Random Thoughts (April 3, 2009)

The Jay Cutler saga has come to a tragic end ... for Jay Cutler. Cutler was in a position to become one of the most successful quarterbacks in recent NFL history. The Broncos new head coach, Josh McDaniels, orchestrated the greatest offense in NFL history with the Patriots in 2007. They have two tackles, Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris, that anchor a very good offensive line. They also have two of the premiere young receivers in football, Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. The future looked very bright in the Mile High City. Cutler has thrown that all away because of his inability to control his emotions. He was upset when the Broncos fired longtime coach Mike Shanahan (along with offenisve coordinator Jeremy Bates) and replaced him with McDaniels. When McDaniels explored possible trade scenarios that involved moving Cutler (who had asked for a trade when Shanahan was axed) in order to land Matt Cassel -- the former 7th round pick and career backup that McDaniels turned into a star when Tom Brady went down -- he publicly demanded a trade. There had been some talk that the two sides were working things out but on Tuesday, Cutler again declared his wishes to leave Denver. Wish granted. Yesterday the Broncos dealt Cutler to the Chicago Bears for a package of draft picks that could turn Denver into the team to beat in the AFC for the next decade. The Bears gave up their first round pick (#18) and third round pick (#84) in the 2009 draft, their first round pick in the 2010 draft, and veteran quarterback Kyle Orton. The Broncos now need to find a long term solution at quarterback. The rumors are already flying that the Broncos will do whatever they can to land Mark Sanchez of USC. Orton would serve as a short term answer behind center while McDaniels prepares Sanchez (or whoever the Broncos target) for the NFL. Cutler now finds himself on a team that has the defense to contend for a Super Bowl but an offense that couldn't score in a brothel with a fistfull of $50's. His best offensive lineman, Chris Williams, has a bad back and his best receiver, Devin Hester, does his best work fielding punts. Be careful of what you wish for... The Cutler trade has also turned the draft upside down. I will have an updated mock posted ASAP... Yes, it's officially time to worry about Kevin Garnett. KG was supposed to be back to full strength by now yet his status for the playoffs is clouded in mystery. After hearing tidbits of Danny Ainge's interview on WEEI yesterday, it seems inevitable that KG's knee will be surgically repaired when the season ends. If Garnett is not at 100%, I think he should go under the knife immediately. A banged up Garnett will not get the C's past the Magic or Cavaliers in the East. It is imperative that he get healthy now, so the C's can contend for the title again in 2009-10. It might not be the popular choice, but it is the right choice... Red Sox preview coming soon... The Bruins gave Tim Thomas a three-year extension that will pay him nearly $5 million per season. I like Thomas but does this mean that goalie prospect/prodigy Tuukka Rask is nowhere near ready to assume the duty between the pipes on Causeway Street? And with a shrinking salary cap, how do the Bruins plan on paying their young stars like Phil Kessel and Blake Wheeler? I take it as a good sign that I'm caring about the Bruins again... UNC over Villanova in a rout, UConn over Michigan State in what should be a classic. The Tarheels just have too much talent and too much depth for 'Nova. Jay Wright's team has played great basketball in March but they also had a good draw -- Duke wasn't built to win in March and Pitt had peaked as a team in February. UConn is also loaded but with Michigan State playing in their own backyard, I think the Spartans will bring their A+ game, making the Huskies sweat out a trip to the championship game. UNC over UConn on Monday... Enjoy Matt Saracen and the Panthers tonight...