"It's a quarterback driven league"
If only the Broncos hadn't won those Superbowls. If only number 7 hadn't been so magnificent for so long. If only we didn't demand so much from our Quarterback … maybe the idea of a middling signal-caller wouldn't bother so many Broncos fans.
We won't be happy until we see the next great franchise guy. Plenty of guys have gotten Denver to the playoffs but only one brought home the Lombardi trophy. Historically, the Broncos have had one Quarterback. He wore number 7.
The 2011 Denver Broncos have FIVE Quarterbacks.
John Elway is the personification of what a Denver quarterback should be and he knows it. He's now in charge of the franchise.
Tim Tebow might be the most legendary second-year quarterback with 3 starts in the proud history of the NFL.
Brady Quinn is simply gorgeous.
Kyle Orton might be milktoast, but he is obviously the best Quarterback on the roster. And it's not close.
Andrew Luck of Stanford (where John Elway went to school) will be the first pick in the 2012 draft unless he breaks his pelvis in 7 places.
Let's be clear. The Denver Broncos tried and failed to trade Kyle Orton. He is only still here because other teams moved their spare parts out faster that the new regime at Dove Valley. Prior to camp, back in the lockout days, it was a forgone conclusion that Tim Tebow would take the reigns and that Kyle Orton would be in Arizona. That was John Elway's intention. By the time Miami got serious about acquiring Orton, his stock had dropped. Elway kept him around because he didn't want to get his pocket picked.
Since camp has began Kyle Orton has had a chip on his shoulder. It's not hard to understand why. Here we have a veteran QB who was trade bait only weeks ago contending with the popularity of an incumbent who's popularity is unprecedented. I would be pissed, too. Orton has responded to adversity admirably.; He has had a wonderful camp.
Also tired of being overlooked, Brady Quinn has shined. In the opinion of many, Quinn is the QB2 in Denver. He's a far more natural substitute for Orton than the kid from Florida. Quinn is a textbook pocket passer just like Orton. John Fox and Co. would need to make fewer alterations to the offensive attack if Quinn were inserted than they would need to make with the fleet-footed Tebow.
Tim Tebow, however, has "it". He has the look and feel of an honest-to-goodness American Hero. He is the single most marketable athlete to come to Colorado since Carmelo. The Broncos and their fans cannot wait to break the seal on the shiny superstar. Tebow offers far and away more "upside" in every sense of word. He's young and handsome and exciting to watch play football.
Sadly, there was a lockout in the NFL. Players couldn't communicate with teams. That hurt the development of Tim Tebow. He is unpolished. He needs as much time with the coaches as he can get. He needs to hold a clip board.
Having not traded Kyle Orton, the Broncos are now forced to start him. Had he been moved in the off-season, the team would have reported to camp ready to support Tim Tebow as their guy. As it stands, camp has begun and Orton has shown that he gives the Broncos their best chance to win. Tebow has been a disappointment.
The point of an NFL franchise is to win. It's obvious. But, if the Broncos are to have a shot at drafting yet another heir apparent to the QB throne in 2012 they need to lose in 2011. Most people agree that the team will be lucky to win more than 6 games but few people think that they are bad enough to finish with a "lottery pick". Unless they throw Tebow out there and "see what he can do".
If the Broncos are bad enough they may have a shot at drafting Andrew Luck, the pro-ready prospect from Stanford. If Tebow were to lead the Broncos to a poor enough record, the Broncos could land that first pick. In that case nobody would be sad to see Tebow go. With Orton at the helm, though, they are likely to be just good enough to be out of the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.
That leaves us with Kyle Orton as a free agent after this season, Tim Tebow under contract and still inexperienced, and Brady Quinn, who could be the backup by then, still inadequate. Chances are, the Broncos, under this scenario, would franchise Orton and continue to let Tebow stew. They would probably trade Quinn and draft a Quarterback in the first round, but not Andrew Luck, to compete with Tebow for the backup spot.
If Tim Tebow is what we think he is; if he is all he's cracked up to be, he will emerge from all of this the starting Quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Fans praise his work ethic. They praise his character. OK, well, put up or shut up then, boy.
Aaron Rodgers sat behind Brett Favre, didn't he? The best thing that Tebow can hope for is that Kyle Orton wins for this team. Orton will not be here for long. Two more seasons at most. Sure, Tim Tebow hoped to be the starter this year. He's not going to be. If he is who we think he is he will understand that. He will let it motivate him. He will learn from it and he will study. He will become exactly who we though he was. The next great Quarteback of the Denver Broncos.
