Why Brady Quinn Is a Good Thing for the Denver Broncos

The biggest highlight of the Broncos' offseason was easily their acquisition of quarterback Brady Quinn.

A lot of controversy surrounds Quinn's win-loss record and mediocre passer rating, but let's take a look at what is missing from the mere numbers.

Quinn, during his three-year tenure with the Cleveland Browns, was yanked on and off the field without being given a proper chance. Finally, he was given the opportunity this past year and started nine games before suffering a season-ending injury.

Essentially, 2009 was his rookie season as a starter. Sure, he had three starts the year before, but that is hardly enough time to gain the respect and momentum needed to play under center.

So how do Quinn's numbers stack up against last year's crop of rookie starters? Pretty darn well, and his competition includes Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, and Josh Freeman.

As a matter of fact, Quinn is the only one of that group to have thrown more touchdowns than interceptions. This positive ratio is often overlooked by his critics. His couple years sitting on the sidelines have given him an advantage over the younger guns, bringing in some wisdom with his natural athletic abilities.

Freeman was the only one of the four to break out of the 53 percent accuracy range, with a 54.5 percent completion rate. So, Quinn is still on par with the quarterbacks being labeled the future of their teams.

Admittedly, there are still questions surrounding the ceiling of Quinn's potential, which may be lower than the rookies. However, he is being reunited with the style of offense he played all throughout college under Charlie Weis. That has to bode well for the 25-year-old, who never seemed entirely comfortable in Cleveland.

The raw physical prowess of Quinn has to excite some Broncos fans who are still looking for a quarterback like the legendary John Elway, who was always willing to run the ball if all else failed. Sure, Quinn's intangibles don't necessarily match Elway's, but sometimes it takes the right coach to bring out the best performance.

The worst notch against Quinn has to be Mike Holmgren's lack of confidence in him. After all, Holmgren is the man who helped build the careers of Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Matt Hasselbeck, and Steve Young.

In the end, the jury will be out on Quinn until he gets an opportunity to take the starting role. Hopefully, he gets his chance this year or next. If he gets some time behind Kyle Orton on the depth chart, it might benefit him, giving him some time to master the scheme.

Overall, the Broncos could have a bright future with the Cleveland Castaway.