Thread: Dan Pompei's Bears Mailbag

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,1038301.story


The Tribune's Bears columnist answers readers querstions about Jay Cutler's maturity, Matt Forte's trade value and the whereabouts of Matt Toeaina


Chicago Tribune reporter 5:21 p.m. CDT, October 3, 2012



It is becoming apparent that Jay Cutler is too immature to ever look at his own shortcomings. He is always blaming those around him. There is little doubt that those in Denver saw the same when deciding to trade him. So, what do the Bears do with him? Should they just let him play out his contract and go back to the draft? It would be difficult to take a quarterback when they need a middle linebacker and multiple offensive linemen. -- Jim Grazis, Leesburg, Fla.

It's too soon to come to any conclusion about Cutler in my opinion. You have to let him play out the season, or at least play more of the season. If he keeps answering challenges the way he did Monday, you look past the flaws, extend his contract and make him one of football's best paid players. If he has a lot more performances similar to his performance in Green Bay, you might gauge the trade market for him in the offseason. In that scenario, Jason Campbell would not be a bad replacement, at least in the short term. The team could promote Campbell and draft a quarterback to start developing. I think it's important to have some kind of resolution on Cutler by the offseason though.

Unless this team completely falls apart and there is a house cleaning, Cutler is the short term answer at qb, and probably long term also. Ya he's a douche, but he's also just on the outside of elite qb play, get rid of him at your own risk. Jason Campbell; his love is only slightly overshadowed by that of Bell. Neither are starter quality long or short term answers; the are game to game answers, not year to year ones.


Forgive me if I don't jump on the Jay Cutler bandwagon. I saw his little teenage girl move with Mike Tice on Monday night. I've never seen anything like it before in a professional athlete. He looked like the prom queen giving the cold shoulder to her date after he (the date) looked at another girl at the dance. No question he played a much better game -- although mechanics are still an issue. But how can the coaches and his teammates positively rally around that teenage behavior? -- Mark Munro

I don't think anyone could rally around that kind of behavior. But I do think everyone can rally around touchdown passes and victories. Ultimately, what Cutler did on the field against the Cowboys overshadowed what he did on the sidelines and made it pretty much a non-story. Cutler played an incredible game. It was a pleasure to watch, and re-watch. Now, if he had thrown an interception with the game on the line in the fourth quarter and the Bears had lost the game, the sideline incident would have been a much bigger deal. Cutler acts as if he is victimized by the media in these kinds of storylines, but if he really wants to avoid such controversies, all he has to do is behave the way Aaron Rodgers does.

^^This, play well and win no one will give a damn that your a petulant brat.


Come on. Dan. I know Cutler gave you (grief) from the podium but I don't take you as the type to have an ax to grind. Do you consider Tom Brady, future Hall of Famer, to be a professional? Why no mention of him berating his offensive coordinator last season? This double standard crap the media (not necessarily you) spins has to stop. It's becoming laughable. -- Gurleen Ghinder

I have no axes to grind, and I do my best to be objective. I am human, however. It's more difficult to be objective about people I find likable than people I find hard to like. As for Brady, he was out of line last year when he went off on then-offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. I said it at the time. Afterwards, Brady said he deserved the berating from O'Brien that started the argument because he made a stupid play. So to answer your question, I consider Brady highly professional. He just had a bad moment.

^^^This, Brady had a bad moment, but his aren't weekly or bi weekly. And yes for those of you w/short memories, Brady took heat for it.

Was that as awkward to live as it was to hear that exchange you had with Cutler last week? -- @IAMSquareOne (from Twitter)

It wasn't as awkward as some people have made it out to be. It was just Jay being Jay, really. I was neither offended by it, nor surprised by it. I asked a question about whether or not he thought he could throw too much to Brandon Marshall, and for whatever reason he clearly did not want to answer it. It would have been easy for him to answer the question and move on. He could have said something like, "Brandon is so talented and he has such a big catching radius, that I almost always feel confident throwing it his way. I have a good feel for where he is going to be and how he is going to react to different defensive looks and techniques, so I know I can look for him when my options elsewhere aren't good." Or he could have said, "I always look for Brandon, but it doesn't make sense to force it into him when other players are open and he is attracting excessive defensive attention." I tried to come back at Cutler with a few follow ups, and he refused to bite. I thanked him for the enlightenment. He thanked me for my vague question. As far as I'm concerned, entirely too much has been made of it. I would not have thought about it every day if someone didn't keep asking me about it. It was nowhere near as contentious the exchanges as some of us used to have with Mike Ditka on a regular basis. Nor was it as entertaining.

If his fellow players ever start saying Jay is being Jay you will know he's not a leader for certain, until then it's all up in the air and opinions. Btw, if you didn't hear that round of questioning, or any of Cutlers Monday radio show on ESPN...it IS uncomfortable to listen to how he answers questions even from former players(like tom waddle).


With Matt Forte starting to get pretty worn down, would he still demand a good price on the trade market? Trading him would leave the Bears with a solid player in Michael Bush and then the option to take a guy like Marcus Lattimore in the draft. -- Joe Devine, Saskatoon, Canada

I don't know why the Bears would want to get rid of a player they just signed and a player who clearly helps them win games. But to answer your question, I think the Bears could get something of value in return for Forte. They probably couldn't make a killing because he is soon to be 27-years old and he has some miles on him. The days of receiving five players and eight draft picks (including three first rounders), as the Cowboys did for Herschel Walker, are over. It's unusual to see a star running back traded anymore. The Seahawks got Marshawn Lynch for fourth and fifth round picks two years ago, but he wasn't in Forte's class at the time of the trade. The Redskins gave up Champ Bailey and a second round pick for Clinton Portis in 2004, but Portis was younger than Forte at the time, and he had been more productive. So what could Forte bring in a trade? I would say if they found the right partner, the Bears probably could get a good starter at another position or a second round draft pick.

I'm beggining to worry for the intellegence of Bears fans; Forte is beggining to break down at 27 when he's not been a high milage back regarding his touches? Why b/c he had a fluke injury b/c of a missed block last year and an ankle sprain this one? Shit if that was the case we should have jettisoned Wrex his sophmore year. Forte hurt is still better then any 2 backs we have on this team. I would have perferred we drafted one then paying for another backup, but whatever I don't mind Bush on here, he's a good for a few starts if Forte does go down; but it will not be the same, not even close. Trade? no way, no chance.

I keep seeing TEs being a big part of every QB's game. I'm not talking superstars like Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham, I'm talking Brent Celek, Scott Chandler, Martellus Bennett. Why is it that Jay Cutler can't get more out of Kellen Davis? It really feels like the missing link in the offense now that we are set at WRs and RBs. Is Kellen Davis not good enough at getting open? Is it the scheme? -- Andrew Molina

The Bears got more out of Davis Monday, when he caught three passes for a career-high 61 yards. Davis is not the same kind of athlete that many of the productive receiving tight ends in the NFL are. He is bigger, thicker than many and offers more blocking potential, but he does not move the way, as say, Gronkowski does. He isn't going to create much separation against man-to-man coverage. The Bears also have a lot of other weapons they would like to get the ball to. More passes to Davis might mean

Bears want to get the TE involved, but how do you do that when they have to keep Webb and the rest of the OL from looking foolish? Thought they found good balance in Dalas, but this OL isn't going to let Tice goto Davis 5+ times a game, and I doubt Cutler would w/Marshal out there. There just isn't enough targets when your not throwing the ball 40+ times a game.