NFL Football Preview 2009: Denver Broncos
All Eyes Will Be On Kyle Orton And Josh McDaniels In 2009
One of the main headlines from the 2009 offseason involved the Broncos trading quarterback Jay Cutler to the Bears. Ever since Josh McDaniels replaced Mike Shanahan in Denver, Cutler and the new head coach had never seen eye-to-eye. The relationship took a real down-fall when McDaniels attempted to bring in Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel when he was on the market with the New England Patriots.
Ever since the incident, Cutler had felt unwelcomed by McDaniels in Denver. According to numerous reports from ESPN, McDaniels tried to fix the relationship with Cutler but the upset quarterback would never return his phone calls.
Kyle Orton Replaces Jay Cutler As The Starting Quarterback For The Broncos
In his first three seasons in the league, it appeared Cutler was the quarterback of the future in Denver, as he threw for 9,024 yards, 54 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. Last season, he broke John Elway's franchise record by passing for 4,526 yards. Now, the offense will be in the hands of fourth-year quarterback Orton.
The Broncos received two first-round picks and a third-round pick along with Orton to complete the deal with the Bears. His statistics may not be as great as Cutler's, but Orton has shown throughout his career he has what it takes to be the leader in Denver.
In the 33 games he has played in during his first three seasons in the league, Orton has thrown for 5,319 yards and 30 touchdowns. On top of that, he has a career record of 21-12 as a starter.
McDaniels may not have gotten Cassel as his quarterback like he originally wanted. For the time being, he will have to accept Orton as his quarterback in his rookie season as the Broncos head coach.
Broncos Sign 17 Free Agents During 2009 Offseason
The Broncos arguably had one of the busiest offseasons compared to the other 31 teams in the NFL. Not only did they acquire Cutler from the Bears, but they also signed 17 free agents.
Some of the names the Broncos signed include Brian Dawkins, Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, LaMont Jordan, Brandon Lloyd, and Chris Simms. All players should have contributing roles for the Broncos for the upcoming 2009 season.
There has been a lot of change on the Broncos' roster ever since the end of the 2008 regular season. New coaches. New players. They hope all of the moves in the offseason can help them forget about the collapse from last season, where the team finished 8-8 and were on top of the AFC West until the final week of the regular season.
The team has a lot of adjustments to get used to this upcoming season. However, these adjustments may be for the better, as McDaniels' looks to have an immediate impact during his first run his as the new coach in Denver.
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