MMQB Review: Broncos Should Consider Rehiring Mike Shanahan and Signing Jake Plummer Edition

The Broncos have to at least 35% regret firing Mike Shanahan and drafting Jay Cutler in 2006 at this point. McDaniels has not handled this Cutler situation expertly and Jay Cutler is giving diabetic people a bad name by being a crybaby.

I actually dislike MMQB even less during the offseason because we are not subjected to the constant barrage of "Here is how Peyton Manning threw that last TD pass on the final drive on Sunday," or stories about why Ray Lewis is the best linebacker ever, with descriptions for each in pure puff piece fashion. Sometimes these stories are decent but most of the time they just seem to take up space. Hence when Peter can't talk about this type stuff, we get three page long columns. I prefer this.

Let's see what Crybaby Cutler is complaining about this week.

Quite an offseason we're having.

I know! You are moving to Boston and Kevin Youkilis shaved that godawful beard he had. Now he looks like a normal human being instead of looking like that guy that hangs out at the park blasting Metallica from his van waiting for unsuspecting 5 year old boys to walk by.

I'm going to lead with the Cutler story, following two chats I had with Denver coach Josh McDaniels late Sunday night.

(Peter King) "Josh, you have the most beautiful eyes. Based on your experience with the Patriots as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, do you think Tom Brady or Matt Cassel has a better beach body?"

(Josh McDaniels) "Peter, I am very uncomfortable right now, let's stick to the football questions."

(Peter) "Ok, do you think Tom Brady or Matt Cassel has bigger biceps...to throw a football."

(Josh McDaniels hangs up the phone...while Peter King sits Indian style in a vacant room at his new apartment nude except for a Red Sox hat on head sideways)

(Peter calls back) "Josh, sorry."

(Josh) "It's ok Peter, I understand...(clearly uncomfortable), let's just say Tom Brady is superior not just on the football field and leave it at that."

(Peter writes this in his diary and then asks McDaniels another question) "What's with Jay Cutler?"

(Josh McDaniels) "Fuck him."

(Peter hearing a door slam) "I have to go put some clothes on, the wife is home. Come visit me sometime...I live in Boston now!"

(Josh) "I will literally never do that."

"I would probably be really good for Jay, and I know he would be really good for me,'' McDaniels told me over the phone from Denver. "I think that's the part that's shocking to me.''

Seriously, I am not having a fake conversation between these two anymore. It does sound like it though.

I reported recently that Cutler wanted to be traded after the Broncos lost both Mike Shanahan (fired) and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates (went to USC as offensive coordinator), and that message was delivered to the Denver front office. Now I expect Cutler, through agent Bus Cook, to reiterate his demand ... and what's more, I expect the Broncos to seriously consider it.

This is where I am sort of kind maybe not feeling bad for the Broncos. They wanted to trade Cutler and took steps to do so. Now we are supposed to feel bad that the Broncos are "seriously considering" trading Cutler? They have already seriously considered it, now they got caught with their pants down by a crybaby quarterback and have few choices but to trade him because he can't handle the big boy world the rest of us live in.

Owner Pat Bowlen said Sunday night, "we might lose'' Cutler, though he was not specific about how, or why, or when,

Quick comparison here. Imagine at your job you heard they were looking to hire another person who the new head manager/president had worked with previously for your job. It turned out that person did not want to leave his old job so he did not accept your position, but you are pretty pissed off at this and feel like you have no job security, so you start looking for new jobs. Would anyone feel bad for the company you work for if quit and they get stuck with no one in the position? I doubt it. That's why Pat Bowlen needs to be smacked for phrasing it like "we might lose" Cutler. You already tried to lose him, now he is wanting to leave. That's kind of your fault.

But in the end, Denver will have to strongly consider trading Cutler. If you're a rookie coach, as McDaniels is, and you've got to set the right tone for the team, how can you have a quarterback who doesn't want to be there as your franchise leader?

Fortunately McDaniels is planning on turning over a lot of the roster, so there won't be a lot of old players there to get pissed off at this.

The Broncos have already strongly considered trading Cutler. Though Cutler is a crybaby, I feel like there is a strong "poor Broncos" sentiment in this article. I think Cutler should man up and get over it all, but Denver tried to trade the crybaby and now they have to pay the price...they would not be in this situation if they had not tried to initiate a trade. It's pretty simple.

"This was a non-issue until Thursday [Feb. 26],'' McDaniels said. "There was obviously a scenario where teams figured we'd be interested in Matt Cassel, because I'd coached him in New England. When someone calls, I'm going to consider it, because that's my job.''

This where, from my point of view, Peter King starts giving one of his old New England buddies a way to weasel out of the fact the tried to trade he tried to make. Here's the thing. There is only one team that had the rights to Cassel, New England, and if McDaniels had initially said he would not consider a trade that would have been the end of it. Even if there was a three team trade that was offered, he could have declined immediately, which he didn't. Granted there could have been teams involved with the discussions, but he only had to make his intention clear to one team and that team is New England.

