For the development of Brady Quinn, Tim Tebow and Tom Brandstater, for fairness to Kyle Orton, for the benefit of the other Broncos, for the future of the franchise, for the fans in Bronco Country, for goodness’ sake, Orton must be traded.
Orton is not a short-term fix or a long-range fit for the Broncos.
A deal should be sought, in my opinion, before the team’s voluntary minicamp May 17-19 — so the Broncos and Orton can move on now.
Josh McDaniels, it has been asserted, has been joined at one hip with Tebow and, to the other, with Quinn, but, truthfully, his coaching reign in Denver can’t be tied to Orton.
McDaniels is better off putting his trust in, and his teaching toward, Young QBT and QB3 — Quinn, Brandstater & Tebow.
If the Broncos had been so enamored with Orton after the last so-so season, they wouldn’t have first acquired Quinn and then drafted Tebow.
History serves. In 1982, serviceable journeyman Steve DeBerg was the Broncos’ starter, but John Elway and Gary Kubiak arrived the next year. After the 1983 season, DeBerg left for Tampa Bay, and Elway and Kubiak were the Broncos’ starter-backup tandem for a long time.
The DeBerg-like Orton, who will become an unrestricted free agent in 2011, will be gone soon anyway. It should be done prior to this season — and Quinn and Tebow can compete vigorously to become No. 1. McDaniels obviously believes both can be starters in the NFL. Why wait until after another 8-8 season with Orton?
McDaniels made a bold, highly controversial decision to jettison Jay Cutler in 2009. The trading of Orton wouldn’t be as difficult — or unpopular. Orton didn’t make a stand or a statement last season. The Broncos let it get away.
Orton has said publicly he had a “good season,” and others have agreed with the assessment — based on 21 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions, 3,802 yards passing and a shocking 6-0 start.
The Broncos lost eight of their final 10, and in those games Orton had 12 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions and 2,337 yards. In nine games last season, the Broncos’ offense didn’t score more than 20 points.
Orton, McDaniels and the Broncos had a “mediocre season.”
Nobody, Cutler included, would say Cutler had a good season. But his last 10 games were comparable to Orton’s — a 4-6 record, 16 touchdown passes, 16 interceptions and 2,214 yards. One team finished 8-8, the other 7-9. Neither made the playoffs.
Orton is described as “smart, a leader, an overachiever, a tireless worker.”
He is smart. Orton knows, in the aftermath of recent major events, he is a temp, at best, a reservist waiting to happen, at worst. He should welcome a change in venue — to where he has a chance to start over. A dozen teams could use a veteran reserve, but the Broncos, honestly, wouldn’t get much more than a mid- round draft pick in return.
He’s not a true leader. The Broncos had Champ Bailey, D.J. Williams and Brian Dawkins in leadership roles on defense, but nobody on offense. The leadership has to come from the QB, and Orton’s soft attitude didn’t motivate his teammates.
He hasn’t overachieved with his two NFL teams. Orton was dumped as a starter late in his rookie season with the Bears, barely played the next two seasons, started in 2008, didn’t reach the postseason and was traded to the Broncos last year, where, again he fell short of the playoffs.
Although Orton played through two injuries (throwing hand and ankle), his quirky offseason work ethic has been questioned in Chicago and Denver.
Everybody knows Orton is immobile, doesn’t possess a powerful arm, vacillates when making passing choices and doesn’t read defenses extremely well. Like Brian Griese, Orton has to play a near-perfect game to win — and receive a lot of help from his defense.
Orton is an average quarterback who couldn’t start for 21 other teams in the league.
According to reports out of Jacksonville, the Jaguars have asked about a deal for Quinn. But the Broncos have been impressed with Quinn in OTAs (organized team activities) and will not let him go. The Jags’ failure to draft Tebow likely was the death knell for the franchise in Jacksonville, but his presence on the Broncos’ roster in the opening game will ensure a rare sellout for the Jaguars.
What about Orton in Jacksonville? He might push David Gerrard. Maybe the cross-state Bucs would be attracted to Orton, or the Bills, whose owner, Ralph Wilson, said the Broncos “panicked” by picking Tebow and that Buffalo had “no interest” in the QB.
If Orton were to be shipped out, the Broncos would save his $2.6 million contract and have Brandstater at $395,000, Tebow in the first year of an approximate five-year, $15 million to $18 million contract (about $8 million guaranteed) and Quinn in the odd position of receiving $700,000, with the chance to earn $5.9 million (if he takes 70 percent of the snaps). The Broncos will have two quarterbacks who will turn 26 in October (Quinn in his fourth season, Brandstater his second) and one will be 23 in August and in his rookie year.
That triad is the Broncos’ solid future investment at quarterback.
And for the good of all, Orton has to be passed along.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
Who should be the Broncos’ top QB?
KYLE ORTON
Case for: The 2009 starter helped Denver get off to a 6-0 start.
Case against: Denver had a 2-8 finish, and there are questions about his leadership.
BRADY QUINN
Case for: Coach Josh McDaniels traded for him and loves his work ethic.
Case against: Less-than-stellar showing in Cleveland, where he was a first-round pick.
TIM TEBOW
Case for: Denver’s second pick in the first round has already absorbed the playbook.
Case against: Can a rookie take over a team with playoff aspirations?
