Lions Should Do Whatever It Takes to Pry Cutler From Denver

Maybe drafting Matthew Stafford would be a total success for Detroit. Maybe it would be an unmitigated disaster. There's just no way to know for sure how things will work out. It's a total crapshoot -- so the Lions should put the dice down, pick their money up and cash in whatever chips they hold in exchange for Denver quarterback Jay Cutler.

Obviously, the biggest chip that the Lions hold is the No. 1 overall pick. When the first mention of a Cutler-to-Detroit deal came along, the thinking was that Denver would not want that top pick because of the potential cost involved. The Lions also have the No. 20, No. 33, No. 65 and No. 82 selections, all of which fall within the first three rounds. If No. 1 is too costly for Denver, I'm sure Detroit wouldn't mind swinging, say, the 20th and 33rd picks out west for the young gunslinger.

At least, the Lions shouldn't mind. Heck, if the Broncos pick up the phone tomorrow and say, "How about the No. 1 for Jay?" -- then Detroit should accept, offer to buy Denver's brass dinner at the draft and schedule a party at Ford Field.

Are there concerns about Cutler? Sure there are, the most recent being that Cutler is seemingly so at odds with the Broncos. (And that Mel Kiper hates him). He also threw 18 interceptions last year, second-most in the league, behind only Brett Favre's Wild Turnover Ride. To that, I say: Who cares?

Detroit's four-man quarterback clown car of Culpepper-Kitna-Orlovsky-Stanton tossed 19 picks in 2008, but only 18 touchdowns, so it's not like the status quo in Detroit was getting the job done.

Think about it: Cutler throwing to Calvin Johnson and Bryant Johnson, with Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris in the backfield. If I didn't tell you that was the Lions' potential offense, you would consider that team having the type of weapons to lead a playoff push.

This is more than just Cutler being better than what Detroit had last year, too. This about Cutler bringing a degree of certainty with him wherever he starts next year. Put aside these offseason issues, and his battle with diabetes, and what you are left with is a 25-year-old QB that went to the Pro Bowl in his second full season as a starter after throwing for 4,500-plus yards.

Cutler is on the verge of being one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, if he's not there already. There isn't anyone that can say definitively that Stafford or Mark Sanchez will ever be able to make a similar claim.

If the Lions opt to stand pat and draft Stafford, it would be the second time in seven years that they've attempted to find a franchise quarterback via the draft (Joey Harrington being the other), with a long-term deal for Jon Kitna mixed in there as well. Detroit should know as well as any other team out there how hard a franchise quarterback is to come upon, but Cutler is already one.

All of this is contingent on what Denver's next move is, of course. It's not as if a take 'em-or-leave 'em scenario is on the table for Detroit. New coach Josh McDaniels and the Broncos organization have the rest of the offseason to convince Cutler that he's wanted, or figure out the next move. If trading the recently frustrated quarterback is the move, however, that window is narrowed to between now and the draft, and it's not out of the question that a possible trade would go down on draft day itself.


Unfortunately for Denver (and for Detroit), there currently isn't any QB depth wearing Bronco orange. Darrell Hackney? Denver's not going into next season with him (or whoever they sign to replace Patrick Ramsey) running the show, particularly because the Broncos should be able to contend in the AFC West. Getting Cutler seeing sunshine and rainbows again is, or at least should be, priority one.

If that fails, are there options? They're limited, but there are. The easiest answer is to just take that No. 1 pick for Cutler and select Stafford, then go out and sign a veteran backup. If Sanchez falls to No. 20, the Broncos could theoretically do the same thing there if they pass on the top slot.

But I'll also throw these names out there: Jeff Garcia and Byron Leftwich. Neither are a particularly perfect fit for McDaniels' offense, but both would be fully capable of putting points on the board.

On the other hand, both guys are clear steps down from Cutler -- as are a huge chunk of the quarterbacks in the league. And that's precisely why the Lions ought to do whatever is necessary to bring him to Detroit.