him to call me and say, 'Hey, let's just me and you get away and have lunch or a cup of coffee' and mend things, but that didn't happen. So, I get it, really, it's a business. I'm disappointed beause I love being a Bronco but I think it's run its course."

 

Cutler denied recent reports that he had asked to be traded when the Broncos fired offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.

 

"Yes, I was upset when they let Jeremy go because Mr. Bowlen had assured me when Mike [shanahan] was fired that the offense wouldn't change because it was the second-ranked offense in football," Cutler said. "But I didn't push for a trade then."

 

McDaniels and Cutler agreed on at least one element of the controversy, knocking down a Sunday report on NFL Network that the coach had criticized the quarterback's play in 2008.

 

"That just isn't true," McDaniels said. "Not a word has been said about that."

 

Cutler added: "Josh has never said anything negative to me about my play or anything else, for that matter."

 

McDaniels admitted that the team got involved in trade discussions for Cassel, who instead was dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he said any perception Cutler felt that the team could still trade him was misleading.

 

"That's what we have communicated ever since the deal with Cassel didn't happen," McDaniels said. "Other teams have called but we're not interested in getting draft picks for Jay. I never made a statement [saturday] that 'you can be traded at any time.' They asked a question and I told them it was the time of year when people inquire about your team. Your job, as a head coach and general manager, is to listen and not bypass any opportunity to help your team improve. I think most people [in the NFL] feel the same way. You make smart, educated decisions that are best for your football team."

 

Cutler feels like McDaniels lost his credibility with him when he initially denied to the quarterback that the Broncos tried to acquire Cassel only to admit it later.

 

"Before this trade for Cassel thing ever came up, in the two weeks or so I had spent with McDaniels, he was basically telling me that he came to Denver because he wanted to coach me and that we needed to trust each other," Cutler said. "He's never been critical to me. But trust now? How can I trust him now?"

 

He also explained that his house being put up for sale was "nothing more than a coincidence."

 

"I had already shown my house privately to some interested buyers a couple of months ago," Cutler said. "I've really been looking to buy 40 to 70 acres of land there."

 

As for ignoring phone calls from McDaniels and Bowlen, Cutler said: "Josh and I have exchanged text messages. We had a conference call. And if Pat wanted to speak to me, why didn't he come to the meeting on Saturday?"

 

Cook said that as an agent he was "totally in shock" that it has gotten so ugly.

 

"I would have bet my house going into Saturday's meeting that everyone would be shaking hands and smiling," Cook said. "I thought it was going to get worked out. But it was very clear to me that Jay Cutler is not their choice to be quarterback of that team."

 

Yet Cook admitted that when he called Xanders to request a trade on Saturday night, the team's general manager said it wasn't going to happen and that "Jay should show up Monday."

 

That wasn't going to happen, either.

 

Chris Mortensen is a senior NFL analyst for ESPN.

[Gepetto 1,454]

Doesn't sound like Cutler is crying to me. Sounds like Denver's new coach is shady. Cutler will go on to have a great career. If Cutler is traded away, Denver will suck for some time.

[Natetradomus 0]

Doesn't sound like Cutler is crying to me. Sounds like Denver's new coach is shady. Cutler will go on to have a great career. If Cutler is traded away, Denver will suck for some time.

 

lol they suck with him

[RaiderHaters Revenge 4,543]

so new coaches see that hes a mediocre QB and look to find someone who fits their system better.

 

and Cutler continues to cry

[TUM301 10]

Cutler is disappointed and upset, well too bad. Guy thinks he`s John Elway after 2 seasons

[Larry David 20]

I didn't realize that Cutler has a no-trade clause in his contract. Oh that's right, he doesn't. That means you can be traded at any time genius. This guy is quickly becoming the biggest poosay in the league. "So, I get it, really, it's a business" You think so?

[Sho Nuff 720]

Is anyone going to ever want to deal with another Bus Cook represented QB?

