Comments on The Om Field: Is Jay Cutler Worth the Risk?

SG,

For those who still believe Campbell ca...

2009-04-02T13:40:00.000-04:00

SG,

For those who still believe Campbell can be The Man here, I understand why a possible move for Cutler seems so ill advised. For those on the *fence* on Campbell--and I count myself among those now--it's not that clear cut.

I do absolutely understand what you mean about JC being "a Redskin," and frankly, the part of this thing that concerns me the most is what appear to be possible high knucklehead, "non-Reskin" factor in Cutler.

But at the end of the day, I've come to believe the only thing likely to return the Redskins to glory any time soon (due in large part to the wildly uneven job they have done trying to build a team that doesn't *need* a Franchise QB to contend) is landing a QB who can bail them out and lift franchise with him.

I don't know if Cutler is that guy. I am almost completely convinced at this point, though, that JC is not. That's what has me on the fence. I'm still a Campbell guy, but my big picture take on this team is it needs The Man behind center in a bad way .. so I can't be too critical of any legitimate effort to find one.

At least not until I see the bill.

I'm against this deal on so many levels, number on...

2009-04-02T13:03:00.000-04:00

I'm against this deal on so many levels, number one being that I still believe that Campbell has what it takes to help this team win, and has continued to develop in an environment that has lacked the stability and management knowledgeability it takes to build a franchise that wins consistently. Campbell has been nothing but the utmost professional, has worked harder than anyone else on this football team to be at his best, and from my vantage point (admittedly limited) lays his guts on the line on every play and every gameday.

As for Cutler's professionalism and character, I think there are major questions.

Campbell's and Cutler's numbers are not drastically different when one factors in the different systems, quality of protection, availability of playmakers on each player's respective team, etc.

I'll quit with one last thought that is hard to explain but I think long-time fans of this franchise will understand intuitively: Jason Campbell is a Redskin, and not just because he wears the uniform.

Fair enough. I haven't lost nearly as much confid...

2009-04-02T12:09:00.000-04:00

Fair enough. I haven't lost nearly as much confidence in Jason Campbell as you appear to have. The jury's still out on both in my opinion.

I didn't see Cutler's last four games last year, and I don't know the contributing factors, but I did see his stats, and they were below average in that 0-4 run to miss the playoffs. Fading drastically in crunch time is not a good indicator of a Franchise QB. But again, I have not seen the games, only the stats.

SNF,

I decided to save the compensation que...

2009-04-02T11:45:00.000-04:00

SNF,

I decided to save the compensation question for another piece. Would have made this way too long. For what its' worth, if I end up writing it my thesis will be at IF the man is legitimately a Franchise QB, it's worth paying a *Prince's* Ransom for. :)

How much that actually means, and how badly his cap number might hinder the team in other ways, are considerations its almost impossible to make at this point given the QB himself is still something of a question mark.

Promise you this, though. If the Skins do end up bringing Cutler here, and we have the deal details to dig into, I'll definitely express an opinion.

I didn't see you address the potential additional ...

2009-04-02T11:31:00.000-04:00

I didn't see you address the potential additional compensation. If it were a one for one deal AND the front office has actually done their due diligence, maybe I'm on board. But to also lose a first rounder, and maybe more? I don't see that it's worth the risk.

Thanks, Anon. I agree, but reiterate the caveat: i...

2009-04-02T11:19:00.000-04:00

Thanks, Anon. I agree, but reiterate the caveat: it's a monster gamble; if this was Tom Brady we were talking about, I'd say sell the farm, but it's not--it's a guy the jury's still out on. If they're really going to pull the trigger on Culter, they simply can't afford to be wrong.

Great piece as usual. It really all boils down to ...

2009-04-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

Great piece as usual. It really all boils down to the fact that this team has been without a "franchise qb" in some time. The chance is there, thus I think the Skins will pull the trigger. They have to.