Cutler vs. Orton, What Team got the Better Deal?

Today I called Tom a “supORTON” (Supporter of Kyle Orton, thanks to Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 for that nickname) because he believes that Orton can do anything that Jay Cutler can do and to defend himself he asked me what team had the better record. That got me thinking, would the Bears be undefeated with Kyle Orton still the signal caller in the Windy City? Simple answer is no, because I don’t think Orton has the ability to make the throws late in the fourth quarter that Cutler made against Pittsburgh and Seattle. Do I think that Cutler would be undefeated if he was still with the Broncos? Yes, I do because the offensive weapons in Denver coupled with the offensive mind of Josh McDaniels are just great. But I still think this trade will go down as a great one for both teams. Whether or not Orton is the long-term answer at quarterback for Denver is debatable but with the amount of draft picks the Broncos got and the ability of McDaniels to coach Orton is reason enough to say this deal has worked out for the Broncos already.

Orton was a quarterback in Chicago that didn’t have a pool of talent that matched his skill set. Orton is a quarterback who needs receivers that can catch a short to middle distance pass and then use his strength to break it for a touchdown (look to Brandon Marshall a couple of weeks ago for proof). He didn’t have that in Chicago, he instead had guys who were fast, who needed the ball thrown deep and with accuracy down the field for them to be successful. Receivers like Devin Hester and Mushin Muhammad while in Chicago were not guys who could catch a ball and then use his strength to break tackles and make a big play. He now has the ability to throw the ball to Marshall and Eddie Royal and let them go get the ball and then make a play, Cutler was able to do that but he’s a guy the Bears can stretch the field with now.

Out of Vanderbilt, Cutler was constantly compared to Brett Favre as having the same gunslinger mentality and a strong and accurate arm to match. Now in Chicago, Cutler will be asked to show off the arm at times and throw the ball deep for speedsters like Hester and Johnny Knox. He’s also going to be asked to be the leader for this offense, something I don’t recall seeing with Orton while in Chicago. Cutler has the characteristics of a leader, he’s got that cockiness to him that can rub people the wrong way but it’s something that to me shows that he belongs on the field with the best of the NFL (I compare it to A.J. Pierzynski of the White Sox). He certainly needs to learn how to channel that cockiness so he doesn’t appear to be a spoiled baby and so far I think he’s been able to show great maturity in handling the excessive expectations that have been put on him since coming to the Bears.

Overall, this has proved to be a great trade for both teams six weeks into the NFL season and long-term it should be looked upon as a trade that benefited both teams.