Mangini denies Browns offered Brady Quinn to Denver

[Gips]

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UPDATED: 12:07 a.m.

Chuck Crow/PD

Brady Quinn was offered to Denver in a failed bid to acquire Jay Cutler, according to some published reports.

CLEVELAND -- Browns head coach Eric Mangini denied Thursday night that the Browns were involved in three-way trade talks that would've sent quarterback Brady Quinn to Denver.

 

The deal, originally reported in the Washington Examiner, involved the Broncos, Redskins and Browns, was close to happening at one point during the day, the source said. Disgruntled Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, who ended up being traded to Chicago, told a CBS affiliate in Denver Thursday afternoon that he was headed to Washington.

 

Late Thursday night, Mangini -- through team spokesman Neal Gulkis -- said the report was wrong.

 

Chicago eventually got back in the game and outbid other teams with two first-round picks. The Washington source said Denver's preferences for a quarterback were Quinn and then Chicago's Kyle Orton, who was part of the trade. Denver also received Chicago's first-round picks this year and next year and a third-rounder in 2009. The Bears received a fifth-rounder in addition to Cutler.

 

According to the source, the Broncos were not enamored with Redskins starting quarterback Jason Campbell.

 

Messages seeking comment from Quinn and his agent Tom Condon were not immediately returned.

 

Other teams trying to land Cutler were Tampa Bay and the New York Jets.

 

The report comes a little more than a week after Mangini said at the NFL owners meetings that he wouldn't rule out a trade.

 

"What I haven't ruled out is [GM] George [Kokinis] and I looking at any opportunity to improve the team," he said. "But I in no way am saying that is specific to the quarterback situation. But we would look at any opportunity we thought would improve the team."

 

He also said he told both Quinn and Derek Anderson that they'd openly compete for the job in training camp and that he was "excited" about the competition.

 

There's more at stake for Quinn in the competition than just the starting job. If he plays at least 70 percent of the snaps next season, he'll earn $11 million in contract escalators.

 

 

 

We may never know the truth but the washington examiner article has the browns deal unraveling and then chicago re-entering the cutler sweepstakes so even if mankok did offer bq in a deal they likely only dangled him as bait and pulled out after seeing his potential market value..

[ballpeen]

You never know in these things.....maybe we didn't offer up Quinn, or maybe it is damage control.

 

Toss a coin.

[PlaygroundLegend]

I love how everyone overreacted after one washington article that proved to be false. Mangini did not want to trade Quinn,he was approached by Denver about the possible trade, and then simply said no

 

Like Ive been telling everyone, this is quinns team, and quinns team it shall remain, you know why? because Magini is a BQ fag

 

DA is garbage, and were trying to raise his trade value, which has succeeded

[ClevelandFanForLife]

mangina would be an idiot to lie about trading him if he really did attempt to. look at what just happened in dnever when a coach tried to deny that he traded him. if mangina did try to trade him and is trying to deny, he is the dumbest human being to ever live. LOOK AT WHAT JUST HAPPENED IN DENVER!

[PlaygroundLegend]

I posted a video on here last week, It was Quinn speaking on the whole potential trade situation and the cutler situation....

 

Quinn basically said that this is a buisness and he understands that, and if he is here he will do the best he can to try and bring a SB home to his home team

 

so, even if mangini did try to trade quinn, quinn wouldnt care, he wont bitch and moan about it

[ClevelandFanForLife]

I posted a video on here last week, It was Quinn speaking on the whole potential trade situation and the cutler situation....

 

Quinn basically said that this is a buisness and he understands that, and if he is here he will do the best he can to try and bring a SB home to his home team

 

so, even if mangini did try to trade quinn, quinn wouldnt care, he wont bitch and moan about it

that's true, i did forget that quinn is a real man and not a child like cutler.

[BrownsKidd]

that's true, i did forget that quinn is a real man and not a child like cutler.

 

Which is why Character should always play an important role. I'm glad we didn't land Cutler... Guy looks like he is always drunk or high for some reason... It's in his eyes.

[OconRecon]

Which is why Character should always play an important role. I'm glad we didn't land Cutler... Guy looks like he is always drunk or high for some reason... It's in his eyes.

 

A diabetic who drinks is not a good thing.

 

Ditka just on Mike and Mike saying strong arm and stats are not as important to him as leadership, and Cutler needs to be more of a leader for him to be convinced this was a good deal.

[ballpeen]

PLease refrain from using the term "toss a coin" when refering to our quarterbacks....not again....

