Cutler should not be in Vikings’ plans

By Krupka  |   Wednesday, April 26, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Minnesota Vikings
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"With the 17th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select Jay Cutler, quarterback - Vanderbilt." If in some sick twist of fate Commissioner Paul Tagliabue says this on Saturday, Vikings fans should cringe and hope it is just a bad dream.

Cutler has become the most overrated player in the draft by certain pundits; the flavor of the month if you will. Some have him ranked as the No. 1 overall quarterback in the draft, and I for one, just don't understand it. He completed a measly 6 of 19 passes in the Senior Bowl, and has never proven to be a winner (although then again he did play at lowly Vanderbilt). Then there are the issues with Cutler's mechanics and at times, sloppy footwork. He also has trouble with throwing the deep ball and making smart on-field judgments at times. Cutler seems to act like he's Brett Favre; the 29-interception Favre from 2005 who forces passes into coverage, not the MVP version from years back.

Despite the fact that he's vastly overrated, there are some positives about Cutler. He has the size, 6'3", a very strong arm, the ability to throw on the run, a quick delivery, and is willing to hang in the pocket and take a hit. His speed isn't bad either; he ran a 4.77 in the 40-yard dash at February's NFL combine.

Although Cutler possesses positive traits, the fact is, he was never that good at Vanderbilt. His career record was a dismal 11-37, which wasn't totally his fault, but great quarterbacks take average to below-average teams and put them on their level. Look at what Eli Manning did with a mediocre Ole Miss squad.

If a team is investing a first-round pick on a quarterback, they should make sure that the he is someone that makes everyone around him better. Unfortunately, Cutler has never shown this ability. During his college years, he took a below-average Vanderbilt squad and kept them at their putrid level of play.

When Saturday rolls around, the Minnesota Vikings would be best served to avoid Cutler and address their glaring weakness at linebacker in the first round. With two second round picks, they will then be able to address the quarterback need. The Vikes could possibly draft another linebacker or an offensive lineman to help complete what should be a dominant line.

Until Saturday, all the Minnesota faithful can do is continue to pray that Cutler is already off the board by time the Vikings pick.

"With the 17th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft the Minnesota Vikings select Ernie Sims, linebacker - Florida State." That sure has a nice ring to it.

-Send your comments to Eric Krupka at ekrupka@realfootball365.com
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