2 in 2 years asking for trades and getting their feelings hurt by teams...much of it played out in the media before the team and player could get together to try to resolve something.

[Durtee 0]

Bad news for Denver.....but good news for the Lions

[Belushi 9]

How do you let something like this get out of hand with your franchise QB? I mean, these guys aren't exactly easy to find. Alex Smith, Joey Harrington, Ryan Leaf - stud QB's are a crap-shoot. And you are a brand new head coach and you alienate your starting QB? Maybe I could understand someone like Parcells pulling this - he's got the background to tell people how things are going to be. I don't know who's fault it is, but the Broncos should just suck it up and try to get back on Cutler's good side. Yeah, he's under contract. But what else does that team have if Cutler isn't around this year - WR likely suspended, no running game, and a crap defence. Cutler is the only thing making that team competitive.

[swamp dog 0]

it's probably past the point of no return now. that it got this far out of hand is something all parties--cutler, broncos, media--have a part in.

 

yeah, this would have went away had cutler just swallowed and forgave...but mcdaniel's conduct comes across as clueless...what a trainwreck! this guy in the early going is reminding me of shula's kid a few years back when the bungals gave him a shot at hc.

 

here's hoping the lions can capitalize on this. might not go down until draft day, though.

[NewbieJr 541]

Wow. McDaniels is sure off to a rough start. Denver's problems are many, from teh horrible defense to their stud receiver being an immature thug. Cutler was the one positive thing that organization had. Sure, Cutler's a bit immature, too, but that has been well-established and McDaniels should have handled this situation with kid gloves, especially after he was aware that McDaniels wanted Cassel. You had an insecure, young QB who was just looking for some val;idation and security and mCDaniels failed in giving him that.

 

Fayle.

[Phurfur 70]

1. Cutler sure is acting like a leader!

2. McDaniels sure is acting like a leader!

 

The Denver Bronco fans are the losers here.

[parrot 789]

Is anyone going to ever want to deal with another Bus Cook represented QB?

2 in 2 years asking for trades and getting their feelings hurt by teams...much of it played out in the media before the team and player could get together to try to resolve something.

 

 

Everytime anything has happened in this saga, Cutler and Cook have immediately run to the media. Pretty obvious they saw a slight opening and have manufactured the whole "controversy".

[Sho Nuff 720]

 

Everytime anything has happened in this saga, Cutler and Cook have immediately run to the media. Pretty obvious they saw a slight opening and have manufactured the whole "controversy".

 

And funny how it is Mort reporting alot of it...similar to the way Favre used Mort and Werder to report nearly everything.

[berven 0]

Inexperienced leaders often believe that they have to act authoritarian and inflexible to convince others that "I'm in charge." McDaniels is making himself look bad, and making the situation worse, by refusing to acknowledge that the situation could have been handled better. Bowen is making it worse by staunchly backing whatever his new coach says or does. The end result will likely be that the Broncos draft a promising quarterback, develop him until he becomes a Pro Bowl quarterback, and then trade him. That's not something that happens very often. As a GM said when Brees hit the market, it's unusual for a talented QB just entering his prime to become available.

 

As far as the media, they are always circling overhead, ready to pounce on any such situation and goad both sides to escalate. In today's world, journalists have largely become mere gossip columnists, whether they're covering sports, politics, or anything else. The Broncos should expect sports reporters to squeeze every drop of juice out of this. We'll still be reading about this when spring becomes summer.

 

I actually have gotten a kick out of Cutler's striking back. Nothing wrong with a little revenge; it's not like anybody's suffering bodily harm or anything. I'm sure it's also occurred to Jay that a new gig will likely mean a new contract. NOTE TO JAY: Do NOT go to Detroit. Harrington used to be considered promising and now he's a career backup. Mooch used to be considered a great coach, and now he doesn't even get interviewed. You'd be better off backing up Tarvaris and Sage in Minnie and waiting for your opportunity--which would come in about two weeks--than to be handed the keys in Detroit.