 

 

LOL...probably a good idea.

 

[Lumbergh]

Mangini just pulled a McDaniels.

 

Next we'll hear, "they called us, we didn't call them"

[Guest mz.]

Wow. Denial is way more than a river in Egypt to many of you folks.

 

I believe Mangini did offer him. I believe this is damage control. Problem is, why lie about it when you know the guy you tried to trade isn't a baby about the situation? Makes no sense to me, but rarely does anything arpmd Brownstown these days...

[Mr. T]

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! another one of Lumpies favorite threads! Its all Horse Shit!!! Lumpy is getting nervous as the draft comes closer because his boy DA has no suitors that want him as a starter.

 

By the time this is over Lumpy will be wearing a straight jacket.

[Reno]

"Messages seeking comment from Quinn and his agent Tom Condon were not immediately returned."

 

 

Quinn has already been told by Mankok that he is the starting QB. Also he has been given specific orders not to tell anybody publicly until DA is traded.

[hammertime]

Simular to what Zorn told Campell-" i'll keep you informed- it's just business"

[hoorta]

I think it's a bit of a problem. Too much smoke for it not to be true... and I can't think Quinn is thrilled about it.

 

I think there's a shot he goes to Denver for their 18th pick and Anderson gets moved for a third round pick. The Browns take Stafford or Sanchez at 5. It could happen.

 

Still, for that one douchebag, smart money says Quinn is the starter.

 

Moving both Quinn and Anderson has about as much of a shot as the Browns signing Plaxico Burress, assuming the moron doesn't shoot himself again first. We go from 2 qbs to none. If Quinn was coming out this year, he'd be right there with any of the potential first round qbs on the board.

 

I'm all for moving Anderson at anything more than a sack of seeds.

 

[Oldcrow1945]

What exactly did Mangini deny? The only thing I read was a quote from a spokesman that said Mangini claimed the reports were "wrong".

 

That could mean a host of things.

 

Did Mangini say anything else besides the "Wrong" comment?

[YtownBrownsBacker]

OBR and Scouts.com are working on the "What really happened" part of the trade and almost trade. Caplan in conjuction with Zac Jackson (because he is the only one getting any real information from Berea) will put the story out, if it warrants enough bling to be printed. In other words, if they can't get good reliable sources like Bus Cook or anybody from the Browns or Broncos then why print more garbage like MaryKay's article.

 

My son works with these guys part time but his full time job is a sports announcer for a local ESPN affiliate. He has talked to some other ESPN radio affiliates in Denver and Washington and some Sirus Radio guys while the Scouts.com and OBR guys are trying to get call backs from solid team sources (Denver, Wash and the Browns).

 

Here's some of what they have found out and are attempting to get verification on:

 

Cleveland was never a player for Cutler not because Cutler didn't want to play for Mangini. It is well known around the league that Cleveland is looking for picks not looking to trade picks. Cutler was in the dark until the end and it was Bus Cook, his agent, that said Teams like Cleveland and Tampa Bay might not be good fits for Cutler because they want to run a "Ball Control West Coast Offense". How things get twisted is amasing.

 

Cleveland was contacted by Denver to try to work the deal with Washington because Denver didn't want Campbell. Denver wanted to know if Quinn was available. The Browns said they were willing to listen but weren't interested in taking Campbell from Washington. Doesn't seem that an offer for Quinn was really made since Washington couldn't unload Campbell. Then stepped in Chicago.............................................

 

OBRs take so far: Cleveland wasn't really a player for Cutler. Mangini wasn't going to trade a QB and picks to get a guy that was good but not a good fit. Cleveland isn't shopping Quinn, they listen to offers about every player, out of respect and not wanting to burn bridges. If the offer is good enough, who knows. It's no secret that Cleveland wants more draft picks and doesn't want to wait until draft day where their only move would be a trade down. It doesn't seem that the Browns are calling teams about anybody, teams are calling them.

 

At this point, it seems Denver wants to draft a QB to develop and are not interested in giving up picks for Quinn when they have two QBs. There is no indication that Quinn is being offered to any other team. As a matter of fact OBR is hearing that Dabol and Quinn have been working together and Dabol has contacted Weis to discuss some plays that might feed off of Quinn's strengths. What some of the sports writers that speculate about McDaniel and Weis = a afinity to Quinn for Denver don't realize is that when Weis was OC at NE McDaniel was a defensive coach at first and Dabol was involved with Weis more as an offensive coach.

