Tennessee Titans: Trade Rumors Bring Jay Cutler To Nashville
By Les Bailey
Dec 28, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears Jay Cutler (6) looks to pass against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
I continue to hold with the belief that the Tennessee Titans need to come out of the 2015 NFL Draft with a quarterback. They either need to draft Marcus Mariota with the second pick and get on with it, or any trade for that pick MUST include a quarterback of some kind.
I don’t think picking up a Bryce Petty in later rounds is what this franchise needs. It needs either Marcus Mariota, a legitimate starting quarterback, or someone who can actually put some pressure on Zach Mettenberger in training camp. Another fourth-round offering is not going to get the job done.
Jay Cutler is a gunslinger
The latest rumor mill has the Chicago Bears trading up to the second pick to take Marcus Mariota and putting Jay Cutler in the deal. This possibility comes to us courtesy of Lauren Moranor at Sports World Report.
It is certainly an interesting possibility. There have been some pretty good NFL coaches who have taken a cut at the former Vanderbilt star with very little success, but we saw what he did in 2014 with a pretty good supporting cast.
I wasn’t impressed with the game plan Da Bears brought to the field last year under former head coach, Marc Trestman, and I can’t say the maligned quarterback was the reason the Monsters of the Midway finished 5-11, and last in the NFC North.
They refused to use one of the best running backs in the NFL in Matt Forte to give Cutler any kind of running game, and continued trying to hit home runs with their outside threats in Bradnon Marshall, and Alshon Jefferies.
Along with poor game-planning on offense, the Bears had put very little effort into any kind of a defense in the last couple of years.
New Bears head coach, John Fox has locked up Cutler for the next two seasons, but has said that backup quarterback, Jimmy Clausen will have an opportunity to compete for the starting job in the 2015 per-season.
This doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t trade Jay Cutler for Marcus Mariota if he had the chance.
The Bears pick seventh in the 2015 NFL Draft, and are well within the range of a team that could move up to take the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner. Finding a team that thinks they can change Jay Cutler is the issue.
Is this something Tennessee Titans head coach, Ken Whisenhunt and his staff can do?
Jay Cutler played in 15 games during the 2014 season, passed the ball 561 times completing 370 of them for 3812 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was picked off 18 times and had an 88.6 rating with a QBR at 54.2.
The head coach who got the most out of Jay Cutler was former Bronco’s head coach, Mike Shanahan in his final year in Denver. Cutler had his finest year in 2008, but Shanahan was fired after the season, and replaced in 2009 by former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel who promptly traded Cutler to the Bears for Kyle Orton.
I had always felt Jay Cutler played well for the Denver Broncos, and played well for Lovie Smith at the end of his Chicago tenure. The defense, which had dominated the NFC Norse Division let the team down, and ultimately cost Lovie his job in the Windy City.
Jay Cutler is a gunslinger, and if he came to Music City in a draft-day deal, would need a running game and some protection on the offensive line, or he will be in the same boat as he was in Chicago last year. The Tennessee Titans have neither a solid running game, or any semblance of a good offensive line.
All I see for Jay Cutler in Nashville is more interceptions, and more locker-room discussions as to why nothing is working. The only thing he could hope for at LP Field is former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator, Dick LeBeau getting the ball back for him a little sooner every Sunday.
I think that the amount of dollars involved in getting Jay Cutler, with his performance history and attitude is something the Tennessee Titans don’t need at this time in their rebuilding process.
Next: Philip Rivers: The Tennessee Titans Rumor That Won't Go Away!