Broncos are starting Orton because they don't want to pay Tebow

[Hammock Parties]

This is hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. It will be even funnier if they dump Tebow to draft a "cheaper" franchise QB.

http://forums.denverbroncos.com/showthread.php?t=192962

Contracts Dictated which QB Started

Lost in all of our fan hoopla about the idea of these QBs competing to start was the inevitable fact that Tebow was not going to start. No chance, was never going to happen. And here's the factual contract data as to why:

Written into Tebow's contract is this qualifier "Tebow's contract DOUBLES from 11.25 million to 22.50 million if he plays 55% of the time in TWO of his first three seasons".

Meanwhile, Orton's contract this season? 9 Million, 6 million guaranteed. So, since no team would trade for Orton at franchise player money, and since Orton refused to renegotiate his contract, the only remaining option was to cut him and pay the 6 million. We weren't going to bench him and pay 9 million.

So, this was the dilemma, pay Orton millions and millions to not play AND double Tebow's contract, or keep Tebow on the bench and not hitting escalators while getting something for the 6 million you owe Orton no matter what.

And you have to wonder about Tebow's future here due to his contract. A contract signed before the rookie wage scale. If Tebow plays 70% of the snaps in 2013, his contract doubles to 22.5 million and if the team makes multiple playoffs under Tebow and he achieves leaguewide awards his contract triples to 33 million.

Meanwhile, the #1 overall selection this year, Cam Newton's contract? 4 Years, 22 million. Andrew Luck is looking at the same deal. And there are 3-4 other QBs likely to go in the Top 20 in the next draft for much cheaper deals in the strongest QB draft in quite some time.

And what about Brady Quinn you might ask? Well, if he plays 70% of our snaps, his contract goes from 700,000 to 6.6 million due to a 5.9 million escalator bonus.

Do you think this was a fair QB competition? Hell no. Orton was never not going to start. Not with Bowlen in a financial crises and unable to even make waiver claims because of financial concerns. Let alone not even being competitive on the open free agent market. We weren't going to pay Orton millions not to play.

We have this big Quinn versus Tebow versus Orton debate, and there probably was a true battle for the #2 spot (which we laughingly refused to name), but there was never a competition for the #1 spot. Finances dictated that. Period.

So if you wonder why Tebow or Quinn didn't play with the starters, or Orton with the 2nd team, this is why. The team knew what direction it was going months and months ago despite telling us it was a competition. Lying has been standard for the front office this offseason despite declarations of openness. Sure they tried to trade Orton's albatross of a contract, but no team was taking that unless Kyle re-negotiated and he made it clear he would not absent a pricy long term deal. Nobody in the NFL wants to give him that. And as for all the chatter about "Tebow being terrible", almost guaranteed it was planted by the front office to try and justify to fans why he wasn't given a chance to start.

Too bad for them the contract information was made public. A little research sure sheds some light on an awful lot of questions and confusing bait and switch comments by EFX.

[Ugly Duck]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

Tebow.... is the most marketable athlete alive.

The 4th stringer?

[Backwards Masking]

Originally Posted by Ugly Duck

The 4th stringer?

Don't worry, he'll be 3rd string ahead of DeJesus soon enough. Tebow'll never be able to score four touchdowns in a single game like Ole #33.

[MagicHef]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

I think Tim Tebow sucks to be honest with you.

Of course you do. I think Cassel, Palko and Stanzi suck, that's the nature of rivals. I'm just saying that "played pretty well" is much more accurate than "can't throw."

[lcarus]

So the "chatter of Tebow being terrible" was somehow planted by the front office to....everyone on the planet? I guess they just brainwashed us somehow. Maybe they paid off T-Mobile to send some kind of signal in their commercials to make us all think Tim Tebow sucks? It definitely might have something to do with that really hot girl in the pink dresses. She always has given me a funky vibe. Well...a couple of funky vibes. Man she's hot.

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Of course you do. I think Cassel, Palko and Stanzi suck, that's the nature of rivals. I'm just saying that "played pretty well" is much more accurate than "can't throw."

Most Chiefs fans here think Cassel, Palko, and Stanzi suck.

[MagicHef]

Originally Posted by lcarus

Most Chiefs fans here think Cassel, Palko, and Stanzi suck.

Well, that's probably because they do.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Well, that's probably because they do.

Meh, they'd still be ahead of Tebow in terms of QB play. Who was that scrub 3rd stringer that was outplaying him????

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Well, that's probably because they do.

Maybe so, but I'm holding out hope for Dick Stanzi.

[bigbucks24]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

I think Tim Tebow sucks to be honest with you.

I also think not even giving the guy a chance to take the job away from a guy who is taking the Broncos nowhere is bush league.

I think it is clear to almost everyone that Orton gives them a better chance to win some games this year. And if they go with Tebow, it really means they don't care about wins this year, but want to see what they have in Tebow for the future. If that is true, why do they start Dawkins? Or Bailey? They give them a better chance of winning, but probably won't be around when the Broncos are ready to win (if Tebow is in fact, a good QB). It they care about wins (and I assume most of the fanbase does care about wins), then they play Orton until such time as Tebow shows that he can digest the entire playbook, run the entire offense, go through is progressions and make accurate throws.

[MagicHef]

Originally Posted by PGM

Meh, they'd still be ahead of Tebow in terms of QB play. Who was that scrub 3rd stringer that was outplaying him????

If you're talking about the article that quoted "confidential sources" and was refuted by the Broncos the very next day, it was Adam Weber. If you're going by actual performance, Tebow clearly outperformed everyone he was given an opportunity to compete against.

[Hammock Parties]

It's NOT clear that Orton gives them the better chance.

They never gave Tebow an opportunity to show what he could do.

[Backwards Masking]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

It's NOT clear that Orton gives them the better chance.

They never gave Tebow an opportunity to show what he could do.

It's really hilarious to see this all play out. I'm telling you man, Elways sabotaging the Qb position to make sure he's the only Bronco in his lifetime to ever get a ring. Nothing else makes sense, unless Horseface believes Orton and this team can take them to promised land THIS YEAR. Which I have to doubt, but then I see these decisions....and wonder.

[whoman69]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

It's NOT clear that Orton gives them the better chance.

They never gave Tebow an opportunity to show what he could do.

Has he earned that? Second year and his mechanics are still not there.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by whoman69

Has he earned that? Second year and his mechanics are still not there.

He was decent for a rookie in three games last year....hell yes he earned a shot.

[whoman69]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

He was decent for a rookie in three games last year....hell yes he earned a shot.

He was put in there to see what he could do in a lost season. If he still has the poor mechanics and will not hit for a good % of his passes, he hasn't done the work. He hasn't earned a shot just because he's a first rounder.