 

Now, you can take it for what its worth, but Washington has all but verified the story and has discussed it with Campbell. Denver isn't saying much except they are happy with Orton and he will get a shot to start at QB. There seems to be no interest there in Quinn anymore and seem to be downplaying there interest all along.

 

So, for the rumor mongers and "chicken littles" maybe you will get the real story at OBR at the beginning of the week. Maybe Mary Kay can even cut and paste it for the Plain Dealer.

 

Here's something to chew on..............................Grossi has no love for this regime and the feeling is mutual. So if you are a Plain Dealer reader and want some unbiased reporting follow Pluto because the others are now outsiders. Zac Jackson seems to be emerging as the "insider".

 

Again, take it for what it's worth, but it's a little more accurate then some of the crap from the morning urinal.

[Riffer X]

OBR and Scouts.com are working on the "What really happened" part of the trade and almost trade. Caplan in conjuction with Zac Jackson (because he is the only one getting any real information from Berea) will put the story out, if it warrants enough bling to be printed. In other words, if they can't get good reliable sources like Bus Cook or anybody from the Browns or Broncos then why print more garbage like MaryKay's article.

 

My son works with these guys part time but his full time job is a sports announcer for a local ESPN affiliate. He has talked to some other ESPN radio affiliates in Denver and Washington and some Sirus Radio guys while the Scouts.com and OBR guys are trying to get call backs from solid team sources (Denver, Wash and the Browns).

 

Here's some of what they have found out and are attempting to get verification on:

 

Cleveland was never a player for Cutler not because Cutler didn't want to play for Mangini. It is well known around the league that Cleveland is looking for picks not looking to trade picks. Cutler was in the dark until the end and it was Bus Cook, his agent, that said Teams like Cleveland and Tampa Bay might not be good fits for Cutler because they want to run a "Ball Control West Coast Offense". How things get twisted is amasing.

 

Cleveland was contacted by Denver to try to work the deal with Washington because Denver didn't want Campbell. Denver wanted to know if Quinn was available. The Browns said they were willing to listen but weren't interested in taking Campbell from Washington. Doesn't seem that an offer for Quinn was really made since Washington couldn't unload Campbell. Then stepped in Chicago.............................................

 

OBRs take so far: Cleveland wasn't really a player for Cutler. Mangini wasn't going to trade a QB and picks to get a guy that was good but not a good fit. Cleveland isn't shopping Quinn, they listen to offers about every player, out of respect and not wanting to burn bridges. If the offer is good enough, who knows. It's no secret that Cleveland wants more draft picks and doesn't want to wait until draft day where their only move would be a trade down. It doesn't seem that the Browns are calling teams about anybody, teams are calling them.

 

At this point, it seems Denver wants to draft a QB to develop and are not interested in giving up picks for Quinn when they have two QBs. There is no indication that Quinn is being offered to any other team. As a matter of fact OBR is hearing that Dabol and Quinn have been working together and Dabol has contacted Weis to discuss some plays that might feed off of Quinn's strengths. What some of the sports writers that speculate about McDaniel and Weis = a afinity to Quinn for Denver don't realize is that when Weis was OC at NE McDaniel was a defensive coach at first and Dabol was involved with Weis more as an offensive coach.

 

Now, you can take it for what its worth, but Washington has all but verified the story and has discussed it with Campbell. Denver isn't saying much except they are happy with Orton and he will get a shot to start at QB. There seems to be no interest there in Quinn anymore and seem to be downplaying there interest all along.

 

So, for the rumor mongers and "chicken littles" maybe you will get the real story at OBR at the beginning of the week. Maybe Mary Kay can even cut and paste it for the Plain Dealer.

 

Here's something to chew on..............................Grossi has no love for this regime and the feeling is mutual. So if you are a Plain Dealer reader and want some unbiased reporting follow Pluto because the others are now outsiders. Zac Jackson seems to be emerging as the "insider".

 

Again, take it for what it's worth, but it's a little more accurate then some of the crap from the morning urinal.

 

This is great stuff Ytown and I appreciate you sharing. I posted on another thread that I'm sick and tired of all the conjecture and supposition that comes with this time of year, but I find it hard to believe Mancock doesn't like Quinn based solely on either his draft stock or limited starts last year (in which he lit it up when healthy). It just doesn't make any sense.

 

As far as Tony not getting along with Mancock, I really don't know if that's true but it seems like Tony would be a little smarter than to burn bridges with these guys already. It's possible he correlates the regime to Belichick and won't even try to get along.

