If you follow the trail very closely, the Jay Cutler fiasco in Denver was not the fault of Josh McDaniels.

It was also not the fault of Cutler.

It was not even the fault of Matt Cassel.

If Denver fans want to blame anyone for what went down this offseason, they should look no further than Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard, the man who blew out Tom Brady’s left knee in the 2008 season opener.

If Pollard had not nailed Brady, Cassel would probably never have played, and McDaniels likely would not have even thought about trading Cutler away for him.

Regardless, that is all in the past, and what happened has happened—end of story.

But after all that work and no reward, could McDaniels still end up with his man?

Kyle Orton has a chance to be great in Denver with a full arsenal of weapons and the brick wall that is Denver’s offensive line, but McDaniels may not be able to pass up the opportunity to have his homegrown product on hand.

Cassel has yet to restructure his contract with the Chiefs, and to be quite honest, there are no signs of improvement. 

If Cassel plays well in 2009, Kansas City will have no other option but to franchise tag him next offseason, where his one-year franchise tender will be valued at more than $17 million.

With an uncapped year likely, the Chiefs may not even see this as a problem.

Still, it seems as though the feeling of Cassel reuniting with his mentor McDaniels in Denver is a mutual one. 

This is definitely a move to watch for in 2010. Both Orton and Cassel are set to hit the free agent market, and Denver may be in a bind as to which one to pursue.

On one hand, you have Orton, who has a golden opportunity placed in front of him. He could have a career season and force Denver to give him a hefty extension.

However, if Orton flops, there is no doubt the Broncos will pursue Cassel. Denver fans seem to be bent out of shape about the fact that they traded away their own first-round pick in next year’s draft because they had a chance to get a quarterback.

Well, Denver fans, you may get your wish. The Broncos just might give up the final piece in the Jay Cutler trade for the man they initially had their hearts set on. 

If that situation presented itself, irony would not even come close to being the word that would do it justice.

It appears as though Matt Cassel’s stay in Kansas City will be only for a short while, and he may have his heart set on the Mile-High City.

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