[wiffleball 4,797]

Cutler is disappointed and upset, well too bad. Guy thinks he`s John Elway after 2 seasons

 

Actually has better numbers than Elway did after 2 seasons.

[wiffleball 4,797]

Inexperienced leaders often believe that they have to act authoritarian and inflexible to convince others that "I'm in charge." McDaniels is making himself look bad, and making the situation worse, by refusing to acknowledge that the situation could have been handled better. Bowen is making it worse by staunchly backing whatever his new coach says or does.

 

Agreed. I've been thinking a lot about this situation, flipping back and forth on who's really most at fault. I was thinking about it this weekend.

 

Sometimes, "being the bigger man" means backing the fock down. Right now, they're in a pissing match. - A Coach should never let it get that far. Rigth now, the trend in the NFL is the young HC. Hell, there's always some trend in the NFL. But we saw the downside to that with Kiffin. We're seeing that with McDaniel. Look at what Shwartz did with Bart Scott; Scwartz, a brand new HC, stood in Scott's driveway right at the FA deadline and basically begged the guy to come play for him.

 

Is Jay being petulant and petty? Sure. But let's face it, most QB's are prima donnas. And somewhat rightfully so, the team revolves around them. For a guy who put up the 2nd, 3rd best offense in the league last year, - to suddenly face being traded for Derek Anderson 2.0 - JUST so McDaniels can have a safety blanket. - Well, of the two, McDaniels seems to have caused most of the problem. He shouldn't have focked with one of the FEW positions on that team that was solid. THEN he shouldn't have tried to lie his way out of it. This whole situation was completely unecessary.

 

McDaniels needs to step up and be a bigger man. If Bowlen does it, it undercuts his rookie HC. McDaniels needs to get on a plane and if need be - stand in Jay's driveway like Jon Cusack in "Say Anything". - Whatever it takes to get this behind everyone and move on. it sounds like Saturday, McDaniels was still doing the pissing match thing. - You have to lose some battles to win the war. Older coaches know that, Rookies don't.

 

Because right now, there's a lot of hurt feelings, miscommunication, testosterone - and frankly, McDaniels needs a pro-bowl QB more than Cutler needs a few more million dollars. There's a crapload of coaches out there. Damn few quality NFL QB's.

[The Moz 71]

Cutler while not a top 5 QB IMO is a top 10 QB and those don't grow on tree's

[swamp dog 0]

this reminds of the godfather scene when mike wacks solozzo:

 

"i just want a guarantee my father will alright" (re: i'm your guy, right?)

 

"what guarantees can i give--i'm the hunted one" (re: fock you, i'll do whatever the hell i want)

 

mike shoots solozzo in the head (cutler demands trade).

 

the end.

[swamp dog 0]

this reminds of the godfather scene when mike wacks solozzo:

 

"i just want a guarantee my father will alright" (re: i'm your guy, right?)

 

"what guarantees can i give--i'm the hunted one" (re: fock you, i'll do whatever the hell i want)

 

mike shoots solozzo in the head (cutler demands trade).

 

the end.

[IGotWorms 4,063]

Cutler is a whiny puzzy. Is he seriously upset that the Broncos haven't shown him loyalty? It's a focking business--they will do whatever they need to do to improve the team, and if that means trading Cutler then that's just the way it is. Cutler needs to get over himself immediately.

 

As for McDaniels, I can understand--the guy came in and obviously doesn't think Cutler is as great a QB as most other people seem to (and for good reasons, Cutler makes stupid decisions at the worst possible times...kinda reminds me of Drew Bledsoe). So he tries to get his guy and makes a point that any player on the team can be traded. Fair enough, but McDaniels still handled this situation terribly. He tried to flex his authority and there is now a very real chance that it will completely blow up in his face. I guess he wanted to make his mark on the Broncos early, but this probably wasn't the best way to go about doing it.

 

Both sides = FAIL.

