ORLANDO, Fla. — Listen to the man on the corner bar stool, listen to the people talking on the radio, listen to those gathered around the water cooler, and just as often as not, the backup quarterback has become the most popular player in the conversation.
Brady Quinn is lucky. Because after listening to Broncos coach Josh McDaniels speak from a hallway sofa at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes hotel Monday, Quinn has settled into the likable role of backup quarterback.
Kyle Orton keeps the preferred, if not always easily accepted, position of starting quarterback.
“Yep. No question,” McDaniels said during a break from the NFL meetings. “He’s earned it.”
There had been some question about who would be the Broncos’ starting quarterback in 2010 after Orton received a one-year tender as a restricted free agent earlier this month and Quinn was acquired last week from the Cleveland Browns.
In exchange, the Broncos sent to Cleveland backup running back Peyton Hillis, a sixth-round draft pick in 2011 and a pick between the third and sixth round in 2012 that will be determined by how much Quinn plays.
The trade package is considerably less than the going rate for a starting quarterback. Yet, Quinn will get a chance to compete for Orton’s job during the offseason minicamps and preseason. It’s just that he’ll start the competition in second place. Tom Brandstater, who didn’t take a snap as a rookie last year, remains the No. 3 quarterback.
“There are guys that are definitely starters, and until someone comes in to knock them off their spot, it’s going to be that way,” McDaniels said. “Brady’s a player who fits a lot of the qualities and characteristics we look for in our quarterbacks. We feel like we have three who are in that same boat. It made sense for us to try to improve the competition at that position just like it does when we try to improve our competition at any position.”
Quinn was a terrific college quarterback at Notre Dame, where his head coach was Charlie Weis, who was McDaniels’ offensive coaching mentor in 2004 when both were with the New England Patriots.
Although Quinn struggled when given a chance to play during his first three seasons with the Browns, the Broncos hope a return to the New England-style offensive system will rejuvenate his career.
“It certainly can’t hurt that he is familiar with the terminology,” McDaniels said. “Our offense has evolved in different ways than Charlie evolved the offense once he left New England. It’s not the same. (Quinn has) got a lot to learn. He’s got a long way to go.”
The only experience that counts in the NFL, though, is NFL experience, and this is where Orton has a 29-19 record as a starter while Quinn is 3-9.
“He’s a guy who made the most of an opportunity he was given last year,” McDaniels said of Orton. “He still hasn’t been in our system for a calendar year. Year 2, I anticipate he will know more, he’ll be more comfortable in a system.
“Kyle started all but one game for us last year, and he’s got the respect of his teammates and coaches and we look forward to him improving. Now Brady’s here competing, and as always, players determine their roles by what they do on the field.”
In Quinn, the Broncos’ offense has a chance to keep producing in the event Orton should turn an ankle. The next problem to address, though, is getting the first-string offense to better produce.
The Broncos ranked 15th in total offense last season and 20th in scoring. The current offense is without a proven center, and it could lose two of its best skill players if receiver Brandon Marshall and tight end Tony Scheffler are traded.
“We’re not done yet, but just because you feel there’s a way you can improve your football team doesn’t necessarily mean that way is right there, that you can go grab it and pull it in and now we’ve fixed the problem,” McDaniels said. “There’s a lot of ways to fix problems.”
Perhaps Orton will play better in his second season of running McDaniels’ system. Maybe running back Knowshon Moreno will play better in his second year in the league.
“We can coach better,” Mc- Daniels said. “Most of us are in our second year, and we can all do a better job. There’s not always a quick fix to everything.”
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
