NFL Trade Machine: Possible Jay Cutler Destinations
By Erik Lambert
Jay Cutler is among the most polarizing figures in the NFL With trade rumors swirling, where could the enigmatic quarterback land in 2015? Naturally fans will feel the immediate urge to shoot down any notion that their team would have interest in a deal, but keep this in mind.
Cutler is currently on pace to throw for 4,312 yards and 35 touchdowns. He’s also run for over 120 yards and another touchdown. The one sticking point as always is the turnovers but it’s been proven if a team has a strong enough defense that they can win with a guy like Cutler under center. So with that in mind, here are a couple plausible locations he could land.
New York Jets
When the options are Geno Smith, Matt Simms and Michael Vicks it’s easy to see Cutler as a move in a positive direction. Some may think the New York Jets will want to start over with a top rookie pick, but they’ve already tried that with Mark Sanchez and then Smith. Granted, that was under Rex Ryan but maybe their best bet is to ride a veteran for a while and place a rookie on the bench to learn. New York will possibly have upwards of $41 million in salary cap space, which should enable them to absorb Cutler’s contract without much issue. If things don’t work out, they can cut him with minimal impact in 2016.
St. Louis Rams
The big obstacle here will be money. Jeff Fisher has proclaimed in the past he’s a big fan of Jay Cutler and what he can do. In fact, the head coach admitted he really wanted the Tennessee Titans to take him in 2006 but they missed the chance. The Rams have a strong defensive team, so the fit makes sense, especially if they can add better protection and another weapon or two in the draft.
At first glance they don’t have the money with an estimated $6 million in cap space in 2015. However, that would be easily rectified when they part ways with Sam Bradford. His exit alone would create an additional $12.9 million in space. Throw in the departures of injury-prone tackle Jake Long and seldom-used linebacker Kendall Langford and the Rams could free upwards of $26.9 million. More than enough to absorb a deal for Cutler.
There are certainly other teams around the NFL who might have designs on making a move for Jay Cutler. As with anything it comes down to price and timing.