[wiffleball 4,797]

Gotta Love all these macho types who think Jay's a crybaby. It's just a business.

 

 

If McDaniels wants to wrap his fock up in THAT flag - it's just a business, good luck when it's 8 degrees outside at halftime of a losing effort and you whip out the old Knute Rockney speech. "We're not just coworkers! We're FAMILY! This is MORE than just a job!"

 

...and 52 guys do this in unison:

 

If it's just a business, every guy with a long term contract - especially the last one - will do just enough to get by. Anybody who thinks football is JUST a business, either never played or was never very good. I hear Golic say that - and yeah, the dude was never anymore than a journeyman who spent his entire 'career' just hoping not to get cut.

 

In early December, when Josh goes up to his 3rd string, 34 y.o Center with bad knees and says "We really need you guy. We'll rmember you at contract time."

 

- You think he'll believe that? "You were willing to shiitcan your Pro-Bowl hotshot, but yeah, I'm gonna go risk never being able to walk again on YOUR word..."

 

Agreed. Both sides FAIL. - But there's a shiitload more PROVEN coaches than there are Pro-Bowl QB's.

[berven 0]

Agreed. I've been thinking a lot about this situation, flipping back and forth on who's really most at fault. I was thinking about it this weekend.

 

Sometimes, "being the bigger man" means backing the fock down. Right now, they're in a pissing match. - A Coach should never let it get that far. Rigth now, the trend in the NFL is the young HC. Hell, there's always some trend in the NFL. But we saw the downside to that with Kiffin. We're seeing that with McDaniel. Look at what Shwartz did with Bart Scott; Scwartz, a brand new HC, stood in Scott's driveway right at the FA deadline and basically begged the guy to come play for him.

 

Is Jay being petulant and petty? Sure. But let's face it, most QB's are prima donnas. And somewhat rightfully so, the team revolves around them. For a guy who put up the 2nd, 3rd best offense in the league last year, - to suddenly face being traded for Derek Anderson 2.0 - JUST so McDaniels can have a safety blanket. - Well, of the two, McDaniels seems to have caused most of the problem. He shouldn't have focked with one of the FEW positions on that team that was solid. THEN he shouldn't have tried to lie his way out of it. This whole situation was completely unecessary.

 

McDaniels needs to step up and be a bigger man. If Bowlen does it, it undercuts his rookie HC. McDaniels needs to get on a plane and if need be - stand in Jay's driveway like Jon Cusack in "Say Anything". - Whatever it takes to get this behind everyone and move on. it sounds like Saturday, McDaniels was still doing the pissing match thing. - You have to lose some battles to win the war. Older coaches know that, Rookies don't.

 

Because right now, there's a lot of hurt feelings, miscommunication, testosterone - and frankly, McDaniels needs a pro-bowl QB more than Cutler needs a few more million dollars. There's a crapload of coaches out there. Damn few quality NFL QB's.

 

Exactly so. It's not just a question of which side is handling it better; it's a question of who has more to lose. The average starting QB earns much more than the average head coach. The reason? Supply and demand. It's much easier to fill the slot on the sidelines than the one under center. The Broncos need Jay much more than they need Josh.

 

Despite all the denunciations of Jay by NFL.com and ESPN analysts, my understanding is that Denver's phone rang off the hook when word got out that Cutler might be available. There are apparently a lot of GMs who will gladly accept a "whiny crybaby" who makes the Pro Bowl.

 

Here in Packerland, management lost a lot of credibility with fans for their clumsy handling of the Favre situation. This situation is worse, though. Favre was at the end of his career while Cutler is just coming into his own. I can't imagine what Denver will do for a signal-caller if Cutler leaves. Of course, Shanny built his reputation on his ability to run tailbacks on and off the field, succeeding with all of them. Maybe McDaniels wants to eclipse Shanny by doing the same thing with quarterbacks. Put Ramsey out there. If he gets hurt, give Jeff George a call.

