Chicken Cutler

Yes, yes been away too long. But of course, with the advent of the new season for America's naptime (aka, baseball), it would be football to make me wax on.

Quite simply the most important relationship on a football team is between coach and quarterback. My beloved Broncos made some sports headlines this week by trading the seeming future face of the franchise (Jay Cutler) to the Chicago Bears because of some off-season kerfluffle with the new boss in town, Josh McDaniels.

Bronco coaches of recent vintage have played both sides of this relationship dynamic. Dan Reeves didn't know what to do with John Elway, nearly traded him, and lost three Super Bowls with him behind center (at least one of which was winnable). Mike Shanahan took control of the team late in Elway's career and with the help of an incredible running game won back-to-back big games. Shanahan then had terrible relationships with both Brian Griese and Jake Plummer and the results on the field showed, eventually costing Shanahan his job even though his last QB (Cutler) made the Pro Bowl.

Enter Josh McDaniels as new Broncos' coach. Enter unnecessary, junior-high dispute over whether McDaniels was trying to trade Cutler. Exit Cutler in the off-season's blockbuster deal.

Who wins? Perhaps I'm thinking too confidently since I'm zero percent objective when it comes to all things Orange, but it looks to me like win-win at worst, with a huge potential upside for the Mile High boys. The Bears get a dramatic upgrade at quarterback, though we'll soon see if how much of Cutler's numbers was system and surrounding talent, or player. Kyle Orton, previous Bears' starter now shipped to Denver, isn't a bad NFL quarterback. He played in a pro set at Purdue and had to battle through never being anointed clear #1 in Chicago. But as yet in his career, he isn't mentioned in the same breath at Cutler. Orton also has never worked with as much talent around him as he'll have in Denver (memo to Brandon Marshall: please grow up!) and his new coach made Matt Cassel an $18MM man.

But the real bounty is the draft picks the Broncos exacted as their pound of flesh from the Bears. A number 1 this year and next, plus an additional third-round pick this spring. Choose well, and this deal could tip Denver's way fairly easily. I wouldn't be surprised to see Denver pick a QB this year now that they have five picks in the first 84 selections overall three rounds.

It's only April, but yeah, I'm ready for some football.