2011 NFL Trade Speculation: 5 Possible Teams Where Broncos Could Ship Kyle Orton
As Day 92 of the lockout continues, we again talk about the "what if" scenarios that circulate the NFL players whose jobs may be in flux. One of the most storied and talked about offseason issues is the quarterback situation in Denver.
For those who have read my previous article, you now know that I fully believe that Tim Tebow will be the starter in Denver come the first week of the season. With that part of the equation taken care of, that means that Kyle Orton will be on his way out of the Mile High City.
I have nothing against Orton. I appreciate everything that he did for Denver. I thought he was a solid quarterback with a very bad defense. Unfortunately, he is not the type of player that can rally a team and bring them back.
According to Jason La Canfora, (http://blogs.nfl.com/2011/05/19/looking-into-the-price-tag-for-kyle-orton/) the Broncos will not take anything less than a second round draft pick or proper players.
With that being said, let us look at the landing spots for Orton, if and when the lockout is lifted.
Let the debates begin.
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 5
According to NFL.com, (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81fb4e5d/article/report-cardinals-have-contacted-broncos-about-qb-orton) the Arizona Cardinals have been targeting quarterback Kyle Orton.
This move would make sense after the Cardinals' front office chose to not take a quarterback in the 2011 Draft. However, the Cardinals have been open with the fact that Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb is No. 1 on their wish list. If a deal cannot get done, Orton is the sure fired next in line.
The Cardinals struggled with a quarterback carousel last year that included Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton all showing flashes—but never any consistency.
A trade for Orton would most likely include a Cardinals 2012 second round draft pick.
Seattle Seahawks
2 of 5
We will stay in the NFC West without the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks seem likely done with Matt Hasselbeck, even though he has a chance to stay for another year. The Seahawks also spent and gave up quite a bit to snag Charlie Whitehurst away from San Diego just a year ago.
On a team where head coach Pete Carroll is creating a youth movement and trying to build a dynasty, the quarterback situation seems to be on the back burner.
The Seahawks have quite a bit to offer the Broncos. A second round draft pick is a given, but they also have a plethora of running backs in their stable—most notably Marshawn Lynch, who had a solid year behind Justin Forsett and Leon Washington. He also caused an earthquake, literally. He is due over a million this coming year, a swap with Orton might not be such a bad thing.
Miami Dolphins
3 of 5
Reunited with his long lost (and troubled) wide receiver Brandon Marshall? The Miami Dolphins may not be such a bad landing spot for Orton. With the quarterback situation up in the air, why would the Dolphins and head coach Tony Sparano not take a look at Orton?
With Chad Henne a questioned man in Miami, and Tyler Thigpen no where near ready to compete for the starting job, they kind of run out of options. They did not help their case either by not drafting a quarterback, leaving the door open for a free agent move or a trade if and when the lockout ends.
I am sure that Kyle Orton would have no problem meeting up with B-Marsh for one more go around and to see if they could get a little farther (possibly sticking it to the Denver organization).
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Tennessee Titans
4 of 5
The Tennessee Titans would be lucky to have a deal with Kyle Orton done.
They drafted their franchise quarterback in Jake Locker. However, there is no way that they truly believe he can come in and make a difference in a positive way right off the bat. Locker is going to have to carry the clipboard for at least one year.
I know Kerry Collins is there, but he is 38-years-old and how much does he truly want to train another young pup? Kyle Orton is nine years younger and gives the Titans a legitimate chance to win.
The Titans do not have a lot to really offer the Broncos, in terms of player personnel. A second round pick would not be too much for the Titans to give up. It would also make for a pretty epic week three match-up this season.
Minnesota Vikings
5 of 5
The biggest surprise of the first round of the 2011 Draft had to have been the MInnesota Vikings jumping up and snagging quarterback Christian Ponder off the board. Now obviously this may be one of the least likely places for Orton to land, but it may not be a bad idea.
Obviously the Vikings have a lot of confidence in Ponder to draft him so high, but would sitting him for a year and allowing a veteran quarterback take over be such bad idea? It is a similar situation to the one in Tennessee.
Again, the Vikings do not have too much to give up in terms of players, but a year of Ponder learning the system on the bench may be worth more than just a second round pick in the years that follow.
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