[Skinny_Bastard 159]

I absolutely applaud Cutler for doing this.

How many times have we seen coaches, GM and owners destroy trust with their star players and pretend nothing has happen. They drew the line and effed up, now they have to pay the price.

 

Young franchise QBs entering their prime are rare and Cutler currently might be the best one in the game.

I hope they trade him. Detriot? Browns? I would love to see Cutler throwing 50 yard bombs to Megatron!!

[Skinny_Bastard 159]

Cutler is a whiny puzzy. Is he seriously upset that the Broncos haven't shown him loyalty? It's a focking business--they will do whatever they need to do to improve the team, and if that means trading Cutler then that's just the way it is. Cutler needs to get over himself immediately.

 

As for McDaniels, I can understand--the guy came in and obviously doesn't think Cutler is as great a QB as most other people seem to (and for good reasons, Cutler makes stupid decisions at the worst possible times...kinda reminds me of Drew Bledsoe). So he tries to get his guy and makes a point that any player on the team can be traded. Fair enough, but McDaniels still handled this situation terribly. He tried to flex his authority and there is now a very real chance that it will completely blow up in his face. I guess he wanted to make his mark on the Broncos early, but this probably wasn't the best way to go about doing it.

 

Both sides = FAIL.

 

You know who's the puzzy? The guy that got cheated on by his wife and STILL crawl his way back to the relationship.

I'm sure you don't mind your significant others sleeping around? YES! This is essentially what it is! The Broncos franchise out right LIED to Jay and was in bed with Cassel.

 

Jay is right for standing UP. Any real man will do this, especially the best YOUNG franchise QB in the game. The wuz are the ones that folds and pretend nothing has happened.

 

McIdiot and Xander had ONE shot to make it up this past weekend, but instead of hugs and kisses they speak of 'asking if Culter can STILL work with them?' What type of idiots are these? Belichick must have feed McIdiot pounds of fafa beans on how to become a good head coach in this league. Jezz Lousizzz...

[Skinny_Bastard 159]

Cutler while not a top 5 QB IMO is a top 10 QB and those don't grow on tree's

 

His numbers got to be ranked in the top 5 after only 2 years. No?

[wiffleball 4,797]

Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler is getting jerked around like a Shetland Pony at a six-year-old's birthday party.

 

Just to recap: Incredible young talent leads team to second-rated offense in the league last year. Has seven 300-plus yard games and one 400-plus yarder. Does it all while going through seven different running backs and a defense with more holes than a Tyler Perry plot. Makes the Pro Bowl. Becomes the leader of the team.

 

Then his coach gets fired. Then the guy calling his plays leaves town. Then he finds out his new coach -- a 32-year-old rookie -- is shopping him for a trade. In the NFL, if you're thinking of shopping your star, you better not get caught.

 

But the Rookie got caught.

 

Only The Rookie lies about it -- says he was only "listening to offers." Then, in a face-to-face with Cutler, the coach flip-flops. Says, "Yes, we were trying to trade you, so what?" Cutler gets torqued and says so. The world starts calling Cutler a "baby" and reminds him that "this is a business."

 

But now Cutler sees he's not wanted, can't trust his coach and is no longer the leader in his teammates' eyes. So his career is suddenly dropping like GE stock. His ability to perform has been shredded. So he says, "Trade me," and now he's spoiled? He needs to shut up and take it? How come it's a business for everybody but Cutler?

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/reillygofish

[Gepetto 1,454]

If I was starting a team and could have first choice of any player in the league to build my team around, I would choose Cutler. Youth, QB position, leader, determined, tough, scrambling ability, makes all the throws, doesn't back down from stupid newly aquired head coaches that lie to his face.

[Sho Nuff 720]

Look at what Shwartz did with Bart Scott; Scwartz, a brand new HC, stood in Scott's driveway right at the FA deadline and basically begged the guy to come play for him.

 

That was Rex Ryan (Scott's old coach) not Jim Schwartz.

