Jay Cutler!!!

I love this move so damn much. I always fear draft days when Angelo plans to draft an offensive player. This hasnt gone well in several decades. To see last night that we traded for Cutler, I am jumping for joy! We were one game away from winning the division last year with Kyle "Neckbeard" Orton.

WOOOOOOT

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I'd be pumped as hell too if I were a Bears fan. This is big.

So glad he didn't go to Detroit.

I was hearing that he has some "youthful indiscretions" in his background. I don't know what they are talking about, the guy was a standout at Vanderbilt, it isn't like he is stupid. I hope the Bears keep up his diabetes maintenance or he will be horrible again.

hah, funny that the possible best quarterback in franchise history isn't even the best quarterback in the division

Has Aaron Rodgers really made it clear he's better?

This makes me sad. It seems likely that Detroit will draft Stafford now.

Hmm,
Minnesota = Sage Rosenfels / Tavaris Jackson / John David Booty
Detroit = Rookie / Daunte Culpepper / Drew Stanton
Chicago = Cutler
Green Bay = Aaron Rodgers / Brian Brohm / Matt Flynn

Would have to say that Cutler is the best QB in the Division.

I wonder if Cutler is the right fit for the Bears' current offensive system. He throws the ball around, he slings it down the field- and that isn't really what the Bears do. They run the ball with Forte, they do the short passing game, they seem to be a conservative offense while Cutler is much more liberal.

Also... who is Cutler going to throw it to? Hester isn't a top receiver, and while Olsen is a decent TE who is getting better... I don't think they brought Cutler in to throw 8 yard passes over the middle to the TE.

Yes, Cutler has a ton of talent. Yes, his arm is a cannon. But I just wonder how he is going to fit within that team. I hope he does well, I hope the Bears do well from their side since they gave up a lot for him... all I am saying is that Cutler better beware of what he wished for.

Plus now that means the Lions get Stafford. Which makes me sad.

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C'mon now, Standout and Vanderbilt don't belong in the same sentence folks !

I'm totally pumped. Right kind of quarterback for the Bears? Whatever-- it's someone with actual demonstrated talent!

*crosses fingers for Tory Holt*

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Plax is available...ha ha

I am *so* excited about this coming football season now. I'll bet you anything that it will be the bears who change, not Cutler. You'd have to have some serious brain damage to get a talent like Cutler and not utilize him. O-line protection and WR production are still a concern, but having a QB like Cutler to build around? Hell yes.

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**disclaimer*** Diehard Packers fan ***disclaimer***

By any measurable stat, Rodgers had a superior rookie season. Not only that, but his rookie season was on par with Cutler's 2nd as well. He was no Brett Favre in his prime, but on any other team it would have been seen as a standout season. His only failing was having to follow a legend.

Cutler is certainly a promising young player, but by no means is it clear cut that he is any better then Rodgers (and vice versa). It will be interesting to see the rivalry play out as it goes forward.

Cutler's rookie season: 20 TD's, 3,500 yds, 88.1 rating
Rodger's rookie season: 28 TD's, 4,000 yds, 93.8 rating

I just don't see Cutler throwing for 4000+ yards and 25+ touchdowns next year with Chicago. Maybe I will be wrong (we all have before on our sports "expertise") but Chicago has never been a gun slinging franchise. And I don't see Smith as the type of coach who wants to throw it all over the place- he seems much more conservative to me in my opinion.

And I still don't want Stafford. Damn the NFL rookie contract crap that forces teams to not be able to trade the top pick in the draft unless it is a no brainer, sure fire HOF.

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Only because they haven't had a QB who could actually throw the ball further than 10yds with accuracy. Bears receivers have great speed, I think this year they will capitalize on it.

They still won't make the playoffs though.

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"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." -Henry Louis Mencken
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VEGETARIAN -Noun (vej-i-tair-ee-uhn): Ancient tribal slang for the village idiot who can't hunt, fish or ride.

