The Sports Guru over at SB Nation's Mile High Report wrote an excellent recap on the Jay Cutler situation yesterday as it pertains to the Broncos. Many of his key arguments can be related to the Jets and their situation. I suggest you take the time to read the full article. Here are some key points as they relate to Gang Green.
- Championship teams are built around character. Nobody is bigger than the team. There are no sacred cows. Everybody better be able to do the little things and check egos at the door because competition for a job makes everybody better. Having a bunch of high character guys builds a stable locker room. Players start trusting one another and have confidence at critical moments. It is no surprise the only two teams to win multiple Super Bowls this decade, New England and Pittsburgh, model their franchises around these core values.
- Cutler is not the only quarterback out there. Good coaching can develop a franchise player. The Pats have taken two late round Draft picks and turned them into quality players. The Jets have three talented young players whom they can mold.
- Cutler has floundered every step of the way when put into a pressure situation. He has not shown any leadership skills. People have made excuse after excuse for him. It is surprising how many Jets fans wanted to give up anything and everything to land Cutler. Brett Favre was castigated by this fan base for having an eerily similar end to his 2008 season, not delivering when it mattered most. Could Cutler handle a similar situation, or would he beg for another trade if he was in New York? It is a lot more painful than hearing one's name rumored in a trade.
- Cutler has been at his worst in statistical terms when his defense has played poorly, and he has needed to take his team onto his shoulders to pull out a game (one way to quantify whether somebody really is a franchise quarterback).