Leber: Bears got better with Cutler, but price may have been too expensive

Ben Leber, in a moment of candor, wondered whether the Bears gave up too much in a trade for Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler.

"I don't know if I would have given up all those picks for him," the Vikings linebacker said Wednesday, smiling. "But it's a good thing I'm not a GM."

The Bears surrendered two first-round picks, a third-rounder and quarterback Kyle Orton to the Broncos for Cutler. Several Vikings defensive players acknowledged the significance of Cutler's arrival in the NFC North Division.

"They're trying to get better," Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kevin Williams said. "That's what everyone's goal is in the offseason, to get better. They think Cutler is the key to making their team better, and they made it happen."

Said Leber: "They obviously improved that part of their team. We'll see what happens. I played him a couple of times and know what type of quarterback he is. We'll have to get after him.

"He's definitely more of a mobile guy. He's brimming with confidence. We'll have to go in there and try and rattle him. I've seen some games where he can get rattled. We're going to try take that same approach. Get him rattled and try and contain him because he can do some stuff with his feet."

Ryan Cook knows the Vikings might use their first-round pick on a right tackle, but he doesn't seem bothered.

"They're going to do what they want to do," he said. "I'm out here to compete and vie for a starting spot like I was last year. So nothing has really changed, in my opinion."

Cook, who is taking part in the Vikings' offseason workout program, struggled last season with physical and mental mistakes and lost his starting job at one point. Now, right tackle is considered a primary area of need for the Vikings.

Cook said that after taking some time off following the season, he went back and watched film of his play in 2008. "Obviously, I need to be more consistent, and staying onsides is a big thing for me," Cook said. "Last year, I had six or seven offsides penalties, which is obviously way too many. So that's something I've been focusing on and getting that taken care of."

Coach Brad Childress left open the door for using Cook at right tackle and center, the position he played in college. But Cook said nobody has mentioned him playing center. And, at 6-6, he might be too tall to play the position in the NFL.

Said Cook: "Everyone seemed to have an issue with it when I was in college because I was so tall, but it never seemed to affect me then. I can't speak for it because it is what it is."

• Backup nose tackle Fred Evans, who was a restricted free agent, said he was very pleased the Vikings extended him a one-year tender of $1.545 million. His agent talked to a couple of interested teams, but the compensation for signing Evans away from the Vikings would have been a second-round pick. "A lot of guys this year weren't as blessed as me to get such a high tender," Evans said. "I'm happy to be where I'm at. I love playing for the Vikings, and I just love being on the defensive line we've got."

• The NFL schedule will be released at 6 p.m. Tuesday.