This could be a good deal for Stafford, Lions

Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen released a statement last night saying his team "will begin discussions with other teams in an effort to accommodate (quarterback Jay Cutler's) request to be traded."

For those who care, but have not kept up with this soap opera, Cutler became disgruntled when word leaked out that new Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels was interested in acquiring New England quarterback Matt Cassel, whom McDaniels groomed last year when he was the Patriots' offensive coordinator. Both Bowlen and McDaniels apparently have attempted to mend fences, but in his statement last night Bowlen said neither he nor McDaniels have been able to reach Cutler in the last 10 days. This, Bowlen said, convinced him "that Jay no longer has any desire to play for the Denver Broncos."

So here's what I'm thinking would be perfect for everyone concerned. The Broncos trade Cutler and their first round draft pick to Detroit for the Lions' No. 1 draft choice which the Broncos use to select Matthew Stafford (pictured above from his days at Highland Park High School). The Lions benefit because they get a top-notch quarterback with NFL experience. The Broncos benefit because they finally get someone who could easily be the second coming of John Elway. And Stafford benefits because he comes under the tutelage of McDaniels (if he can turn Cassel, who never started a football game after he left high school, into a NFL playoff quarterback, imagine what he could do with a talent like Stafford) and he winds up in Denver, which, to my mind at least, is a slightly more enticing environment than Detroit.