McJaygate

If you follow the Broncos, or even the NFL for that matter, you have probably heard about the ongoing dispute between emerging star quarterback Jay Cutler and the new head coach Josh McDaniels. I must disclose that I felt the firing of coach Mike Shanahan was one of the worst moves the franchise has made in the last 25 years, and I am a huge fan of Cutler. Therefore, I will refrain from weighing in too much because my views are one-sided.

But I wanted to share this article from Woody Paige at the Denver Post. It really drives home a point I have made to anyone I have discussed the saga with, and that is that the Denver defense is the reason this team has been shackled in mediocrity for the past three seasons. It is the defense that should be 100 percent of the new coach's focus this offseason. No QB - not Peyton, Brady or Elway - can win when your defense is giving up 30+ points on a regular basis. The article illustrates this well.

It is so difficult to find a franchise QB in the NFL. While ours has been losing more games than winning them in his young career, the reason for the losses is not Cutler's play. It is a defense with players who adjust their gloves mid-play instead of making a tackle. It is a defense that celebrates and high-fives when they give up a 7 yard run on 1st and 10. Cutler is the one player that has kept this team from records of 3-13 or 4-12, which has happened to some of our AFC West foes.

To recap how the feud has unfolded: (1) Denver entertained offers to trade Jay Cutler for Matt Cassel and a couple of draft picks (2) the trade falls through and Matt Cassel becomes a Chief (3) Jay Cutler learns from the media (not the coach or the owner) that he was being shopped (4) Denver's front office denies ever attempting to trade Jay (5) Jay is not told definitively by the team he will not be traded (6) Jay freaks and stops talking to anyone, including owner Pat Bowlen (7) Jay and the coach agree to meet to smooth things out, but they end up doing it by conference call (8) it is leaked that during the call McDaniels told Jay that anyone can be traded at any time under his watch, a 180 from his public quote "We are not going to trade Jay Cutler. Period." (9) the situation is reported as going "from bad to worse" and there is speculation on whether Jay will show up at OTAs on Monday, and (10) Denver's defense remains lousy, with the exception of an upgrade at safety by the signing of Brian Dawkins.

Good grief. I hope the Denver front office gets its priorities in order fast, or Denver fans may be headed for another season lost.