As WQYK-AM 1010's Mike Pepper suggested Monday, Joe is concerned Jay Cutler may be the reincarnation of Jeff George.

As Joe is wont to do, he will bounce around local sports radio stations in the afternoon. Yesterday, Joe heard Mike Pepper — who was substituting for the vacationing J.P. Peterson on WQYK-AM 1010 — make the comparison between almost-Bucs quarterback and currently disgruntled Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler and notorious headcase Jeff George.

George was a gifted quarterback but something less than a leader who always seemed to wear out his welcome wherever he played.

As one NFL scout famously said of George, “from the shoulders down he was a great quarterback.”

Joe looked up the stats:

In George’s first three years after being the first overall draft pick by Indianapolis in 1990, George had 7,025 yards passing, completing 640 passes on 1,125 attempts with 33 touchdowns and 40 interceptions.

In Cutler’s first three seasons with Denver, he has racked up 9,024 yards, completing 762 passes on 1,220 attempts with 54 touchdowns against 37 interceptions.

Would Joe like to have Cutler as the Bucs quarterback? Sure. But Joe has  reservations.

Joe is concerned Cutler is creating a reputation for himself as a crybaby if not someone who has a short fuse. If the Bucs give up a pricey sum, which Denver likely wants for him, who is to say Cutler will be happy with Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski?

Rather than take such a gamble on Cutler, Joe is still of the mind it would be a much lesser risk to trade a third round pick to Arizona for Matt Leinart. It’s also a suggestion the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig floated in previous weeks.

Sure, Leinart has his drawbacks too. Some suggest his heart isn’t in the game (as opposed to Cutler whose head may not be in the game).

For Cutler’s sake, Joe hopes he doesn’t turn into the next George, who Norman Chad, while mocking fantansy football, once wrote, “Only in fantasy football would you actually want Jeff George.”