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Posted Tue May 18th by Ian Henson
Tim Tebow sets up to pass as Kyle Orton watches during mini camp at the Broncos facility in Englewood. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
I know I’ve covered this very recently, but it doesn’t look like a story that’s going to go away. So, do I still think the Denver Broncos won’t be trading Kyle Orton? Yes. (Yes meaning I think that Orton will still be wearing a Broncos jersey in week one, just to clarify my awkward sentence).
Although logic and recent history go against my thesis. So who is it that thinks the Broncos are going to dump their first string quarterback for the second season in a row?
I mean who is it that thinks the Broncos would trade Orton besides a certain local Denver writer who gets to skip training camp and reference it because he hangs out with the players. Conjuring up names like Paul Roach and Otis Armstrong from his ivory tower of Broncos conscientia. While we write these posts on our BlackBerry while sitting next to Bar Rafaeli and Zoe Saldana (I can name names too) from our Mom’s laundry room.
NFL Networks Michael Lombardi has joined the movement in saying Orton is on his way out.
Despite nearly everyone thinking that Orton’s on his way out I’m still not swayed. A player in his second season under Josh McDaniels‘ system certainly has the upper-hand, no? A veteran in McDaniels system is damn near a shoe-in, someone a coach would get rid of the heir apparent Jay Cutler to get (Matt Cassel), right?
Well, by that logic that would make Orton the first string and Tom Brandstater the second string, with Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow jockeying for third and fourth string… Well… That’s not happening either. If there was a market for Orton he would have been gone, I just don’t see Denver giving Orton up for a fourth round draft pick. That’s what he’s worth in my opinion, there aren’t a lot of teams that he could start for. To play devil’s advocate though, if I am the Pittsburgh Steelers I am/have calling/called Denver already. There is no guarantee that Ben Roethlisberger will be clicking on all cylinders following that mammoth suspension. Orton is a good quarterback, but a great back up. This is why I don’t see him leaving Denver this season… I think McDaniels feels the same way that I do in this regard.
People get hurt, Denver fans will remember the site of Orton waving his bloody hand in the air as we all gasped and wondered why he was being such a wuss about the cut he had on his finger. Only to find out it was his bone that was sticking out, not merely just a cut.
What fans will never forget though is what happened against the Washington Redskins in week ten when Orton went down and Chris Simms replaced Orton to many cheers around the nation. Even more recent in Broncos fans memories will be how relieved they were to see Orton hobble out during week eleven to replace a seemingly useless Simms against the San Diego Chargers.
The Broncos never recovered from that and McDaniels won’t either if he were to give up someone like Orton in a trade in favor of starting Quinn and having only Brandstater and Tebow as replacement options. Quinn’s fragile foot or finger could easily cause him to miss time in 2010 if he’s taking the majority of the snaps. Quinn has yet to get through an entire season in which he has seen more than two quarters under center.
So slow your role Tebow fans, his time will come. Don’t give up on Orton just yet though, this whole situation reeks of the Cutler’s rookie season in which Jake Plummer could do no right coming off an AFC Championship loss. You don’t tell your designated driver to go ahead and drink because Jimmy’s little brother is about to get his license. Remember history, how it’s scorn and will repeat itself. Players get hurt and I’m perfectly fine having Quinn replace Orton in that situation or vice-versa if training camp and preseason dictate a depth chart swap.
In other completely un-Bronco related news, I’ll be on MTV’s Made today (5:00 PM EST) making girls cry and hopefully not coming off as too much of an ass. So tune in or catch it during one of the 95 repeats throughout the next couple of weeks.
Published on 05/18/2010 at Tue May 18 00:02.
Tagged: 2005 AFC Championship Game,Ben Roethlisberger,Brady Quinn,Chris Simms,Denver Broncos,Ian Henson,Jake Plummer,Jay Cutler,Josh McDaniels,Kyle Orton,Matt Cassel,Otis Armstrong,Paul Roach,Pittsburgh Steelers,San Diego Chargers,Tim Tebow,Tom Brandstater,Top Stories,Washington Redskins.