Bowlen for Quarterbacks: The 7-10 Split

So Pat Bowlen finally stepped in and said they WILL trade Jay Cutler. At least that ends the will-they-or-won't they debate that would have gone on for several more weeks.

My #1 scenario for Jay Cutler: Detroit. The Lions have been consistent losers for the past 50 years and show no signs of turning things around. Now that the Cardinals have started making Super Bowl runs, the Lions are without question the worst franchise in the NFL. So, good luck with that, Jay. And you get to play in Detroit, where the unemployment rate is 20%. So if your whiny act got old here, imagine how it will go over in Detroit. The Lions have 5 draft picks to offer in the top 100 of the upcoming NFL draft: #1, #20, #33, #65, #82. I know the Broncos don't want the #1 pick, but I'd trade Cutler for #20 and #33 if they also throw in a 2009 Ford Focus.

My #2 scenario for Jay Cutler: Cleveland. The Browns haven't been competitive for 50 years, either, except for that brief stretch in the 1980s when they lost three AFC championships to the Broncos. So this is another great place for Cutler. Losing franchise, bad weather, hardscrabble fans. There has been a lot of talk about the Broncos trading Cutler for Brady Quinn - which might be okay. The Broncos still get a young "franchise" quarterback. Quinn is still unproven as an NFL quarterback - but maybe he is a little more likeable.

I've heard the Cutler-for-Tony Romo trade, which sounds interesting but probably won't happen. I don't think the Broncos would want to throw in an extra draft pick to also acquire Jessica Simpson.

I hope they don't get too hung up on getting a quarterback in return. The only way to turn this lemon into lemonade is to get a load of young, talented players in return, regardless of what position. So just sign Jeff Garcia to play for a couple of years or maybe Josh McDaniels knows some other guys who didn't play in college but are basically the second coming of Tom Brady.

Josh McDaniels is also basically a fool for starting this whole mess. There probably won't be a mention made of him this year that does not include the phrase, "trading Jay Cutler." He'll have that hanging over him for his entire stay in Denver, unless, of course, he gets the Broncos to the Super Bowl. I think Pat Bowlen started him out on the Mike Shanahan plan, but now he has been downgraded to the Wade Phillips plan. If he isn't winning playoff games within two years, he is done.

On second thought, maybe they just should have kept Mike Shanahan. . .