Woody Paige says McDaniels and Xanders should be fired in Denver

[Hammock Parties]

WOW! EPIC FAIL! I LOVE IT!

Broncos blow call on Cutler fiasco

The Broncos have lost quarterback Jay Cutler.

If Josh McDaniels and Brian Xanders were thinking, even for a microsecond, about trading Jay Cutler, both must be fired today by Pat Bowlen. If the Broncos' owner was a co-conspirator in such a preposterous, outrageous thought, he should fire himself.

Do not suffer the fools gladly. They obviously know not what they do.

The Broncos' new hierarchy has lost Cutler's respect, his excitement about free agents just signed, his enthusiasm for a restructured offense and a totally retooled defense, his commitment to the team, his determination to make the Broncos a power again in the NFL and his efforts to prove his value. He has lost the certainty of being in Denver.

"I'm upset. I mean, I'm really shocked at this point," Cutler told The Post's Mike Klis on Saturday afternoon. The quarterback then said he didn't think the matter was settled, and he could still be traded.

The Pro Bowl quarterback wasn't any more stunned than everyone else in Colorado and throughout the nation when it was reported Saturday that his name was mentioned prominently — front and center — in a trade involving the Tampa Bay Bucs, the New England Patriots, the Detroit Lions, No. 1 draft choices and Matt Cassel.

The last time we heard of such an extreme, ludicrous deal, the Broncos got John Elway for a No. 1 draft pick, a reserve quarterback and three exhibition games between Denver and Baltimore. (Really). But the Broncos were on the right side then.

This is the wrong message, wrong time, wrong thought, wrong men at the wheel.

McDaniels admitted the Broncos have been approached about trading Cutler, but said the quarterback was "not the only person in the last few days we've received calls on." We don't care if somebody called about a backup defensive end.

All the new coach should have said was: "We were asked about Cutler. We responded that under no conditions, in no uncertain terms, would we even ever talk about trading Cutler."

Maybe there is, after all, a problem with being a young, inexperienced head coach.

Or maybe McDaniels was contemplating a trade of Cutler for Cassel, who had a very good year with the New Eng- land Patriots, but could be a one-year wonder.

If the Patriots had talked about Tom Brady for Cutler, well . . . but there would be no reason for the Broncos to talk to Tampa Bay about anything. And if the Detroit Lions wanted to talk about giving up their entire draft, including the No. 1 pick, for Cutler, then you listen.

And where is the new general manager — reading his X-files? Xanders, who has been slow to figure out his job, should have been on the phones Saturday afternoon to The Post denying that the Broncos would ever think about trading Cutler, and on the phone to Cutler apologizing for any misconceptions and begging for forgiveness. But the X-Man's on-the-job training apparently didn't prepare him for complicated situations.

And what did Bowlen know and when? The owner claims the responsibility for the Broncos runs to the top. He should have been providing explanations, not hiding behind a desk like Nixon.

This is a total mucked-up mess, and the Broncos' brass didn't know how to handle it.

Oh, it can and should be said that Cutler is a petulant sort who pouts when he doesn't get his way — on the field and in the community, and he can be a lout. He has to realize this is the NFL, and stuff will happen. He was all hot and bothered when Mike Shanahan and his guide, Jeremy Bates, were flipped aside for McDaniels and The Brave New Direction. But Cutler supposedly got over it and moved on. Peyton Manning will be playing for his third coach. Joe Montana was kicked out the door. Hall of Fame quarterbacks have been traded.

Then, there was the matter of Elway. After the '91 season, then-coach Dan Reeves wanted to get rid of Elway. He told me and others that Elway couldn't or wouldn't read defenses and couldn't or wouldn't win a Super Bowl.

Elway and Reeves weren't on the same page, not in the same universe. They barely coexisted.

A deal with the Redskins fell through during the summer. Bowlen chose Elway over Reeves and fired the coach. Elway eventually won two Super Bowls.

Cutler is in Elway's shadow, but not in his standing yet, and likely will never be. Defensive backs and his ego get in the way of too many of Cutler's passes. But he is a quality young quarterback and the class of 2006. Rather have Vince Young or Matt Leinart now? And Cassel is a sand castle in comparison.

Cutler shouldn't be traded. When somebody calls about Jay, Kid Mac or the X-Man should hang up.

And the face of your franchise should not be treated like ground beef. McDaniels, who must be running the team, not Xanders or Bowlen, should have gone to Cutler's house and said: "Jay, Tampa Bay, Detroit and New England came to us, and I told them to go spit in their helmets. You're my guy."

Or maybe McDaniels was lying when he told me: "I hope Jay is as excited about playing for me as I am excited about having him as my quarterback."

McDaniels must get this predicament settled today. We don't really care if the Broncos signed a couple of backup running backs and a veteran (maybe too veteran) safety with a proud past and a — be still, our hearts — a long snapper to a three-year contract. This team starts and stops with Cutler.

What were they thinking? They weren't thinking. The Broncos need to go find Jay Cutler.