Lions (Kind Of) Say 'No' to Cutler

The line is forming. OK, so maybe there is just a handful of teams in it, but there is still one forming.

The Jay Cutler bidding war is underway, and teams are either going to get in that line, or they're going to wash their hands of it publicly. Since the Lions were 0-16 in 2008, they have two first-round picks, and they really don't have a quarterback, it would make some sense for them to be involved here. Of course, not everything Detroit will do is going to make sense.

While the Lions are smart enough to avoid direct discussion of a player from another team who is under contract, team president Tom Lewand has - at least indirectly - addressed the Cutler situation.

"We said all along we want to build this team through the draft," Lewand said Wednesday, declining to speak about Cutler specifically because of NFL tampering rules.

"A lot of teams say that. But the ones who are disciplined about that approach actually do it. So we have to be cognizant of that goal and that philosophy and have the discipline to stick to that.

"That doesn't mean you don't make trades. But it means you do so with the recognition you're giving away the opportunity to add to your core through the draft and the recognition that it's the most important way to construct a foundation."

This could certainly be a smokescreen. It wouldn't be the first time a front office person lied about his team's interest in a player. The Lions have already shown some interest in Cutler, but that was then. Back then, Cutler appeared to be a tad immature about the whole thing, but it could be argued he looks like a total jerk now. Would you want to deal one or more high draft picks for a guy like that, and then hand him a huge contract extension?

Doubtful.

If Cutler hadn't behaved like a petulant child since Josh McDaniels got hired in Denver, the Lions would look pretty stupid for not making a deal for him already. As is, there are a lot of legitimate questions about Cutler's character, and until they're answered, the price of even one first-round pick -- much less the two the Broncos reportedly want -- is way too high.