Ask the expert: Jerry Angelo

Couid Cutler have turned the Bears into a dynasty?/ANDREW J. KRAMER

Jerry Angelo is a former personnel director for the Bucs and former general manager of the Bears. Each week, Angelo answers your questions regarding the NFL. Send your questions to GarySheltonsports@gmail.com with "ask the expert'' in the subject line. The most interesting questions will be selected.

Thursday, 4 a.m.

Dan Hampton this week suggested that the Bears would have won four Super Bowls if Jay Cutler had been their quarterback. I don’t know if that’s praise for Cutler or a dig at Jim McMahon. Isn’t it hard to say that any non-Super Bowl winning quarterback would have led to a dynasty?

I really don’t know how to answer that. If Archie Manning or Dan Marino were with better teams maybe their fortunes would have been different in terms of winning world championships.

It’s too hard to say, because there are many factors that go into it. I will say that I agree with Hampton. My last year in Chicago was in my opinion our

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best team in my tenure. Mostly, it was because we had a legitimate quarterback in Cutler.

When I was there, we won with him because we were built on team on defense and special teams. Cutler upgraded our offense and that’s all we really needed because then the defense wasn’t carrying the offense. We could win in any of the three phases of the game on any Sunday.

Unfortunately, after going on a five-game winning streak (after a 7-3 start in 2011), he got injured and so our season went downhill. We didn’t build the team around him and that’s what I think Hampton was saying; that they didn’t need a great quarterback, just a more talented one. No disrespect to McMahon, because I was a big fan of him as a player. The guy was a winner!

In our weekly game of rating the quarterbacks in each division, let’s go to the AFC North. That gives us Joe Flacco, Ben Roesthisberger, Andy Dalton and Brock Osweiler of the Browns (unless DeShone Kizer wins the job).

Big Ben leads this class going away.

The number two guy is a little tougher, because both guys have won with their teams. Dalton has all the intangibles you look for at the position. But I would probably go with Flacco, because he has a ring and definitely has more more arm talent.

I’d rate the Browns' quarterback fifth!

Taking it one division at a time, how do see the NFC East finish this season?

It should be very tight because each team can make a case to win it. The key: Are the Cowboys going to be the same or worse on defense? If they can play good defense again this year, then obviously they’re the team to beat.

The Eagles will be interesting. Their head coach is going into his second year with a potential franchise quarterback in Carson Wentz. The Redskins should be improved defensively. The Giants have a lot of fire power on offense to run the table in the East as well.

Marvin Lewis’ contract runs out this year with Cincinnati. If he can’t get that elusive playoff win this year, is he done?

I think it’s time for a change. I thought that two years ago. Marvin has a done a good job in his tenure in Cincinnati, but sometimes a team just needs a change for change sake. I think the Bengals are at that point.

I think we are all aware that Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten is a very good player. But he’s fourth all-time receiver.Did that sneak up on you, too?

No, not really. He’s been playing for what? A hundred years now?

To me he’s been on fumes for the last several years, but he is a icon in Dallas and one of Jerry Jones' pets. Witten will be with the Cowboys as long as he’s got arms and legs.

Stats can be very deceiving. A lot of those catches of his were meaningless. The Cowboys have been a poor team most of his career. So, I can’t get to excited about Witten’s numbers. To me, there is no comparison between him and Michael Irvin. Irvin impacted games. He was a difference maker. Witten rarely made a difference to any Cowboy team.

Aaron Rodgers could be the first quarterback to reach 300 touchdowns and still have fewer than 100 interceptions. That’s a pretty comment on his legacy, isn’t it?

Rodgers is going to go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game. He will hold a lot of records before it’s all said and done. That’s what the great ones do. They rewrite history.

Talking about your favorite player from a certain school: This week, let’s talk about Southern Cal. Among others, the players should include a) Anthony Munoz, b) O.J. Simpson, c.) Marcus Allen,  d. Junior Seau or e) Ricky Bell.  You can name another player if you wish.

I loved the Juice!

Seau and Munoz were as good as they get, but O.J. was electrifying. Every time he touched the ball ,you got up on your feet.

Von Miller has tweeted Vic Beasley that he’s coming after his sack title. There are a lot of contenders with J.J. Watt, Khalil Mack and Jadeveon Clowney. Who’s your favorite?

I think Miller is special, but I’ve never seen the likes of a guy like Watt. He's the closest I’ve seen to date to Reggie White or Bruce Smith. Incredible talent for a big man.