Ok, maybe I read too much into that, but honestly I don't see how "in a vacuum" is a relevant question, because we're not operating in a vacuum.

If you had to pick a QB for your team with no other information about your coaching staff or the rest of your roster, of course you pick Cutler over McCown. But that's not the case here: we know the team has a sharp offensive mind in a great system and that McCown performed VERY well over a significant sample in that system.

I think it's really telling that despite the revamped OL, the emergence of Jeffery, and the coach who isn't an idiot, Cutler's advanced metrics barely improved in 2013 over 2012 (and were basically the same as in 2011). That's concerning. And that's before we get into the difference in salary it would take to retain McCown vs. what Cutler will be paid.

@AdamSchefter 2m
Texans owner Bob McNair said Houston is willing to trade No. 1 overall pick so it can land another QB and a defensive player as well.

WELCOME TO THE AJ MCCARRON ERA

Of course you can. If you think the coach is good enough to get them to their ceiling you pick the QB with the higher ceiling. It's pretty reasonable to think Cutler has a higher one.

Don't get me wrong, I think tag+reevaluate is the play for sure but if they think they can somehow keep Marshall and Jefferey (who's still bound by his rookie deal anyways) then getting a QB that can f-it I'm going deep isn't the worst option.

Upside is that you've freed up the tag (eventhough I don't think you can retag Melton but maybe there's some injury clause) and haven't looked at who else they could tag.

Tag for a QB is 15 million, they guaranteed him 54 over 4 essentially for an average of 13.5. They frontloaded it quite heavily (38 guaranteed in the first two)...haven't looked at their cap situation but it seems reasonable to free up money for when Jefferey becomes a FA.
- 22.5 next year (7.5>tag)
- 15.5
- 16 (10 guaranteed)
- 12.5 (6 guaranteed)

Then they can get him for relatively cheap the next year @ 13.5...I think it's structured reasonably well.

And you should obviously also keep McCown if possible.

There's some pretty bad logic ITT as well. McCown just turned on Gannon-godmode after doing not much before but Cutler is incapable of that magical improvement being the worst offender.

Cutler was in the same offense as McCown this year, with extra preseason reps and more games. He had everything set up for him to godmode, and was distinctively average.

Something I think nobody has mentioned is that McCown's stats become more valuable when you support them with an eye test. I watched a couple bears games with McCown at the helm and I did not see a guy just clicking buttons and getting lucky or getting bailed out by elite receivers or whatever. I saw a guy moving his feet well, making good decisions and making good throws.

It's like the inverse of Flacco's playoff run last year. We saw him get repeatedly bailed out. I'm thinking particularly of that deep ball vs I think Denver? where the secondary totally collapsed and Flacco's horrid sky ball off the back foot fell to a receiver with 20 yards of separation.

A player's past is relevant but it can't override convincing evidence. Kurt Warner went and played in NFL Europa prior to leading the Cardinals to a Super Bowl. QBs mature at different times and quantum shifts in performance are absolutely possible.

haha, the one time Assani concedes the 2+2 > GM/HC argument, he's wrong (and I generally agree with his points on the subject)

if you think you have a coach with the ability to turn replacement level qbs into superstars then maybe signing any qb to a $125 million contract is a bad idea.

1) You think you have a coach than can coach any QB up to his ceiling
2) You think you have a QB with a really high ceiling (for example he has an arm strength that few others possess)
3) You stick with said QB

If that's smart or not...well that's another story.

Also lol@calling it a 125 million contract but whatever.

Sure, I understand that line of reasoning. It's just that ~everyone is bearish on Cutler ever reaching that ceiling for plenty of obvious reasons.

In reality, I think the signing had as much to do with real-world considerations -- re-signing Cutler is the clear low-risk play from a job security perspective -- as it did a rational assessment and conclusion that this Cutler contract was the way forward. If Trestman genuinely felt that Cutler was his man and that he could turn him into an elite quarterback: well, best of luck, Marc.

in that case it would seem like drafting some 22-24 year old qb with a huge arm (which you don't need a top pick for, both kaepernick and wilson have cutler esque arms) would be a better plan then investing lol money into a 31 year old qb with a long history of being mediocre.

Lol Lions bump.

Between Cutler contract, keeping McCarthy employed, and Caldwell this division should bring the laughs for the next two years.

Emery sure was stupid to structure Jay Cutler's contract in a way so that he could manipulate it to sign free agents as he sees fit.

I feel like 2p2 is more frustrated than LOLing about Obese Mike wasting the potential GOAT's prime.

We do all laugh together about Cutlah and DETROIT MICHIGAN tho

i wonder if fat mike has the awareness to just insta-quit if he ever doesn't have godgers

Billy Kopp Beane has completed his absolutely spectacular meltdown of the Oakland A's

I assume the Moneyball sequel will be a straight to dvd feature

God that would be so tilting if he retired at the same time as Godgers. Very plausible tho.

Bump for the beginning of the Jimmy Clausen Era

GMs OTHER THAN PHIL EMERY dude.

So, you're probably about three weeks early for this.

Bump

but thats what they say every year.

How did Trent Baalke not claim the title

they mutually agreed to part ways though

ahahahahahhahahahaahhaa

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...311-story.html