I don't watch basketball. (Is that a problem for a sports blogger?)

I don't think Cutler is intrinsically worth that much more than Cassel, but for what Cutler is purported to be--Proven Franchise Quarterback Coming into His Prime, essentially the primest of all NFL roster real estate--I'd expect the asking price to be closer to what was paid for Cutler than what was paid for Cassel. The key adjective here is "proven," and for most teams, Cassel's one season just wasn't enough. By contrast, the Broncos received two similar offers for Cutler from teams in situations similar to the Bears' (solid defenses and running games, questionable receivers).

Where the Bears dropped (fumbled?) the ball was in failing to capitalize on the facts that (1) the Broncos were going to trade Cutler no matter what and (2) the Broncos apparently saw significant value in Kyle Orton, or at least more than they saw in some other offerings. But hey, it's water over the dam. Time to find Cutler some receivers.

All of which brings me to the USTs. Reading proposed rules 1 and 1a together, I would redraft as, "Avoid mediocrity, inasmuch as it can be avoided." This is a nice philosophical touchstone, and presumably achieved primarily through the acquisition of either (1) proven talent or (2) potential talent (at the extremes, "break the bank" vs. "take a flyer").

The Bears' move falls into (extreme) category 1, and considering the nature of the position (central, potentially long-term), I can't fault them for it, my quibbling over the exact price notwithstanding.