Bears Land Cutler, But Did They Overpay?

The Denver Broncos made good Thursday on their promise to trade quarterback Jay Cutler. According to Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com, the Chicago Bears have dealt two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and quarterback Kyle Orton to the Broncos for quarterback Jay Cutler and a fifth-round draft pick.

The Bears held the 18th pick in the first round of this year's draft, which now belongs to the Broncos. Denver will also get Chicago's third-round pick this year and their first-round pick in 2010. Combined with Orton, that seems like a lot to give up at first glance. But when you consider that potential franchise quarterbacks in their prime are a rare commodity, it seems to me the Bears got more than a fair deal if, in fact, Cutler pans out in Chi-Town.

Obviously the first thought by many is going to be, who will he throw to? The Bears wide receivers obviously don't scare anyone. But keep in mind the Bears had Orton, whose down-field accuracy leaves a lot to be desired, throwing the ball. And the reason he was last in the league among starting quarterbacks at completions when the ball was in the air for 30 yards or more can't all be blamed on his receivers. In fact, Orton habitually overthrew a wide open Devin Hester last season. I'm not saying the Bears wideouts will suddenly become Pro Bowlers themselves, but a top-notch quarterback will make the players around him look better.

Along with Hester, there are two very big beneficiaries of this deal on Chicago's offense: running back Matt Forte and tight end Greg Olsen. With defenses forced to respect Cutler's arm, Forte will face fewer eight-man fronts and should continue to build on what was a fantastic rookie season. And I truly believe that with his speed and soft hands, Olsen has the potential now to vault up among the top pass-catching tight ends in the league.

Granted the Bears have other holes to fill as well, and they no longer have the benefit of two top draft picks to use on these position over the next 13 months. But keep in mind this is not a deal for the short term. Cutler does not need to lead the Bears to the Super Bowl in 2009 for this to be a successful deal. The Bears would not have made this deal if they weren't planning on keeping him around for the long run.

And when you consider the history, or lack thereof, Chicago has at the quarterback position, does it not make sense to roll the dice on a deal like this in the hopes of finally finding a legitimate franchise quarterback? After all, the Bears have started 30 guys over the last 30 years at the position. That's a pathetic track record by any measure.

And being the most important, and perhaps hardest position on the field to fill, doesn't it make sense to take a shot at a guy with Pro Bowl talent when the opportunity presents itself?

In my book it does.