 

Quinn will be the QB of this team and until they can find someone to take Dexter the Browns will continue to placate the masses by keeping things ambiguous regarding their thought processes.

 

[Alendor]

mangini is a no nonsense hardass. if he was trying to trade quinn he would have no problem admitting it. i don't see him as the kind of guy to dance around and lie about a situation.

[Flugel]

OBR and Scouts.com are working on the "What really happened" part of the trade and almost trade. Caplan in conjuction with Zac Jackson (because he is the only one getting any real information from Berea) will put the story out, if it warrants enough bling to be printed. In other words, if they can't get good reliable sources like Bus Cook or anybody from the Browns or Broncos then why print more garbage like MaryKay's article.

 

My son works with these guys part time but his full time job is a sports announcer for a local ESPN affiliate. He has talked to some other ESPN radio affiliates in Denver and Washington and some Sirus Radio guys while the Scouts.com and OBR guys are trying to get call backs from solid team sources (Denver, Wash and the Browns).

 

Here's some of what they have found out and are attempting to get verification on:

 

Cleveland was never a player for Cutler not because Cutler didn't want to play for Mangini. It is well known around the league that Cleveland is looking for picks not looking to trade picks. Cutler was in the dark until the end and it was Bus Cook, his agent, that said Teams like Cleveland and Tampa Bay might not be good fits for Cutler because they want to run a "Ball Control West Coast Offense". How things get twisted is amasing.

 

Here's something to chew on..............................Grossi has no love for this regime and the feeling is mutual. So if you are a Plain Dealer reader and want some unbiased reporting follow Pluto because the others are now outsiders. Zac Jackson seems to be emerging as the "insider".

 

Again, take it for what it's worth, but it's a little more accurate then some of the crap from the morning urinal.

 

Y'town, you're a GREAT read man! That's very good info I appreciate. The Grossi thing makes sense - I got the impression Mancock pissed in his Wheaties in reading some of his recent tones.

- Tom F.

[ndneighbor]

Youngstown,

 

Timely, relevant, priceless info. posted in an already existing relevant thread! What more could we ask for? Thanks for stopping by!

 

[Drunkandstoopid]

Personally I think Mangini took Quinn aside and told him they will offer him in trades to other teams but WERE NOT going to trade him. Quinn knows what and what not to say so that's what makes me think that he is in on all the smokescreen things going on. Just like one user said that Quinn knows he is the starter but cannot say until DA is gone.

 

Sounds like some kind of fantasy to me.

 

So if your boss pulled you aside and told you "we're considering terminating you or the other guy in your position, but we're not going to terminate you, so pay no attention to the rumors", you'd be OK with that?

[Riffer X]

Yeah, Grossi and others are flogging Quinn for the Broncos 18th pick. Not sure how this helps the Browns. It's like trading Brady Quinn for Josh Freeman. Not good at all.

 

Anderson ain't starting for this team next year, so if Quinn moves, you have to talk Stafford or Sanchez. Well, I'll amend that: Anderson could start a few games until the rook is ready. But teams are looking at Ryan and Flacco and saying, hey, if we have a line, let's get this thing started.

 

BTW, I know Grossi a little through my bro-in-law. Very nice man. I imagine I'd be pissed, too, if my job was to tell Browns fans stuff about the Browns... and the Browns were shutting me down.

 

Tony is a very nice guy Shep, I've met him myself a couple different times. Once was at camp where we talked for a good 15 minutes or so until he had to go to the media section. He even asked me if I wanted to come with him and I said no thanks cuz I didn't want to be a burden. Truth was it was 95 degrees that day and I was too hot to go into that cramped up area.

 

Like I said, he may be seeing the second coming of Belichick with these guys. Either way, he's been around here a helluva lot longer than each of these new crop of coaches and probably doesn't take kindly to their stealth way of doing things.

[Guest Masters]

Tony is a very nice guy Shep, I've met him myself a couple different times. Once was at camp where we talked for a good 15 minutes or so until he had to go to the media section. He even asked me if I wanted to come with him and I said no thanks cuz I didn't want to be a burden. Truth was it was 95 degrees that day and I was too hot to go into that cramped up area.

 

Like I said, he may be seeing the second coming of Belichick with these guys. Either way, he's been around here a helluva lot longer than each of these new crop of coaches and probably doesn't take kindly to their stealth way of doing things.

 

I have heard and seen a few little stories out there that Tony and many in the CLE media are very unhappy about being shut out in the dark, and having their access very limited.

