I Like the Cutler of His Jib

I heard a caller on the Mully and Hanley show recently saying that he was tired of the Jay Cutler love fest. He said that Cutler's mechanics are to blame for some or most of the problems the offense is having. I completely disagree, and I offer the following suggestions about Jay Cutler:

1. He worked on mechanics over the summer. All accounts were that his footwear was quicker, release was crisper, and he even lost a little weight. Mike Martz commented on this without prompt, in fact, just before the season started.

2. Mechanics are only part of the equation. Judgement is a bigger part. In Jay's first year, he trusted the line and the receivers and threw a ridiculous number of interceptions. He appeared to be throwing to the spots, but the receivers weren't there. Second year, he didn't trust the receivers as much and got sacked as much or more than any QB in the league. Importantly, the interceptions weren't nearly as bad. This year, when he's protected, he makes good throws and his mechanics look good. Those moments are somewhat rare, and the receivers are still not always where they need to be, and they sometimes drop the ball.

3. Jay has never thrown anyone, regardless of futility (I'm talking about Frank Omiyale in particular), under the bus. I would not be nearly as diplomatic for all the crap being sent his way day in and day out - including guys on radio call-in shows talking about how his mechanics suck.

4. I have now heard people suggest that the Bears should trade Cutler. There are some major flaws with that idea. First, it ignores the history of mediocre QBs that the Bears have cultivated. Second, to trade Cutler would mean to bring in someone new, and that responsibility lies with the same management team that brought us Henry Burris. Third, there aren't any available quarterbacks in the league that would be better than Jay Cutler with the other offensive components as they stand.

5. On top of everything else, Cutler is dealing with a serious disease every single day. Diabetes makes it harder for him to recover from injuries and to stay alert at various times of the day. In the past, it seemed like he was delirious in evening games. It really looks like he has figured out whatever was making him lag at night and has been totally crisp. Regardless, he should be getting extra credit for overcoming and playing through his disease but gets picked apart instead.

Honestly, I would have cracked by now. Too much speculation on heart, toughness, and skill from seemingly everyone - and I'd call him an elite QB. We just don't have anything to compare him to, and he's working with a mediocre squad. Instead of cracking, he comes back with improved play every week. I hope the Bears eventually put the tools in place to show off how good Cutler really is.