I'm probably one of the few people in Chicago who did not jump for joy when the Bears traded for Jay Cutler last week. In the trade, the Bears gave up an awful lot -- perhaps too much --including QB Kyle Orton, two first round draft picks and a third round draft pick.
Sure, Cutler is a Pro Bowl quarterback with a career 87.0 rating, higher than any other quarterback in Bears' history. But I'm not convinced that he will have the immediate impact on the team that fans expect. He's coming from a more offensively focused AFC team, the Denver Broncos, with a better corps of receivers and a better offensive game plan. The Bears have always been, and always will be, a defensive team that depends on the running game. It makes me wonder how Cutler will fit in to the Bears' offensive scheme. The Bears' offense has been rather suspect in recent years, and that is not a knock on Kyle Orton, who probably would have performed better if he had better receivers and a younger, healthier offensive line in front of him.
Sow while Cutler is a definite upgrade at the QB position, I think it's unfair to expect him to perform with the same success as he had in Denver. The Bears must also upgrade the offensive line and the receivers. And the addition of offensive tackle Orlando Pace, who was acquired on the same day as the Cutler trade, should help. Still there's work to do for the Bears, and they know it.
Cutler's stats are wonderful, there's no doubt about that. But let's not expect miracles just yet. It may take two or three seasons for the remaining pieces of the puzzle to fall into place.
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