Cutler saga reeks of familarity

By now, you've probably already heard of Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler's recent trade request, the latest episode in a long-simmering feud between the petulant young signal-caller and new head coach Josh McDaniels. And if you're thinking this on-going soap opera sounds a lot like last year's overpublicized breakup between Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, there's plenty of reason to trust those instincts.

Favre and Cutler just happen to be represented by the same agent, Bus Cook, who's had his hand in plenty of other high-profile run-ins between clients and teams in the past. Cook not only brokered last summer's trade of Favre to the New York Jets, but attempted to pull the strings on a deal that would have sent then-Raider Randy Moss to the Pack in 2007 -- a move that helped trigger the acrimonous split between #4 and the organization. He was also instrumental in moving Steve McNair from Tennessee to Baltimore in 2006 and served as the architect of a nasty holdout between first-round washout William Joseph and the Giants back in 2003.

An excellent chronicle of Cook's rather controversial past business dealings can be found here at The Mile High Report, a well-run independent blog covering all things Broncos.

The general consensus of Cutler's public outrage (clearly driven by Cook) is that both quarterback and agent are posturing for a new contract that would make the soon-to-be 26-year-old Cutler the NFL's highest-paid player, and neither believes that the more cost-conscious new regime of McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders will be willing to fork over that kind of cash -- especially for a player they didn't draft. Although Cutler still has three years remaining on his rookie deal, remember that the league is currently headed for an uncapped year in 2010.

FYI, The Denver Post reported today that as expected, Cutler did not report for the first day of the Broncos' voluntary offseason training program.