Ben's extension?

[SidSmythe]

I think all these teams so clearly see that a "franchise" QB is so essential to having any chance to win that they are willing to take the risk and overpay for guys who are clearly borderline. QB is just too hard a position to find and if you have one you have to keep him or you could enter a decade of irrelevance hoping to find one.

Exactly . . . where would the Bears go w/out Cutler?? nowhere but down. he's their best option by far. Same with the Steelers. If BEN retired tomorrow the Steelers wouldn't compete next year and it would be a crap shoot finding a replacement. Kent Graham & tommy Maddox all over again.

[SS Laser]

How does the Cutler contract compare to Brady's?

[Shawn]

Exactly . . . where would the Bears go w/out Cutler?? nowhere but down. he's their best option by far. Same with the Steelers. If BEN retired tomorrow the Steelers wouldn't compete next year and it would be a crap shoot finding a replacement. Kent Graham & tommy Maddox all over again.

Tommy Gun was actually a good QB for us until he got knocked out...then he was never the same.

[feltdizz]

Exactly . . . where would the Bears go w/out Cutler?? nowhere but down. he's their best option by far. Same with the Steelers. If BEN retired tomorrow the Steelers wouldn't compete next year and it would be a crap shoot finding a replacement. Kent Graham & tommy Maddox all over again.

I know it was a small sample size but McNown played MUCH better than Cutler.... I know he isn't the future but I think they make the playoffs if they didn't go back to Cutler. The Bears were pretty good with average QB play the last few years. I just don't see Cutler as THAT guy.

[SidSmythe]

I know it was a small sample size but McNown played MUCH better than Cutler.... I know he isn't the future but I think they make the playoffs if they didn't go back to Cutler. The Bears were pretty good with average QB play the last few years. I just don't see Cutler as THAT guy.

When you look at a QB you gotta ask yourself 1 question. Can this guy WIN the Superbowl (or at least put us in position)??? I'm not sure Cutler is that guy, but I know for sure that McNown isn't that guy (unless you apply the trent dilfer rule here).

[papillon]

How does the Cutler contract compare to Brady's?

I think Brady's annual haul is somewhere between $13M and $14M, but I believe that Brady gave something of a discount to allow the Pats to sign other players.

Pappy

[ikestops85]

Exactly . . . where would the Bears go w/out Cutler?? nowhere but down. he's their best option by far. Same with the Steelers. If BEN retired tomorrow the Steelers wouldn't compete next year and it would be a crap shoot finding a replacement. Kent Graham & tommy Maddox all over again.

I'm not so sure about that. McCown did as well or better than Cutler. Cutler I would put in the Neil O'Donnel class of QB. Decent but prone to make the big mistake in the big game ... unless he decides to fake injury.

[Oviedo]

I think Brady's annual haul is somewhere between $13M and $14M, but I believe that Brady gave something of a discount to allow the Pats to sign other players.

Pappy

You can easily take a discount when your model wife is a multi-millionaire!

[SS Laser]

You can easily take a discount when your model wife is a multi-millionaire!

Yes that is true. But he also wants to end his career in New England so he did a little discount to help the cap. Ben also needs to do some type of discount if he wants to win 1 or 2 more super bowls like he said. I am just shocked by this contract at this point. I just heard 126 million and 54 mil guaranteed? Where does Cutler rank? Maybe top 15 at best in the NFL? I just wonder how this will effect the Ben extension.

[NorthCoast]

I'll take Ben's blemishes because it could be 20 years before you find someone who could produce like him. You must have a franchise QB in this league to have any chance of winning a championship. I'll go with the old adage " a bird in hand,..."

We don't have the LB talent we had 5 years ago, so IMO we do need to switch. We just don't have the OLBs you need for LeBeau's defense to work. I do like what San Fran does. It is an example of making your defense fit the players you have not the other way around.

So which is it? Players to fit the system, or system to fit the players? You can't seem to make up your mind.
So the average contract is 4 yrs, do you flip-flop systems when you lose players every four years? There is a good reason why the Steeler org preaches 'the standard'. That standard includes the systems they have chosen to use. It is in fact the standard. Players get with the program or they find somewhere else to play.
The Browns and Bengals were mired in mediocrity for a decade or more, meanwhile Steeler fans are groaning about missing a couple of playoffs. And consider that for a handful of plays, nobody would even be bringing the subject up today.