As the NFL trading period opens, the Denver Broncos are willing to field offers for veteran quarterback Kyle Orton, Mike Klis of The Denver Post reports.
NFL Trade Rumors: Broncos Willing To Trade Kyle Orton
Orton, 28, was acquired in the 2009 trade that sent Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears.
In 28 starts over the last two seasons, Orton has played well, completing 60.5 percent of 1,039 pass attempts for 7,455 yards with 41 touchdowns and 21 interceptions for a passer rating of 87.2. The Broncos signed Orton to a one-year, $8.379 million extension last October, which along with the return of a salary cap, is a driving force behind the team’s willingness to trade the former Purdue standout.
Orton is set to earn $8.879 million in total compensation (base salary plus roster bonus) this season, which is too steep a price to pay a quarterback who could wind up as a backup to 2010 first-round pick Tim Tebow, whose contract includes $7.2 million in compensation (base salary, salary advance, roster bonus) during the 2011 league year. With the Broncos expected to be a ground-and-pound team, $16 million is a lot of money to spend at the quarterback position, especially with several teams in need of a short- or long-term starter at the position may be willing to part with a draft choice.
Teams expected to have varying degrees of interest in acquiring Orton are the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington Redskins.
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