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      Report: Bears interested in Jay Cutler

      April 1, 2009 /

      The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that the Bears are interested in quarterback Jay Cutler, who the Broncos are willing to trade before this month’s draft.

      Jay CutlerYahoo! Sports reported last week that the Bears called the Broncos expressing interest in Cutler should Denver decide to deal him. They have been reported as one of at least 10 teams to do so, and one league source said the number is higher than that.

      The timing makes sense. The Broncos want ample opportunity to create a frenzied market and ensure they receive a king’s ransom for Cutler, who turns 26 this month. They also need time to prepare for the draft, and they’ll likely be looking for a package of multiple draft picks and possibly multiple players.

      If the Bears are serious, they might have to part with two first-round picks and a player or additional picks. It likely will require creativity. Other teams that have been linked to Cutler include Tampa Bay — which would have gotten him in the proposed three-way trade with New England — Detroit, Minnesota, San Francisco, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Carolina and the New York Jets. Washington also can’t be ruled out.

      Two first round picks is a steep price to pay, but you figure Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo is going to botch those selections anyway so they might as well get a young quarterback out of the deal. (I’m kidding! I’m kidding! Okay, no I’m not…)

      As the article points out, the Broncos have done a nice job of creating a market for Cutler with so many teams reportedly being interested in the young QB. And why wouldn’t a team like the Bears be interested? Cutler is young and experienced, has a strong arm and the Bears haven’t had a reliable quarterback since Jim McMahon. But if they do wind up pulling off a trade for Cutler, the Bears better get the kid some receivers.

      NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Bears to make signing Pace a top priority

      April 1, 2009 /

      According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bears have reportedly made signing free agent tackle Orlando Pace a priority.

      Orlando PaceIf Pace signs, the Bears probably would start him at left tackle and shift Chris Williams to the right side. Pace was selected to seven Pro Bowls at left tackle and is destined to be a Hall of Famer. He likely would have been the Rams’ starting left tackle for the 2009 season had they not opted to save $6 million in cap space.

      Williams is versatile enough to play either tackle spot, which is why the Bears would be willing to move him to the right side.

      The Bears have already signed veteran Kevin Shaffer, and he could compete to start at right tackle regardless. Adding the 33-year-old Pace would push newly acquired Frank Omiyale back into the mix at guard.

      Although age and injuries are a concern, signing Pace makes a lot of sense for the Bears, who have been trying to rebuild their offensive line since last year’s draft. I was shocked when I read that the team was counting on the undersized Omiyale to play right tackle next season. He’s a better fit at guard and really only makes sense at tackle in a zone-blocking running scheme, which the Bears don’t run. Signing Pace would allow Chicago to move Omiyale inside and although it wouldn’t be the most feared O-line in the league, it would be an upgraded unit.

      NFL

      Larry Johnson willing to stay in Kansas City?

      April 1, 2009 /

      Chiefs’ running back Larry Johnson has apparently pulled an about-face and is now willing to stay in Kansas City. (Johnson had originally asked to be traded following the 2008 season.)

      Larry JohnsonJohnson had previously said he wanted to be traded. However, agent Peter Schaffer pointed out that Johnson is now interested in playing for the new Chiefs regime. Schaffer said, as an act of good faith, Johnson attended the Chiefs’ offseason workout program that began Monday. New Chiefs coach Todd Haley told reporters Monday everyone on the team “has a clean slate.”

      Johnson’s grievance against the team is set to be heard Wednesday. It is over unpaid bonus money from last season. Still, Schaffer said that Johnson’s issue was with the former Kansas City brass and that he and new Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli are communicating.

      “Everyone has an open mind about this and we continue to communicate,” Schaffer said. “I think the Chiefs know that Larry is a very talented young man. I think everyone is looking to moving forward.”

      Johnson was suspended for a total of four games by the team and the NFL last year for off-field issues. Last week, he received probation for two separate nightclub incidents. Johnson, 29, has had a rocky career in Kansas City and last year’s incidents prompted speculation that he could be on his way out of town. He still could be traded or released, but Johnson now seems open to returning.

      It’ll be interesting to see if the Chiefs even want L.J. back. Rumor has it that if they win their grievance against him, they’ll likely release him soon after. But maybe they’ll change their mind, too. After all, he’s still a quality player and even though he’s nearing the dreaded age of 30 for running backs, he clearly can still play at a high level. Everything depends on whether or not the new regime wants to take a risk in keeping the often-volatile running back.

      NFL

      Broncos to begin shopping quarterback Jay Cutler

      April 1, 2009 /

      Broncos’ owner Pat Bowlen announced that Denver will attempt to trade disgruntled quarterback Jay Cutler and SI.com’s Peter King estimates that the team would like to get a deal done before this month’s draft.

      This development is in stark contrast to what the Broncos’ stance was at the NFL meetings last week. McDaniels, who created a firestorm of discontent with Cutler when he attempted to secretly trade him in February and the trade failed, seemed certain last week week he would be able to mend fences with Cutler in a private meeting.

      A source Tuesday night said McDaniels felt he was at the point of no return with Cutler and had no choice but to pursue a trade.

      Among the teams certain to be interested are Tampa Bay, the New York Jets and Detroit, which holds the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. But the Lions may have been swayed to pick Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford No. 1 overall after his impressive workout Tuesday on the Georgia campus.

      Other teams are likely to be interested, including Cleveland, Minnesota, San Francisco and possibly Carolina. It’s a virtual certainty that the Bucs and Jets, both without a bonafide No. 1 quarterback entering the draft, will bid aggressively for Cutler.

      This might wind up working well for all parties involved. Cutler clearly doesn’t want to play for the Broncos and quite frankly, I think he made that decision long before this whole riff with McDaniels began (i.e. he’s been upset since the day Mike Shanahan was fired). So he’ll be able to get out of Denver, McDaniels then has the opportunity to choose a quarterback that he feels best fits his system and whichever team lands Cutler, they’ll get a young signal caller with plenty of upside.

      Personally I thought Cutler handled himself very poorly in all of this. He seemed to blow things out of proportion, wasn’t willing to truly reconcile with McDaniels and overall acted liked a 5-year old that wasn’t getting his way. Cutler better hope for his sake that the grass is greener on the other side because if he winds up in Detroit, he could wind up regretting all of this very soon.

      NFL

      2009 MLB Preview: #1 New York Yankees

      March 31, 2009 /

      Click Here to see Previews of all 30 MLB Teams

      Offseason Movement: To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Bronx Bombers went out and threw gobs of money at top free agents after missing the postseason last year. They signed the biggest bat on the market in 1B Mark Teixeira, then added the two best arms in CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. The Yanks also added 1B/OF Nick Swisher via a trade with the White Sox, but they might ship him elsewhere since he’s drawing attention from clubs like the Pirates, Nationals and Braves. With Xavier Nady being penciled in at right fielder, Swisher might become expendable.

      Top Prospect: Jesus Montero, C/1B
      The 19-year old Montero is being groomed as a catcher but could make the move to one of the corner infield spots if he doesn’t clean up his footwork behind the dish. Said to have excellent strength and raw power, Montero could emerge as a future All-Star. He has a great arm and that’s why the Bombers envision him as a future catcher but regardless of his eventual position, Montero will be given the opportunity to play in the big leagues as long as he continues to work on his plate discipline and patience at the plate.

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      MLB

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