Angelo's bold move for Cutler refreshing

That's it?

That's all it took for the Bears to get Jay Cutler on Thursday? Two first-round draft choices, a third-rounder and Kyle Orton? Not Tommie Harris or Lance Briggs or Matt Forte or all of the above?

This is so uplifting that I promise not to mention that Sid Luckman was the Bears' last great quarterback 60 years ago.

(Oops, sorry, I just broke the promise, didn't I?)

Anyway, acquiring Cutler is so stunning that now you sort of expect the Cubs to get Jake Peavy next, Kobe Bryant to finally become a Bull and, heck, Willie Mays to make a comeback in center field for the White Sox.

Cutler isn't as decorated a football player as those guys are in their respective sports, but this trade is as bold as any of those teams acquiring any of those players would be.

Folks, the federal law prohibiting "bold" and "Bears" from being uttered in the same sentence must be suspended this morning.

Give Jerry Angelo credit for keeping his word. The Bears general manager indicated for years, and insisted again a couple months ago, that he was fixated on fixing the quarterback position.

Knowing the Bears' history, it seemed Angelo was merely telling Bear fans what they wanted to hear.

Instead Angelo told the Broncos what they wanted to hear concerning Cutler, and he did it quickly, and he did it with conviction.

It happened so fast that the impression is that it came easily, raising questions why the deal took six decades to consummate.

(Gosh, that was another Luckman reference, wasn't it?)

Regardless, more difficult part is just beginning. Angelo now has to surround his new franchise quarterback with complementary players.

Even if Cutler is as good as the Bears must think he is - always a big if - he is going to need considerable help.

This franchise isn't exactly known for maximizing quarterbacks. Actually, you could say it has been where they come to die.

If the Bears had drafted Joe Montana like they should have, he would have been washing cars in two years. If they had traded for Brett Favre when the Packers did, he would have been plowing the back forty in two years.

So it'll be interesting to see where Cutler and the Bears are in two years. Considered a whining brat by some, he still has to prove he's mentally and emotionally strong enough to win a Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, Angelo still has to prove he can build around a quality quarterback; head coach Lovie Smith has to prove he'll allow a premier passer to open up the offense; and offensive coordinator Ron Turner has to prove he can design a playbook for a Jay Cutler.

It's doubtful that Angelo can fill all the Bears' holes as soon as this season or perhaps even next season, even if Cutler proves good enough to make the players around him better.

But this trade isn't a short-term fix. It's an attempt to stabilize the game's most important position for the next decade.

Just that the Bears did something so daring resuscitates a franchise that had started to appear comatose the past couple years.

And all it took was two first-rounders, a third-rounder and Kyle Orton?

Be still my racing heart.

mimrem@dailyherald.com