McDaniels did pursue a deal with New England on the first day of free agency, but not intensely, he said, because he and Broncos general manager Brian Xanders were in the middle of doing six free-agent negotiations in the opening two days of free-agency.

Here goes Peter giving McDaniels a forum to explain why he did nothing wrong. This is not true. It doesn't matter how intensely the Broncos pursued a trade, it matters to Jay Cutler they did pursue this trade. So Josh McDaniels did pursue a trade for Matt Cassel and Jay Cutler is being a baby and needs to get over it, but he is hurt by this.

"Do I understand about Jay being hurt that we'd consider this?'' McDaniels said. "Sure. But I can tell you that it wasn't like there was any grand plan by us to trade Jay Cutler. That wasn't the case.

Actually when you pursue a new starting quarterback as a new head coach, that is exactly part of the grand plan you have for the team. The new quarterback is arguably the very most important key to this grand plan.

I do feel like Jay Cutler is in the wrong, but this "did I do that, because I didn't mean to?" shit by McDaniels is not valid either. He pursued a trade for Matt Cassel and he is dealing with the consequences from a sad little quarterback.

"I think we were too late to the dance,'' he said, meaning the Chiefs had already made the deal with New England -- a second-round pick for Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel.

Maybe I am interpreting this differently, but this tells me that Matt Cassel would be a Bronco if the Broncos were earlier in expressing interest in Matt Cassel. It tells me Josh McDaniels did want Cassel on his team, but the deal was done so quickly they could not get a decent offer on the table.

I asked McDaniels if he feels he'll be forced to trade Cutler.

As opposed to voluntarily trading him like they wanted to do? Again, I am not defending Jay Cutler, but I am saying the Broncos don't deserve the sympathetic-ish words Peter King is using here. This would all end if Jay Cutler could grow some balls and realize shit like this happens.

Maybe Cutler can't take the dissing he feels from McDaniels, or maybe he's fabricating the dissing to justify in his own mind going somewhere else. I don't know.

This is what I am talking about. Peter thinks Cutler is being a baby or he is a liar. I just imagine if this situation involved Peyton Manning and wonder if Peter would feel the same way. I am not saying Jay Cutler is Peyton Manning but if the Colts hired McDaniels would Peter react the same way to him bringing Cassel in and trading Manning. I really doubt it.

I'm a little surprised San Diego did right by Tomlinson. The Chargers don't know if he's going to struggle again next year, and they've got to find increased carries for young and hungry backs Darren Sproles and Jacob Hester.

Just to follow up on what I said in the Ten Things...for this this week, I don't get why Tomlinson can not be a Fred Taylor type back. Maybe it is the money that he is making, but Peter was all about some Fred Taylor as a 150 carry back and yet he is completely down on Tomlinson in a similar role. It has to be because he is making so much money, otherwise it makes no sense.

Quote of the Week III

"Stop following me around.''

-- Text message from Shawn Springs, who signed with the Patriots, to longtime rival Terrell Owens, who signed with the Bills last week. The two will play twice a year in 2009.

I wonder how many times Brett Favre sent Peter King a text that said this?

Somehow Peter had to squeeze in a mention that the Patriots signed Shawn Springs. Job well done Peter, here's a cookie.

Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me II

They like dogs in my new neighborhood, Boston's South End. I'm starting to think they like dogs better than people. The bank on our block not only has a sign welcoming dogs, but also a dog play area inside with a fire hydrant and a big water bowl. The pet store in the neighborhood, Polka Dog Bakery, bakes dog-treat cookies and gives them freely to customers, as well as selling some interesting dog food. (One is 100-percent rabbit meat.) And I saw a van Sunday morning stopping to pick up dogs at a couple of apartments in the neighborhood. The driver told me he was taking a passel of dogs out for a "play date.''

Again, please remember a factoid could actually be a false statement, so this could all be a big fat lie. I love being technical.

I have always wonder why the hell Peter King put his personal information under the heading that it "may only interest him." There is no way it doesn't only interest him. Why the hell would anyone else give a shit about his life, where he moves, what his kids do, or where he ate dinner. Does ANYONE like those people that give long drawn out stories about a vacation he/she took, busts out with pictures of their kids, or tells a funny story involving coffee? I say no.

I spent a pleasant day in Sidney, Ohio, speaking to a company there and dining with some executives, and realized the restaurant-chaining of America is leaving most towns the size of Sidney (pop.: 20,211), in western Ohio, without many or any non-Applebee's, non-fast-food options.

Peter cares about the little guy! He wrote this statement on his new Blackberry phone, while at the airport waiting for his limo to pick him up to take him to the airport, where he would fly first class, and then bitch in his weekly column about how many ice cubes are in the drink.

Also unearthed this nugget while out in farm country: New England tackle Matt Light is evidently the year-'round Santa Claus of his old high school, Greenville High, in nearby Greenville, Ohio. Equipment and uniforms and shoes sometimes just show up there, and everyone asks, "Where'd this come from?'' But they figure it out pretty easily.

I would be willing to bet even our favorite New England commenter Fred Trigger is going get tired of hearing little facts about each Patriot, now that Peter lives in Boston.

