Mel Kiper rips Cutler
I’m going to get into some Rockies content here soon, I promise. I’ve been kinda tiring of all the Cutler/McDaniels drama, then this hits, and I couldn’t pass it up.
Mel Kiper, the plastic-haired ESPN draft guru, absolutely LAID INTO Cutler today – it’s an “Insider” article, so I’ll go ahead and break some sort of copyright policy of theirs, because this deserves to be heard and responded to by everyone. Full text of the article and my response after the jump:
KIPER: CASSEL > CUTLER
This was all prompted because the Broncos tried to trade Cutler in a three-team deal that would’ve yielded them Matt Cassel from New England. But when the trade fell through, Cutler started to complain.
Kiper says Cassel would have been an “upgrade” over Cutler and that Cutler, to put it mildly, overrated.
“[Cutler] throws one pass, he’s a Hall of Famer,” Kiper says. “I’ve seen the media put him in the Hall of Fame. I had to run to the bathroom quick. It was making me ill. I’ve been hearing this overhype.
“This guy was overhyped at the combine, he was overhyped at Senior Bowl week, he’s been overhyped before he was drafted. The media, they love Jay Cutler. Jay Cutler can do no wrong I’ve been saying he’s overrated since Day 1. Everyone’s been pounding their chests saying, ‘Oh, I love Jay Cutler, I’m a genius.’ They have egg on their face now.”
Kiper points out that Cutler has yet to lead the Broncos to a winning record or a playoff appearance. Also, Kiper says, “[Cutler] makes throws that leave you scratching you head, which I said on draft day when he was picked. Yeah, he’s got a strong arm, but my daughter knew he had a strong arm. She could’ve written that report.”
Kiper compares Cutler to Jeff George. “Jeff George had a great arm, and Jeff George had a lot of great games in this league, and people were putting Jeff George in the HOF early in his career. So I’m just telling you, this is ridiculous.”
Also, Cutler once said he had a better arm than John Elway. Not surprisingly, Kiper isn’t a big fan of that comment, either. “So what? Who cares? Why would you make a comparison to John Elway, that could be taken like you’re in a position to critique the quarterback that is a legend.”
Them’s some strong words. Now I made it clear in my last post on this topic that Cutler certainly shares some of the blame in this whole melodramatic fiasco, but taking the opportunity to skewer Cutler as “overhyped” and “overrated”? Saying anyone who thinks Cutler was a good draft now has “egg on their face”, as if the issue is fully decided? What is Mel Kiper, the new Phil Simms? Cutler’s place in NFL history is far from set. And if you remember, he was put in a class with Matt Leinart and Vince Young – you still wish you had one of those guys over Jay? Not me. Not even for a second. You know who else makes throws that make you “scratch your head”? Brett Favre. John Elway. Any quarterback who spends even one down “shooting from the hip”. Brett Favre didn’t win early in his career either. Not even the greats: Favre, Elway, Manning, Brady, Montana–you name it–would have been able to do much better than 8-8 with Denver’s recent defense. Nobody’s putting Jay in the HOF, Mel. You just made that assertion, but no one here is doing it. The media in Denver sure as heck isn’t – have you even BEEN to Denver? Read the Denver Post? It’s online now, like all the big papers; you can read it from your little Northeastern hovel. Why don’t you give Jay a chance to have a career before you bury it? In fact, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll continue to not brand Jay an HOF lock if you’ll stop being a moron and calling him a bust before he has a chance to prove himself out. Stick to rating college players, it’s what you do best.
So you tell me, Mel. How is Cutler so overrated that he shouldn’t even be in the league? Did Cutler kick your dog? Trample your rose garden? Or is he simply making you look bad? Are you that petty?
You’re better than this, Mel. You should be above this kind of biased, agenda-driven garbage “reporting”, which comes off awful self-serving, so your projections of Jay can be proven correct when all indications are that you blew it. We’re not convinced Jay is the new Elway here in Denver either, but at least we’re not making buffoons of ourselves in the national media.
Great analysis of this ridiculous report. I had read some excerpts from Kiper’s rage-induced, hysterical article, and your summary furthers my conclusion that his brand of “journalism” is an extension of his talking-head newscaster personality. He’s a sensationalist whose opinions are designed to do two things; engender meaningless heated debate, and make him appear to be a real sports analyst when he is anything but. In those regards, he has been successful.
That aside, Cutler needs to grow up and become a team player. The same goes for McDaniels, who we seem to agree was an idiot to create this situation in the first place. The two have the potential to do great things together if they can work past this increasingly publicized and unnecessary spat. They are both acting like gradeschoolers trying to look big in front of their classmates; everybody knows it’ll never come to blows, but they keep up the act out of simple pride and rampant arrogance.
I agree. But honestly, man, I don’t see it happening. They’re trying to figure out who’s willy is bigger, and it just keeps getting worse. It’s girly-myspace-drama at its worst right now, and it’s all being played out in the media.
I have this sinking feeling that JC is traded before training camp, Marshall gets whacked for 4-6 games, and we’re in for a hellish year of New England Patriots Lite football. Just like NE but without the real substance, and therefore without the success. It just doesn’t seem like this thing is going anywhere good.
Jason, you’re on to something here. Great analysis here. Looking forward to reading more.