 

Oh...and if the thing with Cutler first asking to be traded prior to any Cassel rumors is true...he is really being a biotch.

He supposedly asked to be traded after SHanny was fired...Cook, of course, denies it (though, he denied about everything about Favre as well)...If that part is true...and I have heard it multiple times by Peter King and some others now...then Cutler should shut the fock up.

[wiffleball 4,797]

That was Rex Ryan (Scott's old coach) not Jim Schwartz.

 

Oh...and if the thing with Cutler first asking to be traded prior to any Cassel rumors is true...he is really being a biotch.

He supposedly asked to be traded after SHanny was fired...Cook, of course, denies it (though, he denied about everything about Favre as well)...If that part is true...and I have heard it multiple times by Peter King and some others now...then Cutler should shut the fock up.

 

From everything I've read, the 'demanded to be traded' part is bullshiit. - And shows another error in the handling of the situation by the Broncos. This ain't a zero sum game Josh, you don't "win" by trashing your star QB's reputation just so you don't look quite as bad in the press. Think there's a REASON why we never heard that rumour until things went to shiit on the Cassell deal? That's a horseshit way to run an organization. Actually, it's a rookie way to run an organization - and that's exactly what Josh is.

[parrot 789]

From everything I've read, the 'demanded to be traded' part is bullshiit. - And shows another error in the handling of the situation by the Broncos. This ain't a zero sum game Josh, you don't "win" by trashing your star QB's reputation just so you don't look quite as bad in the press. Think there's a REASON why we never heard that rumour until things went to shiit on the Cassell deal? That's a horseshit way to run an organization. Actually, it's a rookie way to run an organization - and that's exactly what Josh is.

 

What have you read that indicates it's bullshiit? King is still reporting it. And McDaniels' version of how things transpired is markedly different from Cutler's.

 

"I would probably be really good for Jay, and I know he would be really good for me,'' McDaniels told me over the phone from Denver. "I think that's the part that's shocking to me.''

 

That it probably will never happen, he means.

 

It makes no sense. None. When the Broncos report for the start of their offseason program this morning at their plush complex south of town, Cutler will be a no-show. I reported recently that Cutler wanted to be traded after the Broncos lost both Mike Shanahan (fired) and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates (went to USC as offensive coordinator), and that message was delivered to the Denver front office. Now I expect Cutler, through agent Bus Cook, to reiterate his demand ... and what's more, I expect the Broncos to seriously consider it. Owner Pat Bowlen said Sunday night, "we might lose'' Cutler, though he was not specific about how, or why, or when, and Cutler told Chris Mortensen of ESPN he has asked Cook to formally request a trade.

 

Denver has to tread carefully here. McDaniels told me he is frustrated by Cutler's interpretation of a conference call and then an in-person meeting this weekend, and he still wants to talk with Cutler again face-to-face to see if they can iron out their differences. If McDaniels walks into his first meeting with his players this morning, and they think he's trying to kick Cutler to the curb, they're going to ask, "Why did Bowlen hire this idiot?''

 

But in the end, Denver will have to strongly consider trading Cutler. If you're a rookie coach, as McDaniels is, and you've got to set the right tone for the team, how can you have a quarterback who doesn't want to be there as your franchise leader? Parting with Cutler would be forcing the Broncos to start over at the game's most important position when they thought they had the position filled for the next decade. But Cutler, who is one of the best quarterback prospects to enter the NFL in years, can be moody, and if he never buys what McDaniels is selling, it could drag the team down.

 

How we got to this point, in chronological order:

 

McDaniels said he was not considering trading Cutler until he was contacted "by two teams'' at the Scouting Combine -- presumably Detroit and Tampa. They were pie-in-the-sky inquiries, though, and he didn't consider anything seriously, he said, until the day before the Feb. 27 beginning of free-agency, when he got a serious proposal for Cutler.

