I'm holding my breath this weekend, but not about the game in Green Bay. I'm terrified that Jay Cutler--taking the field for the first time this Sunday in Denver--is going to roll the clock back to 1983. Cutler was the highest rated passer in the preseason throwing for more than 500 yards in portions of games, and all the stories about his arm strength proved to be true. While I doubt he'll be successful this year, I'll still be holding my breath into 2007. Love Chad, still hoping his story has a happy ending, but...I just hope Cutler doesn't turn out to be this generation's Marino. Jets have a "tragic" history of missing out on the big QBs: Marino (a blunder made by two-thirds of the league); Favre (we came thisclose, but a draft deal came up short as the Falcons snatched him away just ahead of us); and of course Manning--the good one--who should've declared as a junior when the Jets had the #1 pick, but stayed out cause of Daddy Archie. At least Archie is getting his comuppance with the Eli situation. That sitch is not going to end well and Archie will be guilty of having orchestrated the destruction of Eli's career. We can only hope that one day, Belichick will get what's coming to him.
In 1983 we where a team thats was total mess and had years of pain in front of it. In 2006 we are a team thats headed in the right direction. I doesn't matter what cutler does it only matters what we do
Would it be a tragedy if turned out to be this generation's Marino? I seem to recall Danny boy never earning a title. That's okay by me. We wound up with D'Brick and Mangold this year at the expense of Cutler/Young/Leinart/Bush. Sure, any of them can and probably will be stars in this league. But we got two rookies that stepped into big shoes from day one, and excelled. This draft should never be complained about. Besides, we may already have our QB of the future from this draft too.
The only ones availible were Lenart and Cutler, in Leihnart we already have a weak armed QB who is smart, and already has experience and is proven..... In Cutler we have a combine freak, who wowed scouts at what he did off the field, on the field he was a perennnial loser at Vanderbuilt........
I think Cutler is going to be great. But I have no problem with the Jets passing him over. Everyone puts too much emphasis on QB, RB, and WRs - the exciting positions. DaBrick and Mangold make Chad look good. With protection, an average QB like Drew Bledsoe or Trent Green becomes a star. With no protection, a David Carr or a Matt Leinart fights for garbage yards every week and takes sack after sack.
Parcells didn't promise Archie that he wouldn't trade the pick. Parcells wanted a boat load of draft picks for him if he came out. As it was Parcells traded down a couple of times and picked Farrior at 7th (or 8th). He should have stayed at #1 and picked Orlando Pace.
AND CUTLER made very bad decisions and throws as a result! he has a great arm but average decision making ability. His HC is great at helping his QBs succeed. CUTLER is in the right place for him. he will be successful but hardly a GREAT QB unless he corrects his erratic throwing!
I still think Cutler will prove to not only be the best QB drafted last year, but by a long shot. Cutler was on an awful Vandy team, and he did try to force a lot of throws, but he was trying to carry the whole team on his back while running for his life. There wasn't a single Vandy player (other than Cutler) who got a combine invite. I think his career at Vandy prepared him for the challenges he'll face in the NFL. How's this for a wierd coincidence? I'm benching Pennington for Cutler in my local FF league this week, with a chance at the playoffs (and $) on the line. I DID want Cutler last year, in the worst way, but water under the bridge now.... I'll be happy if Clemens turns out to be a solid, if unspectacular above average NFL QB.
I'm the site's biggest Pennington critic, but if he can somehow put it all together this year maybe we don't even need to worry about our next QB. We need to run the table, and I mean run the table. If Chad can do that, then I think it's pretty clear we don't have a problem at QB. As is more likely, if he dissappears either in the stretch or in the playoffs again, THEN we can worry about Clemens next year. I'm hoping we're sitting at 10-5 with the WC spot locked up going into the Oakland game. We then play Penny for the first 2 series, and Clemens plays the rest of the game. Ideally we win that game too, but if we don't, Penny is fully rested for the playoff run.