 

What I find interesting is that in all these threads about "CLE was offering Quinn to DEN", is that most stories are coming out of other cities (what do those people even know about CLE) or from very small papers in Ohio (Canton repos and Morning Journal). The stories in the Akron and CLE papers are only quoting other news papers, or run pure speculation. That's not a lot of weight to the story.

 

Meanwhile no one mentions that after the Cutler deal when down, Mort and other guys on ESPN noted that CLE was a player, but trying to move Anderson, and DEN didn't want Anderson at all. They made no mention of Quinn ever being offered up in any trade involving Cutler

[Guest Masters]

Tony gets a lot of shit, especially on this board and I never quite understood why. Sure he has opinions, but so does everybody, and he's usually pretty mellow on how he delivers said opinions. One of my traditions on Monday afternoons is to listen to his podcast during the season. He has a lot of good stuff.

 

And you're right, he's been around a lot longer than these assholes, I remember my father used to read his stuff in the paper every day when i was a kid!

 

If anybody deserves to have the inside scoop on stuff it's him.

 

Pluto deserves the inside scoop before anyone, imo.

 

I don't dislike Grossi. But he moves with the breeze sometimes, and goes a little "Around the Horn" with some of his stuff.

 

He also has a rep, from what I have heard, of being a bit of a complainer. In the end, I keep in mind that he is a sports writter for the PD. He has a target audience and will write to cater to that audience, because there are papers to sell.

[YtownBrownsBacker]

mangini is a no nonsense hardass. if he was trying to trade quinn he would have no problem admitting it. i don't see him as the kind of guy to dance around and lie about a situation.

 

I agree 100%

[YtownBrownsBacker]

Tony is a very nice guy Shep, I've met him myself a couple different times. Once was at camp where we talked for a good 15 minutes or so until he had to go to the media section. He even asked me if I wanted to come with him and I said no thanks cuz I didn't want to be a burden. Truth was it was 95 degrees that day and I was too hot to go into that cramped up area.

 

Like I said, he may be seeing the second coming of Belichick with these guys. Either way, he's been around here a helluva lot longer than each of these new crop of coaches and probably doesn't take kindly to their stealth way of doing things.

 

I don't have nothing against Grossi and enjoy his stuff usually. I think there is some frustration because the local media is getting nothing and has to get all their stories from the wire service or write opinions based on what the wire service has. Very well, that Tony is reliving the Belichick era and not liking it.

 

As for Mary Kay, she needs to write something original once in a while instead of just rewriting some yoyo's opinion from some other city.

[ballpeen]

I agree 100%

 

 

I do too.

 

I also see him as a guy who can get hung up on schematics..he may not be trying to trade Quinn as that can imply he intends to do so.

 

I guess the bottom line is I don't think all the stories out there are pure fabrication. I don't think Mary Kay and Tony wake up in the morning and decide they are going to start some new rumor and just write a pile of rubbish.......BUT...they do have to write something every day. If the Browns aren't giving them information, they have to seek it where they can.....so who knows???? shrug

[OconRecon]

Maybe Mangini was telling the truth. Peter King doesn't mention the Browns at all, and he usually has the correct scoop.

 

How Cutler-Orton trade went down

-Peter King

Monday April 6, 2009 11:43AM

 

At about 2:30 p.m. Denver time Thursday, the Broncos gave the Chicago Bears the final terms of what they'd accept in trade for disgruntled quarterback Jay Cutler: first- and second-round picks this year, a first-round pick in 2010 and quarterback Kyle Orton.

 

Whoa! Too steep, thought Chicago GM Jerry Angelo, and he asked for a little time to mull it over and talk about it with his people. The Broncos told Angelo: "You've got a half-hour.''

 

A few things went though Angelo's mind, including the last time he was part of a staff that traded two No. 1s for a player. "We did Keyshawn Johnson for two ones in Tampa Bay, and we really got burned by it,'' he told me Friday night. "But this is a quarterback. Maybe a really good quarterback.''

 

We really want this guy, Angelo told those on his staff, but the compensation is too much. So he called the Broncos back and offered two ones, Orton and this year's fourth-round pick. Denver GM Brian Xanders and coach Josh McDaniels mulled it over and came back with this compromise: two first-round picks, Orton, and this year's third-round pick for Cutler and Denver's fifth-round pick this year.

 

Done, Angelo said. Fair deal.

 

"It was high-stakes poker,'' Angelo said when it was over. "And I couldn't see anyone else's hand.''