Right now I think the Bears have a better chance at winning their division than the Vikings or Packers. I think the first to nine will win the division.

I tell you what, I'll offer a bet on that. $20, payable to a PayPal account. If the Bears win the division, I'll pay up. If the Pack wins, you pay up. If (for fucks sake please no) the Lions or Vikings win, then Armageddon is coming and neither of us have to pay. Up for it?

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With the Packers defense having been shaky last year and switching to a new system this year, I don't know how confident I am in them winning the division. Aaron Rodgers is better than Cutler though.

The Packers had a much better offense than Chicago last year yet the Bears still finished at 9-7 (the pack was 6-10). Chicago has addressed one of their largest holes, Quarterback, but Green Bay addressed theirs, how to get their defense to keep them in games, by changing to a new defensive scheme. Cutler is a somewhat proven QB. The new GB scheme is not proven with the current roster.

Statistically, Green Bay had a much better year than Chicago (better overall Offense, better overall Defense) but that did not translate into wins. How many wins will the improvement in QB translate to Chicago? If you look at Rodgers year to year improvement and add two more wins to what GB did last year you still have a worse record than the Bears who arguably made a bigger improvement at QB than Rodgers will from last year to next.

I'd take the Bears in that division if I had to bet today. From what I've seen and remember from the Bears last year, QB was a real issue for them.

Bears 10-6
Packers 8-8

Tyral, I'll take that bet.

I guess I am comparing NFL Bears to, say, NBA Suns.

NBA Suns for the past half a decade has been up and down, full court run and gun basketball. They brought in someone who had a different philosophy... and it didn't work. Eventually they went back to their run and gun style. In a way... the Suns are who they are- they run the fastbreak, they are up tempo full court basketball. You may bring in players/coaches who have a different style, but unless you change the entire makeup and chemistry of the team... then the Suns are still going to want to be up tempo.

NFL Bears have always been a running team, hard nosed, great defense. They are bringing in someone who is a gun slinger, 4000+ yards throwing, down the field QB which is of a different system and philosophy. I am not saying it is going to not work... just saying that I am not sure if it is the right fit. And I don't know if you want to be throwing 4000+ yards all over with a RB like Forte in your backfield. To me, he epitomizes more of what Chicago football is than Cutler.

Again, I am not saying Cutler is a bad QB. I am not saying it isn't going to work- Bears might become the Arizona Cardinals of the Midwest, who knows? Or Cutler could become the hand off/short passing game QB that is traditional of Bears football. To me, if anything, it will be interesting who changes their style- Cutler or the Bears. And if the Bears do change, I am not really sold on their receivers (however fast they are) as fitting into a run/gun system.

Time will tell, of course. If anything it will be fun to watch, and a lot of Bears fans are estatic about Cutler so good for them

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Packers are a better team all around than the Bears right now. Lions will be better than they have been just because the inverse is impossible. Vikes will need the heimlich again, it's in their blood.

Alright, cool. Krby didn't respond to the offer, so first come, etc.

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I am not taking the bet because too many things can happen between now and the season to change the fortunes of each team. Did you not see the very first part of my post that said "Right now"

Let's table this until the season gets closer.

Did Cicely just REALLY make a comparison between football strategy and basketball?

A better comparison might be the transition of the Houston Oilers from the Earl Campbell era to the Warren Moon era. There were many doubters, but the results were spectacular (offensively... tho the defense fell apart).

The thing is Cicely, the same players play offense and defense in basketball, so the overall style has a much more significant impact (Shaq cant run the floor). It may be a surprise to you, but not every sports post is about the Suns....

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No, I did not make a post about football strategy and basketball strategy, and a comparison between the two. May want to re-read what I wrote if that is how you took it.

Either that or I need to re-write it. But no where was I discussing football strategy and basketball strategy. While you re-read it, if you choose to do so, you may want to keep in mind a certain Dennis Green famous quote to help understand...

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