 

"This was a non-issue until Thursday [Feb. 26],'' McDaniels said. "There was obviously a scenario where teams figured we'd be interested in Matt Cassel, because I'd coached him in New England. When someone calls, I'm going to consider it, because that's my job.''

 

Cutler believes the Broncos were much more interested in trading him and signing Cassel than they've said. I asked McDaniels if he'd been interested in Cassel before the contact by the two teams at the combine, going back to when he knew Cassel might be on the market and available in trade from the Patriots. "No, that's totally untrue,'' he said.

 

McDaniels did pursue a deal with New England on the first day of free agency, but not intensely, he said, because he and Broncos general manager Brian Xanders were in the middle of doing six free-agent negotiations in the opening two days of free-agency. "I think we were too late to the dance,'' he said, meaning the Chiefs had already made the deal with New England -- a second-round pick for Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel. Denver would have given more, likely a first-round pick, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick had his deal done with the Chiefs.

 

"Do I understand about Jay being hurt that we'd consider this?'' McDaniels said. "Sure. But I can tell you that it wasn't like there was any grand plan by us to trade Jay Cutler. That wasn't the case. But when we've told them [Cutler and Cook], I think it's fallen on deaf ears.''

 

I texted Cutler and got no response. In his comments to Mortensen earlier, he said his time in Denver "had run its course,'' the rift between him and McDaniels is "not something they want to fix,'' that McDaniels -- in their meeting Saturday -- "made it clear he could still entertain trading me,'' and said the coach "made it clear he wants his own guy.''

 

I texted McDaniels, and shortly before 1 a.m. Eastern on Monday, he called to react to Cutler's words.

 

"Oh boy,'' he said, and sighed. "No, no, no. Nothing like that was conveyed.'' And he sighed again.

 

"I think the hangup is, 'Well, you considered doing it once, would you ever consider it again?' It keeps coming out like I want my own guy. Thinking we want to trade him now is totally opposite what we've been trying to do here ... We've been trying like hell for two weeks to get a face-to-face meeting.''

 

What frustrates McDaniels is that the two sides met -- he thinks without acrimony -- and then word gets out that there was tension or vindictiveness in the meeting. "It's hard to believe we're sharing the same intentions and can have such different interpretations of the meeting,'' he said. "When we met [saturday], my point was, 'We all know where this was, and now we all have to try to move forward.' After we met for a while, and went over a lot of the same ground we'd been over, Jay said to me, 'Can I have a few more hours to think?' I said, 'Yeah, give me a call on my cell phone.' He never called. Bus [Cook] called Brian [Xanders], but Jay didn't call me.''

 

I asked McDaniels if he feels he'll be forced to trade Cutler.

 

"No,'' he said. "He's got three years left on his contract. We're not at the point where we're going to do it now ... [but] it's probably something we're going to have to talk about. We've been trying to communicate, and I still want to try, but if that's the direction we're headed, we're going to have to talk.''

 

There's such a gulf in the two versions of events. But it looks like, taking the long view, Cutler will be playing elsewhere unless he and McDaniels sit in a room together for two hours and come out married. That's not likely to happen. Maybe Cutler can't take the dissing he feels from McDaniels, or maybe he's fabricating the dissing to justify in his own mind going somewhere else. I don't know. But I do know this: If I had the choice of Denver, Tampa Bay, Detroit and the Jets, and the Denver coach has worked successfully with Tom Brady and Matt Cassel, I'd be thinking very hard about not burning a bridge that can't be reconstructed.

[wiffleball 4,797]

What have you read that indicates it's bullshiit? King is still reporting it. And McDaniels' version of how things transpired is markedly different from Cutler's.

 

It's pretty obvious that Josh has been linking to King all along. And King has shown zero balance here. Go back to what I wrote:

 

"Think there's a REASON why we never heard that rumour until things went to shiit on the Cassell deal? That's a horseshit way to run an organization. Actually, it's a rookie way to run an organization - and that's exactly what Josh is."

