Around the NFL: Trades and Draft Status
This week was all about speculation over the draft, where veteran players might wind up, and what would happen to Broncos QB Jay Cutler. Finally, Thursday afternoon the story broke which confirmed the future for the young Pro Bowl QB Cutler. Let’s dive right into it.
Chicago Cutlery
The Chicago Bears will look to be contenders again with the addition of Cutler. Da Bears gave up quite a bit to get him, but if he can push them to the top of the NFC North, then he’ll be well worth the price. Reportedly, here are the details of the trade:
- Chicago gets: QB Jay Cutler, 2009 5th round pick
- Denver gets: QB Kyle Orton, 2009 1st and 3rd round picks (18th and 84th overall), 2010 1st round pick
While this is definitely a steep price to pay for any one player, this trade looks like a good one for both teams. The Bears get to finally have that flashy, high profile QB that the fan base has been searching for since the days of Jim McMahon. Cutler has more physical talents than McMahon did and might be able to make great use of Devin Hester’s speed. Additionally, TE’s Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark have to be excited after seeing Tony Scheffler in Denver emerge as one of the league’s top tight ends while catching balls from Cutler. Look for the Bears to try and get last year’s rookie bust WR Earl Bennett involved a little more to bring some stability to a glaring weakness on the team. With the Bears second round pick, don’t be surprised to see a guy like Ohio State’s Brian Robiskie gain the attention of the Bears’ brass. One thing is for certain, the Bears will have to do the best they can with most of their current starters now that they’ve lost two picks in the first three rounds. Perhaps they’ll also look to one of the available veteran WR’s like Torry Holt or Marvin Harrison. The Bears success (or lack thereof) for the next five years will be closely tied to this decision.
The Broncos made a great move here. While losing Cutler hurts, his gun-slinging style of play wouldn’t have meshed very well with new Head Coach Josh McDaniels’ offensive scheme anyway. Rather, Kyle Orton is almost the ideal QB to run it. Orton finds a way to make plays when he has to, and he has the ability to win games, even after making mistakes. As a rookie, he took a Chicago team to the playoffs simply by doing exactly what was necessary. He made mistakes and didn’t play particularly well, but when he had to, he did what it took to win. I believe that had he had more offensive support this season, he’d have led the Bears to more victories and perhaps even the NFC North crown. Orton has developed as a passer and has become a cerebral QB in his own right. He should do well in Denver with targets like Scheffler, Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall (providing he keeps his nose clean), and rookie sensation Eddie Royal. Gaining Orton allows the Broncos to focus on other needs in the draft, and they now have an extra first round pick in two separate years to do so. The Broncos need a running back and they need defensive help all over the field. Look for them to target NT B.J. Raji, ILB Rey Maualuga, or CB/S Malcolm Jenkins should he fall at pick 12, and then to use the 18 th pick on another top defensive player or perhaps Georgia star RB Knowshon Moreno who’s versatility would likely appeal to McDaniels. The pressure is on McDaniels though, as many Denver fans are likely pretty unhappy with the loss of Cutler and the way this entire situation came about.
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Pick Up the Pace
Another, less publicized move by the Bears came today, as veteran OT and future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace (released last month by the Rams) signed on to help an offensive line that lost two starters at the OT position. My guess is that Pace will line up on the right side of the offensive line, while last year’s first round pick Chris Williams lines up on the left, protecting Jay Cutler’s blind side. However, if they feel Williams isn’t ready, Pace will line up on the left, where he’s been a stalwart since 1997. This was a great signing, as Pace still has enough gas in the tank to help out. If nothing else, his presence could really help in the development of Williams, who they’ll be counting on to protect Cutler for many years. This signing follows up last week’s addition of former Browns OT Kevin Shaffer who will likely be counted on as a swing tackle for depth. With Pace’s recent injury history, Shaffer will likely get his chance to either fill in when needed or to spell him in order to keep him fresh.
Other transactions this week include: the Cardinals signing former Pittsburgh fullback Dan Kreider; the 49ers hoping they found a starting RT in fellow Steeler Marvel Smith; the Texans adding former Lion Shaun Cody to their DT rotation; and the Packers adding versatility and depth to their offensive line with the signing of Duke Preston from Buffalo.
Draft Stock
The NFL draft is coming up and if you’re like me then you’re huddled over statistical profiles and videos of prospects, just buying time until the big day. I like to think of my living room as my own personal war room; only I of course don’t have any power (I’m still waiting for your call Detroit Lions). Still, around this time every year, some players are falling hard, and some are rising fast. This week I’ll give you one of each:
- Falling: NT B.J. Raji, Boston College – Raji has gone from being a quick riser, to a top-5 prospect, to now testing positive for an unspecified drug at the combine drug test. The ultra-talented Raji could now slip even further down the draft board, where other questionable character issues have already affected his stock. There’s no telling how this will affect him now. He may be talented enough to stay in the top fifteen and teams like Denver, Green Bay, and Cincinnati might be intrigued by him, but he could fall into the bottom half of the first round if this story gets any bigger. If I were Raji, I would be doing some serious evaluations of my situation. I don’t understand drugs in sports. As a military veteran, I remember giving up illegal drugs for far less money and fame and not having any issues with it. Hopefully Raji gets his act together because he could truly be one of the top NT’s in the game.
- Rising: QB Josh Freeman, Kansas State – Freeman began this off-season as a consideration for the third best QB in this draft. He was viewed as a solid second round pick, but nothing better. After a good combine and a great Pro Day however, he’s quickly moving up draft boards. It doesn’t hurt him that his style of play and his strength is having scouts compare him to Daunte Culpepper, but he’s looking like a true prospect and one that could develop greatly in the right system. The Cutler trade affects Freeman greatly because Chicago was at one point a consideration for Freeman. Also, the acquisition of Orton makes it doubtful that the Broncos are looking at drafting a QB in the first round. Therefore, the Jets, the Bucs, and the Vikings all come into play. Expect to see some action in the middle of the first round as one of these teams tries to jump in front of the others in order to secure this talented player.
Until next week, enjoy the Final Four!
By Brandon Niles
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer