http://www.milehighsports.com/?p=4253
WHO ARE THEY KIDDING?
5_5_Online_Daily
It’s time the Broncos ended the silly quarterback debate in Denver
By James Merilatt
Supposedly, there’s a quarterback controversy in the Mile High City. The Broncos would lead us to believe that there are actually two signal callers in the hunt to be under center next season in Denver. The evidence just doesn’t seem to jive with that story.
On Tuesday, one quarterback was in town, attending an event held at Invesco Field as the keynote speaker. He took center stage on the Broncos home field, addressing a group of accomplished student-athletes to provide encouragement and share his thoughts on finding success, dealing with adversity and overcoming challenges.
The other quarterback was nowhere to be found.
As the John Lynch Foundation luncheon wound down, one quarterback was inviting his newest teammate, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and the young man being called upon to become the cornerstone of the Broncos rebuilding defense, to work out with him before leaving town. He was the one challenging Von Miller, the highest draft choice in Denver history, to not let a moment pass by without pushing himself to be the very best.
The other quarterback wasn’t in the building.
This development should come as no surprise, however, as one quarterback has been busy during the NFL lockout. In addition to personal appearances, endorsement photo shoots and speaking engagements, he’s been working out eight hours a day to hone his craft. And his efforts go above and beyond running and lifting weights; he’s not just trying to stay in shape during the work stoppage. He’s spending countless hours working on his skills, ironing out the kinks in his game and becoming a more polished passer.
The other quarterback is doing who knows what.
But it’s not just in isolation that one quarterback is working out. He’s also busy rallying his teammates, getting them on the field together for informal offseason conditioning and drills. He’s throwing passes to two of his best wide receivers, Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney, fine tuning the timing that will be critical when they step on the field together this fall. And he’s taking the playbook that he was able to snag during the brief break in the lockout and circulating it to the Broncos newest offensive additions, soon-to-be rookie tight ends Julius Thomas and Virgil Green.
The other quarterback is apparently enjoying his extended vacation.
As time goes on, it is becoming more and more evident that Tim Tebow will be the Broncos starting quarterback in 2011. He’s the one exhibiting the type of leadership that is required to be successful playing the most demanding position in all of sports. He’s the one putting in the work necessary to achieve greatness. He’s the one who teammates are rallying behind.
Meanwhile, Kyle Orton is conspicuously absent. He’s a no-show, not being heard from since he piled his offensive linemen into a private plane and jetted the gang off to Las Vegas at the end of last season, apparently celebrating the fact that he had a stat-heavy season during his 3-10 stint as the Broncos starting quarterback. He’s not appearing at events around town. He’s not organizing team activities during the lockout. He’s not busting his tail to improve his game. And he’s not getting teammates flocking to be by his side.
Which one sounds like the Broncos starting quarterback, Tebow or Orton? The answer, of course, is painfully obvious. Tebow is the guy who is right for the job; Orton is a wannabe who isn’t up to the task.
Yet, the Broncos continue their charade. They continue to publicly state that Orton would be under center if the season started today. They repeatedly go out of their way to downplay Tebow’s skills. It’s the message being repeated over and over at Dove Valley.
The question is simple: Why?
Perhaps it is all a smokescreen, a ruse designed to elevate Orton’s trade value once the lockout ends. But that seems like a silly notion; there’s not a general manager in the league who is going to up his bid for the quarterback because he actually believes the Broncos consider Orton their starter.
Or perhaps it’s the truth, a reality that isn’t outside the realm of possibility simply because it would be hard to believe. But honestly planning to stick with Orton would be wildly unpopular with a fan base that is already on pins and needles. And it would risk alienating a roster that has increasingly showed signs of being in Tebow’s camp.
The Broncos brass showed some moxie last weekend during the NFL Draft, sticking to their guns to select the players they believe are the right fit in Denver. It’s time for John Elway, Brian Xanders and John Fox to once again show their mettle.
It’s time to end the debate. It’s time to end the suspense. It’s time to get everyone in the organization heading down the same path. It’s time to end the farcical quarterback controversy. It’s time to name Tim Tebow the Broncos starting quarterback.
That’s a direction everyone, except for perhaps one mysteriously missing person, can get behind
WHO ARE THEY KIDDING?
5_5_Online_Daily
It’s time the Broncos ended the silly quarterback debate in Denver
By James Merilatt
Supposedly, there’s a quarterback controversy in the Mile High City. The Broncos would lead us to believe that there are actually two signal callers in the hunt to be under center next season in Denver. The evidence just doesn’t seem to jive with that story.
On Tuesday, one quarterback was in town, attending an event held at Invesco Field as the keynote speaker. He took center stage on the Broncos home field, addressing a group of accomplished student-athletes to provide encouragement and share his thoughts on finding success, dealing with adversity and overcoming challenges.
The other quarterback was nowhere to be found.
As the John Lynch Foundation luncheon wound down, one quarterback was inviting his newest teammate, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and the young man being called upon to become the cornerstone of the Broncos rebuilding defense, to work out with him before leaving town. He was the one challenging Von Miller, the highest draft choice in Denver history, to not let a moment pass by without pushing himself to be the very best.
The other quarterback wasn’t in the building.
This development should come as no surprise, however, as one quarterback has been busy during the NFL lockout. In addition to personal appearances, endorsement photo shoots and speaking engagements, he’s been working out eight hours a day to hone his craft. And his efforts go above and beyond running and lifting weights; he’s not just trying to stay in shape during the work stoppage. He’s spending countless hours working on his skills, ironing out the kinks in his game and becoming a more polished passer.
The other quarterback is doing who knows what.
But it’s not just in isolation that one quarterback is working out. He’s also busy rallying his teammates, getting them on the field together for informal offseason conditioning and drills. He’s throwing passes to two of his best wide receivers, Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney, fine tuning the timing that will be critical when they step on the field together this fall. And he’s taking the playbook that he was able to snag during the brief break in the lockout and circulating it to the Broncos newest offensive additions, soon-to-be rookie tight ends Julius Thomas and Virgil Green.
The other quarterback is apparently enjoying his extended vacation.
As time goes on, it is becoming more and more evident that Tim Tebow will be the Broncos starting quarterback in 2011. He’s the one exhibiting the type of leadership that is required to be successful playing the most demanding position in all of sports. He’s the one putting in the work necessary to achieve greatness. He’s the one who teammates are rallying behind.
Meanwhile, Kyle Orton is conspicuously absent. He’s a no-show, not being heard from since he piled his offensive linemen into a private plane and jetted the gang off to Las Vegas at the end of last season, apparently celebrating the fact that he had a stat-heavy season during his 3-10 stint as the Broncos starting quarterback. He’s not appearing at events around town. He’s not organizing team activities during the lockout. He’s not busting his tail to improve his game. And he’s not getting teammates flocking to be by his side.
Which one sounds like the Broncos starting quarterback, Tebow or Orton? The answer, of course, is painfully obvious. Tebow is the guy who is right for the job; Orton is a wannabe who isn’t up to the task.
Yet, the Broncos continue their charade. They continue to publicly state that Orton would be under center if the season started today. They repeatedly go out of their way to downplay Tebow’s skills. It’s the message being repeated over and over at Dove Valley.
The question is simple: Why?
Perhaps it is all a smokescreen, a ruse designed to elevate Orton’s trade value once the lockout ends. But that seems like a silly notion; there’s not a general manager in the league who is going to up his bid for the quarterback because he actually believes the Broncos consider Orton their starter.
Or perhaps it’s the truth, a reality that isn’t outside the realm of possibility simply because it would be hard to believe. But honestly planning to stick with Orton would be wildly unpopular with a fan base that is already on pins and needles. And it would risk alienating a roster that has increasingly showed signs of being in Tebow’s camp.
The Broncos brass showed some moxie last weekend during the NFL Draft, sticking to their guns to select the players they believe are the right fit in Denver. It’s time for John Elway, Brian Xanders and John Fox to once again show their mettle.
It’s time to end the debate. It’s time to end the suspense. It’s time to get everyone in the organization heading down the same path. It’s time to end the farcical quarterback controversy. It’s time to name Tim Tebow the Broncos starting quarterback.
That’s a direction everyone, except for perhaps one mysteriously missing person, can get behind
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