Is he the answer, or merely the gruffest beard seen in Denver since the departure of Jake Plummer? To be sure, the Broncos have another quarterback to compete for the starting job in the upcoming season, acquiring Kyle Orton from the Chicago Bears as part of the trade for Jay Cutler.
If Orton, 26, were considered one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, he likely wouldn’t have been available-or Chicago wouldn’t have been so anxious to bring Cutler in.
However, the fifth-year player from Purdue has had his moments in the NFL and brings to the table more experience than other players, Matt Cassel, for example, thrust into the spotlight.
Orton beat out Rex Grossman for the starting job with the Bears last season, completing 272-of 465 passes for 2,972 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His quarterback rating of 79.6 ranked 25th in the league.
The highlight of Orton’s season probably came in Week 5, when he threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-7 victory over Detroit. However, only twice in 14 other starts did Orton top 280 yards for a Bears team has long treated the forward pass with distain.
While he may develop under the tutelage of coach Josh McDaniels, to this point, Orton’s professional claim to fame may be the beard he’s worn for much of his career. At one point, a blog-shavekyleorton.blogspot.com-was devoted to it.
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
