After the huge trade yesterday between the Broncos (received Kyle Orton, a 2009 first round draft pick, a 2009 third round draft pick, and a 2010 first round draft pick) and the Bears (received Jay Cutler and a 2009 fifth round draft pick), everyone has been debating who got the better deal.
In an ESPN poll receiving over 300,000 votes, 54% said that the Broncos made out better. In the state of Colorado, 57% said the trade was better for Denver, where as in the state of Illinois, an enormous 76% went the other way, making the case that the trade was better for Chicago.
This trade was not about the Broncos. It was completely about the Bears and their lack of consistent performance at the quarterback position. They've used 22 different starting quarterbacks in the past 19 years and their starter last year (Orton) led them to a 9-7 record. I'm hearing a lot about how much the Bears players liked and respected Orton and how it will be very difficult for Cutler to come in and quickly prove himself (especially after having received a reputation as a cry-baby...and justly so).
That the Bears were looking to upgrade their QB is not a surprise. Many feel that it is this sole position on the field has kept them from being a perennial Super Bowl contender over the past six years. And that the Bears did upgrade that position by nabbing Cutler is not likely to be argued by anyone who has watched the two QBs over their careers.
So the question is not whether Cutler is better than Orton...it is how much better? Is he so much better that the Bears should be giving away TWO first rounders and a third rounder? On the surface, the answer would seem to be no. Although Cutler is younger and appears to have all the skills necessary to become one of the elite QBs in the game, he is not Tom Brady or Peyton Manning; and Orton is a decent starter. Plus, two first round picks can really help your team...enough to compensate for keeping your average starting QB, right?
Well - the answer to that question completely depends on what you do with your draft picks. Remember, these picks do not represent existing Pro Bowl players...they purely represent talent on paper. This talent may take years to realize, or may never come to fruition at all. Additionally, in today's era, having a first round draft pick means paying an enormous contract and bonus to some yet-to-be-proven talent.
What the Bears have done is upgrade their current QB without changing a single other thing about their current roster. The only other thing they have done is given up the opportunity to draft two players, but have kept a lot of money to do so. So, I can certainly understand what the Bears fans are so thrilled about. However, if their defense starts getting old and they don't have enough offensive weapons for Cutler to get the ball to....they will soon start wishing they had those draft picks back!
As for the Broncos, they should be thrilled as well. They unloaded a complete distraction who was not happy with his situation. Yes - Cutler had talent - but he was never going to live up to the expectations that John Elway left behind, no matter how well he performed. Orton doesn't exactly embody new hope for the franchise, but they can gain some young talent with their newly acquired draft picks (if they draft wisely) and give new head coach Josh McDaniels something to be hopeful about.
So, who got the better end of the trade? This is a question that gets tossed around after every major trade takes place. In this case - as is true of 95% of trades - both teams got what they wanted. They traded for equal value.
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