 

In the end, Angelo rebuilt his battered, way-too-conservative GM image and Chicago got a potentially great long-term quarterback. (No other 4,000-yard passer has ever been traded at 25, or even the season after accumulating such a lofty number.) Denver got a better deal than the Broncos had a right to expect after their dissed owner ordered Cutler dealt, losing whatever leverage the team might have had. And Cutler proved he should write the foreword to Drew Rosenhaus' next book -- the one about how a superstar can shoot himself out of town. Cutler got exactly what he wanted, though talking oneself off the best young offense in football is not my idea of a good career decision by a franchise quarterback.

 

Aside from the late haggling between the Bears and Broncos over the price, I do know some facts that haven't been out there -- I don't think -- yet. The five things I know for sure, from talking to those in the middle of the Cutler trade discussions in the three days since the deal went down:

 

1. The key to the trade was Kyle Orton. Laugh if you want, but it's the absolute truth. McDaniels looked hard at tape of the available quarterbacks from teams that made serious offers, players like Orton, Washington's Jason Campbell and Tampa Bay's Luke McCown. Every one of those teams was in the ballpark with an offer of at least two first-round draft picks and a quarterback.

 

But as the deal went down, McDaniels, who watched every offensive snap of more than 10 Bears games with Orton playing, got more and more impressed with Orton's arm, his decision-making and his ability to extend plays when the pocket broke down. You can think and I can think it's crazy he didn't like Campbell -- who got Washington off to a 6-2 start last year -- more than he liked Orton, but it's the unvarnished truth. McDaniels thinks he can win with Orton.

 

2. The Bears were sure the deal was collapsing Thursday afternoon, because the Broncos weren't answering phone calls, e-mails or texts. GM Jerry Angelo thought he'd gotten the rug pulled out from underneath him. Angelo hadn't heard from the Broncos for about three hours, and got so nervous by mid-afternoon Chicago time that he sent McDaniels a text message that said, in effect, "We gotta get this done. What's it gonna take for the Bears to win this?''

 

But the Broncos weren't ignoring Angelo, and they weren't working another team for a better deal. McDaniels told Xanders and the rest of the football people in the building that they weren't stopping business following owner Pat Bowlen's declaration that there was an open market for Cutler. Workouts would continue with McDaniels around; coaches meetings would go on as normal.

 

And the Broncos had eight players in the building between Tuesday and Friday -- including first-round prospects Brian Orakpo (defensive end, Texas), Knowshon Moreno (running back, Georgia) and Tyson Jackson (defensive end, LSU). McDaniels met with two of the prospects during the middle of the talks for Cutler on Thursday, and he ignored the bleating on his cell phone while those meetings were going on.

 

Now Angelo can know for sure -- the Broncos were going to make the deal with him unless his final offer was a fraction of those from Washington and Tampa Bay.

 

3. The Jets were never in it seriously -- true story. New York is either convinced that Brett Ratliff or Kellen Clemens is its guy, or the Jets think the New York spotlight would have been too white-hot for a rabbit-ears guy like Cutler to handle, or they didn't want to pay two first-round picks for Cutler after giving a third for one season of Brett Favre. I just know that the Jets never made a remotely serious offer for Cutler, much to my surprise.

 

4. All you Redskins fans who are so sure youwerethisclose to getting Cutler? Total BS. Yes, Washington was competitive, and the 'Skins would have done whatever it took to get Cutler. But once McDaniels decided Orton was his man -- even though Washington's first-round pick would have been the 13th overall, five slots ahead of Chicago's -- the contest was over. The 'Skins were out of it, even though Cutler and greater Washington were sure it almost happened.

 

5. In the end, this trade happened so quickly because, first and foremost, the owner of the Broncos felt dissed. And you do not diss Pat Bowlen. Bowlen is 65. He has owned the team for 25 years. In Bowlen's world, there is a protocol to doing business, and part of that protocol is the players and coaches having respect for the owner, regardless of their personal feelings about anyone else in the organization. Imagine Tom Brady ignoring calls from Bob Kraft. It'd never happen. Imagine Dan Rooney getting snubbed by Ben Roethlisberger, or Peyton Manning ditching Jim Irsay. Never in a million years, regardless of how they felt about what was happening with the team, would it happen.

 

In all the years Bowlen has owned the team, he has never felt quite the disrespect from a player or coach that he felt from Cutler ignoring his attempts to speak to him to attempt to bridge the problems between player and team. And you should not underestimate how significant this was in Bowlen's Tuesday-night pronouncement that Cutler was being put up on the trading block.