Thread: Cutler finally can relax in work environment

Cutler finally can relax in work environment
Familiarity with Bates and Marshall eases tension of past for QB

Dan Pompei
On the NFL

7:50 p.m. CDT, June 12, 2012
Something is different about the Jay Cutler of 2012.

Besides that he is upright.

And not cursing someone.

Or sulking.

Cutler now seems more comfortable.

So comfortable, in fact, he could be doing commercials for Snuggie blankets. And who knows, maybe he will.

In his first three years with the Bears, Cutler wanted to keep extra-curricular activities such as endorsements and media appearances to a minimum. As he has grown roots in Chicago, that is changing.

He recently signed with WMVP-AM 1000 to appear on a weekly in-season radio show the day after every game. And it apparently was not just to avoid diaper duty.

He actually said talking with hosts Marc Silverman and Tom Waddle is "going to be fun." He might not realize they are members of the media.

"My fourth year being here, everything's a little bit more comfortable and I'm comfortable with my surroundings," he said.

He should be because the Bears have made many efforts to accommodate him.

They showed the door to the offensive coordinator Cutler recently criticized for being inflexible. They traded for the wide receiver Cutler has thrown more passes to than any other. They brought in the quarterbacks coach Cutler wanted. And they are installing many elements of the offense in which he arguably had his most success.

I asked him if the new Bears offense was more tailored to him now.

"It's stuff I do well," he said. "It's stuff I know. I don't know if tailored is the right word, but as a quarterback you want to be in the same offense over and over and over again so you get a good feel for it and know all the nuances. I was in this offense for three years in Denver. Now this (will be) my fourth year, so it's something I'm very comfortable with."

What offensive coordinator Mike Tice and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates have done is create a passing game out of what Cutler did best in Mike Martz's offense and what Cutler did best in Mike Shanahan's offense. Plays that don't suit him can be found in the paper shredder.

Cutler will be rolling out more and using his athleticism. And he will be making more quick passes from short drops.

One of the obvious differences from last season appears to be that there will be many more opportunities for Cutler to change plays at the line and take ownership of the offense. The Bears were working on audibles at minicamp Tuesday.

Cutler smiles when he talks about audibles. Something tells me he likes the idea.

Certainly, he likes throwing to Brandon Marshall again. In three years working with Marshall on the Broncos, Cutler threw 143 more passes to him than he threw to his leading wide receiver target in Chicago over three years, Johnny Knox. He completed 94 more to Marshall than Knox for 806 more yards.

And Cutler had an 80.6 passer rating when throwing to Marshall, compared to 68.5 when throwing to Knox, according to STATS.

Asked about Marshall on Tuesday, Cutler said, "I push him and he pushes me. We always have a healthy dialogue of what's happening on the field, what to change. We have such a good feel for each other. We just have to make sure that carries over into the season."

Cutler said this is the best group of receivers he has worked with. And he's not even working with Knox, who remains sidelined after back surgery.

And make no mistake, Cutler is working with these receivers besides just throwing passes. After a pass play went awry Tuesday, he came over on the sidelines for a talk with Earl Bennett and Devin Hester.

When Cutler talks, it's clear his teammates listen. And I understand he has been very good about helping to indoctrinate rookies Alshon Jeffery and Evan Rodriguez, telling them what he is looking for on routes and how to adjust to various defensive changeups.

A comfortable quarterback should make for a comfortable offense.

"I don't think we want to get ahead of ourselves, but everyone's feeling really comfortable, myself included with J Bates and B Marsh," Cutler said. "We have a good group and everyone's feeding off that and staying relaxed and playing fast, and that's what we want to do with the offense."

And Cutler should remain comfortable. As long as he remains upright.


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