Jay Cutler to the Bears, is it Really a Slam Dunk?

I'm sure you've heard about it in the news. The biggest trade in the history of the Chicago Bears franchise. The Bears traded two 1st round picks, and a 3rd round pick in exchange for Jay Cutler and a 5th rounder from the Denver Bronco's. I'm sure you've seen it on the news, so many personalities on TV talking about it as a slam dunk, often citing the repetitive line, that the Bears now have a "Franchise Quarterback."

The thing is, however, that this is not as big of a slam dunk as many say it is. Yes, Jay is a young QB who is coming off a pro bowl appearance. Yes he has a cannon for an arm. Yes he has shown flashes of the ability to dominate. But after three seasons in the NFL he is not yet on the hot track towards the hall of fame. Heck, he won't even be a favorite to make the pro bowl next season.

He is coming from a Denver system where he was behind one of the best O-lines in the NFL, and had top notch talent to throw to. He is now on the Bears, behind a solid but unproven offensive line, and one of the worst 3 or 4 receiving cores in the NFL. That's not to say he won't be successful, but the way people are throwing around the term "Franchise Quarterback" you'd think he was Peyton Manning. A lot of his value was in his potential, but as it stands the Bears may very well have their best QB in 50 years, but they did not trade for a perennial Pro Bowler.

Jay Cutler threw 25 TDs and 18 INTs last season as a Bronco, his best year but still borderline Pro Bowl quality. He has a reputation as a hot head. He has diabetes. And he will be surrounded by lackluster talent on the Bears offense. For this young QB, who is talented and has the potential to be very good I will admit, we gave up two 1sts and a 3rd.

For some comparisons,

-Randy Moss was acquired by the Oakland Raiders in the prime of his career for a 1st round pick as well as an above average LB in Napolean Harris. He was later traded to the Patriots for a 4th rounder

-Terrell Owens was acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2nd round pick.

-Willis McGahee was traded to the Ravens for a 3rd and 7th round pick.

All these players as the times of their trades, were more dominant at their position then Jay Cutler is at the moment. Cutler is a top 10 QB in this league on a good day, but has yet to show himself to be in the top 5. Substantially more was given up for him then players who've made several Pro Bowls.

So as a Bears fan, while I am extremely excited to have a very talented QB in Orange and Navy Blue, I can't help but understand that while this trade has the potential to be a huge steal for the Bears, it could also very well be a huge flop.