 

If King is some great objective reporter, If the Broncos AREN'T CYA after they got caught focking up, why didn't this story break when Cutler allegedly did this? You can see through this one like focking saran wrap. - Shady.

[RaiderHaters Revenge 4,543]

If I was starting a team and could have first choice of any player in the league to build my team around, I would choose Cutler. Youth, QB position,leader , determined, tough, scrambling ability, makes all the throws, doesn't back down from stupid newly aquired head coaches that lie to his face.

 

you said leader

 

rofl

[FlaHawker 24]

If I was starting a team and could have first choice of any player in the league to build my team around, I would choose Cutler. Youth, QB position, leader, determined, tough, scrambling ability, makes all the throws, doesn't back down from stupid newly aquired head coaches that lie to his face.

I concur.

[parrot 789]

It's pretty obvious that Josh has been linking to King all along. And King has shown zero balance here. Go back to what I wrote:

 

"Think there's a REASON why we never heard that rumour until things went to shiit on the Cassell deal? That's a horseshit way to run an organization. Actually, it's a rookie way to run an organization - and that's exactly what Josh is."

 

If King is some great objective reporter, If the Broncos AREN'T CYA after they got caught focking up, why didn't this story break when Cutler allegedly did this? You can see through this one like focking saran wrap. - Shady.

 

I never said anything about King being objective. He's been pretty much reporting one side of the story, just like Mort has. But for some reason you seem to take everything that Cutler's personal mouthpiece says as gospel.

 

And maybe the Broncos were being CYA, doesn't mean it didn't happen. Why the fock would you just randomly go to the press and report that your QB has asked to be traded? If you don't intend to trade him, it's stupid, it would just piss him off and cause panic in the fanbase (that is still questioning the coaching change). If you do intend to trade him, making it known that he wants out just hurts his market value. In either case shouting to the world that he wants out is stupid.

 

I'm really curious to hear how making an announcement of this sort without some extraordinary events forcing it's revelation would constitute running the organization better?

 

About the only scenario I can think of where it maybe makes a little sense to let it be known that your under-contract QB asked to be traded is if he's making a big stink in the press about potentially being traded and doing his utmost to give the organization a huge black-eye. Sound familiar at all?

 

Also, it's not at all clear what level of the Broncos' organization this report came from.

[Sho Nuff 720]

From everything I've read, the 'demanded to be traded' part is bullshiit. - And shows another error in the handling of the situation by the Broncos. This ain't a zero sum game Josh, you don't "win" by trashing your star QB's reputation just so you don't look quite as bad in the press. Think there's a REASON why we never heard that rumour until things went to shiit on the Cassell deal? That's a horseshit way to run an organization. Actually, it's a rookie way to run an organization - and that's exactly what Josh is.

 

WHo claims it is BS? Cutler's agent?

Same guy who claimed he was not shopping Favre last year?

[LordOpie 0]

lol they suck with him

so new coaches see that hes a mediocre QB and look to find someone who fits their system better.

 

and Cutler continues to cry

 

When Cutler's DEF holds teams to 30 points or less, he's 14-7.

 

In other words, when the Denver DEF is merely bad, as opposed to horrific, he wins 67% of his games. To look at his win-loss overall and not really look at the details is a disservice to yourself in making such statements.

 

If my Broncos could field a 20th ranked DEF, he'd make the playoffs regularly. They say DEF wins championships, so if he had just an average DEF, wouldn't y'all be impressed with how well the team did? AZ made it to the superbowl with the 19th ranked DEF. Denver's DEF ranked 29th.

 

Any comments about how bad Jay is?

[Walter34 3]

I'd give my left nut for the Bears to trade for him.

 

While Jay has been Mr whiny pants throughout, McDaniel is fully to blame for this soap opera. He wont last long in Denver after this start. Without Jay and probably Marshall, Denver looks like a top 5 draft pick next year.

[Law 251]

Sounds like someone's got their panties in a wad.

 

Man up Jay!