But that strength is something coaches are trying to refine. Cutler is not as polished or NFL-ready as Leinart, and he doesn't have the bundle of raw potential and athleticism of Young. In a way, Cutler is a balance of the two – with better arm strength than Leinart and the tools to run a more conventional offense than Young. Still, the average pass protection he experienced in college has translated into some issues with his mechanics and footwork.
The problems manifested themselves when Cutler topped off a strong practice week with a subpar outing at the Senior Bowl. In the game, he ended a strong opening drive with an end-zone interception and finished 6-of-19 for 69 yards with a touchdown and a pick. The performance revealed what scouts already knew: Cutler still needs coaching to work out the kinks in his pocket posture, and he still needs to take fewer risks.
"Who doesn't have those kinds of issues?" Fisher asked. "That's what (the Senior Bowl and workouts) are for. We've got to be careful about changing techniques and over-coaching. You want to let him play. The good part with what we've seen from Jay (is that) he's been able to change. From one day to the next, you worked on some things and you (saw) the difference. "And he sees the difference – the difference in keeping his shoulders level and making a comeback throw. When his shoulders are up, the ball sails, but when his shoulders are down, the ball is on target. He understands. That's what we've been impressed with."
