McDaniels/Cutler, the Chris Brown/Rihanna of the NFL

It’s true, the NFL has its own celebrity relationship that has spun out of control. No one quite knows exactly where things broke down, but the way they’ve been spreading rumors about each other The Sports Pad wouldn’t be surprised to hear that a salacious text message from Matt Cassel to Josh McDaniels in the presence of Cutler was what ignited this contentious liaison.

I don’t care if you’re on the side of Cutler or McDaniels, the fact of the matter is McDaniels has failed the Broncos organization. As a rookie head coach the most important factor to a successful team is a clear, defined identity; the one position that helps clearly define that identity is your quarterback. McDaniels has allowed this rift to widen because he continually played the “tough coach” card through the media, instead of silently working it out with his teams best player. Even if he didn’t feel like Cutler was the right QB for his system, McDaniels didn’t need to publicly shop Cutler and engage in this we-said/they-said debate. McDaniels has now become a trivia answer for the question “What NFL coach had the most inauspicious start to his coaching career?”

McDaniels is now backed into a corner, forced to trade the teams biggest asset at below market value. Why below value, you may ask? Because the NFL is an aquarium filled with sharks and when one of them gets bloodied the others circle around for a feeding frenzy. McDaniels and the Broncos have tipped their hand and everyone knows what they’re playing with.

If you’re Cutler you sit back and let your agent, Bus Cook, field the right offers. What do I mean the by the “right” offers? A strong offer from a team where Cutler can step right in, be a quality clubhouse guy and win. This debacle has tarnished his image, painted him as a prima donna and as a guy who can’t win.

If your Broncos GM Brian Xanders, you’ve been getting offers like Ari Gold was getting after Vince filmed Medellin, so you need to drum up a bidding war, which will be tough because you’ll get no help from Cutler or Cook. Xanders needs to find a team with an available QB, capable of starting (which isn’t in great supply) and a player to balance out the deal. Or a team with a draft pick, that puts them in position to get USC QB Mark Sanchez and another quality starter. Sanchez is a better fit, than Matt Stafford, especially for what McDaniels wants to do offensively. Sanchez is better at reading defenses, has better mobility in the pocket and slightly better accuracy. He doesn’t have the laser rocket arm like Stafford or as much experience.

So where does Cutler go? Let’s break it down...

Detroit Lions - There has been a lot of talk about Cutler going to the Lions for the #1 pick, but I just don’t see it happening. As much as it pains me and my Lions fan-hood, the #1 pick is toxic, due to the exorbitant salary and high risk and I can’t see McDaniels stepping away from the “Patriot way” and spending like that.

Cleveland Browns - They have the player (Quinn) and the picks (3 in the top 50) to get this deal done. However, Cutler may not want anything to do with the Browns and the Broncos certainly don’t want to deal him to another AFC team.

Chicago Bears - Kyle Orton and Tommy Harris or the 18th pick almost makes too much sense, that it is destined not to happen.

New York Jets - A team who doesn’t have the QB or the picks to entice the Broncos, but they have been desperately trying to get Cutler since the fallout. They would need a third team in order to make some package work.

Tennessee Titans - The only thing they have going for them is that Cutler is a fan of the Nashville area. They lack the tools to get this deal done, but it would be an ideal fit for Cutler.

Here are the teams I most like the most to sneak into Cutler Sweepstakes:

Carolina Panthers - They have a player that wants to play in a 3-4, in Julius Peppers and he’s a big enough name that the Denver fans won’t feel like they got cheated. Plus, Peppers addresses an area (DE) that the Broncos are desperate to fill. However they don’t have the draft picks (Zero 1st round picks) or the QB (Delhomme) to get the deal done. They will need to include a third team to get Cutler.

Washington Redskins - They have a QB in Campbell and the pick at thirteen to get this deal done. Daniel Synder has never shied away from making waves in the NFL or his organization. Cutler is an upgrade at the position that would be a step toward winning the NFC East.

Wherever Cutler ends up, it’ll be exciting to see where he goes and will drastically shift the NFL landscape.