2. I think the owners will lock out the players in 2011. Welcome to the new job, Mr. Smith.

I am intentionally ignoring any talk about a lockout because I don't want to think about it. So that means I am not talking about the new NFLPA leader or anything like that...unless Peter says something stupid related to that of course, then I will make fun of him and leave it at that.

3. I think Seattle got the better of the Cory Redding-for-Julian Peterson deal. Without a solid defensive line to open rush lanes for him with the Lions, how is Peterson (five sacks in 2008) going to get to the passer?

Isn't Julian Peterson a linebacker? So rushing the passer is not his first real job. In that line of thought, wouldn't his first real concern be to make tackles? So the question should be who is going to take up blockers so that he and Ernie Sims can make tackles? The Seahawks also now have a question about who is going to tackle the ball carrier, other than Leroy Hill and Tatupu. Also, this trade now means that the Lions probably will not take Aaron Curry first in the draft and does this mean the Seahawks think they can get Curry and will not be taking Crabtree...if not, does this mean that Curry could fall to the Bengals at #5, and if so, how fast would they draft him?

I will be here all day to ask the more important questions when a trade happens. I can't believe, well I actually can but still, Peter's first response was in regard to how many sacks Peterson would get, which is not even a linebacker's main job in a 4-3 defense.

6. I think my money is on Dallas hosting somebody (the Giants, perhaps?) in the first Sunday night game of the year on NBC Sept. 13. The Cowboys are opening the showplace stadium to end all showplace stadiums in Arlington, at a cost of $1.15 billion, and the NFL will want to give Jones this mega-platform to open the place.

The NFL does need to support the opening of new stadiums by non-playoff teams. I mean they do have an owner that is the poster child for meddling owners that have very little concept on how to correctly build a winning football team and puts winning above the NFL's discipline policy and has done so for nearly twenty years now. Congratulations Jerry Jones, you have been rewarded for mediocrity once again!

9. I think the Patriots are going to have to work on their heart and soul this offseason. First Josh McDaniels goes. Then Scott Pioli. Then Mike Vrabel. Now Larry Izzo, their special-teams captain and conscience, who left the other day for the Jets.

I know, the Patriots who are 27-5 over the last two seasons have lost two aging linebackers and lost two guys who don't actually play the sport of football. Good thing the Patriots have four or five picks in the first two rounds and are getting the best quarterback in football (arguably) back this year. They have not lost any key components to last year's 11-5 team and are adding better pieces in Fred Taylor and Shawn Springs. None of them had heart and soul though, so I predict only a 13-3 record for them this season.

Even for a flatliner like Bill Belichick, who lives by the what-are-you-going-to-do-for-me-this-year mantra and never lives in the past, it's going to be a daunting task, getting his team ready without so many stalwarts in his front office, coaching offices and locker room.

Peter, worry about your favorite team on your own time please or create a blog to express your concerns. The Patriots are going to be fine. They draft incredibly well and always have players that are ready to take over starting spots. This year will not be different.

You don't have to read this line below, I am not defending Ann Coulter, I am just kind of fed up and wanted to take it out on Peter, it is intended to be more angry than political and is not intended to start a discussion because I hate politics.

b. Thanks, Ann Coulter, for reveling in the decline of the liberal newspapers. Nice of you to be making the great money you obviously make while hard-working reporters and editors and photographers -- from liberal and conservative papers alike -- are being put on the street every day. This is a crisis without ideological fault lines, sister. And the New York Times isn't going anywhere.

Yeah, sister. Brother Peter knows what the hell he is talking about because he is someone who makes nice money writing an online column and being on television while hard-working reporters and editors and photographers are being put on the street. It's a "crisis" that poorly managed and run industries are going out of business. This is America. Unsuccessful businesses and business models should be allowed to stay in business. That's how this country was built dammit and that is why we should bail out every unsuccessful business in the country...to keep the stench of failure throughout America. Tell it Brother Peter. It's not like Americans are innovative or anything, let's just keep rewarding those for using an outdated business model.

Sorry for that rant, it was out of place, but I can't help it sometimes. I do feel bad for those that lose their job in the newspaper industry, but it is a dying industry unless the proactively attempt to find a way to save it. I don't see that happening.

c. I'm really going to like reading Dan Shaughnessy every day.

Is he going to make up another Curse to sell books? If so, I would not appreciate that.

I thought I was going to miss Starbucks on this move, because the nearest Starbucks is six or eight blocks away,

I realize it is the South End of Boston and people may not drive everywhere, but six or eight blocks away? That's it. And Peter was not willing to walk that to get a cup of coffee. That just doesn't seem like a whole lot of walking to me.

h. My Rotisserie draft is Tuesday night, which worries me for two reasons: With the move, I haven't studied, and I'm in a smart league; and it's St. Patrick's Day, a day I'm never at my best at 8 or 9 at night. Uh-oh. Looks like a long year for the Montclair Pedroias.

Uh-oh Peter is getting drunk on St. Patrick's Day! Maybe he would write his columns better if he was writing them under the influence of alcohol instead of being under the influence of cake.