Bears will grab Orton if KC doesn’t

TJ Johnson Nov 22, 2011 7:42 PM

Report: Bears will claim Orton
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Bears will attempt to claim Kyle Orton off waivers. Actually, McClure said he was confirming Jay Glazer’s report. But Glazer never actually reported anything; he just said the Chiefs or Bears “could” claim Orton and it took a life of its own.

We already know Houston won't nab Orton. Should get interesting real soon. It's looking likely that Orton will return to Denver one more time this season, either as a member of the Chiefs or Bears.

I’m glad we had this talk. Now, vaya con Dios, Brah.

Agree, disagree, just like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter so I can quit my day job.

My question is if the Chiefs or the Bears are on the verge of the playoffs (and Bears more likely as the pack will win the NFC north and Detroit will get a wildcard which means Chicago is fighting with Atlanta and the Giants for the last WC spot) how much is that worth? How much do teams get paid extra to make the playoffs? Does that offset Orton&#8217s contract? So is it worth it for Chicago to pay Orton in order to understand what Denver runs in hopes of beating them and getting into the playoffs? I think that would be their primary motivation.

Posted by BigDave on 2011-11-23 09:30:56

One more thing&#8230Tebow is a running QB. He is one big hit from 2 big 300 lb fat guys to the Broncs having Brady Quinn - and maybe Adam Weber - at QB for the rest of the season.

I wouldn&#8217t be so happy seeing Orton leave town right now.

Go Broncos!

Posted by BlackKnight on 2011-11-23 07:49:49

Kudos to DCJ @23!!

Posted by BlackKnight on 2011-11-23 07:45:05

Got to agree with Bob Morris in both #8 & #20. also CompUser.

IMO Denver just lost it&#8217s best QB - hands down. However, as Bob Morris noted, his chances starting here was slim to none. We will see how good this guy is very soon.

Go Broncos!

Posted by BlackKnight on 2011-11-23 07:42:30

True tunesmith, Orton wasn&#8217t the future. But he certainly didn&#8217t deserve the treatment he got from a lot of the Broncos fans. He bore the brunt of the fans displeasure at losing Cutler, then had the Tebow fanatics taking out billboards. Even when he played well and was winning games he was reviled for a situation that was not his making.

I wish the man well, and hope he ends up in a place that appreciates him, or at least doesn&#8217t take out billboards for his backup.

Posted by DCJ on 2011-11-23 07:37:03

Who cares. Orton wasn&#8217t the future anyway. Let&#8217s move forward.

Posted by jtomasik on 2011-11-23 05:50:18

@CompUser: You took the words right out of my mouth.

Neither of us have said we want the team that picks up Orton to make the playoffs at the expense of the Broncos.

The bottom line is this: When Orton was benched, the only way he would start another game is if both Tebow and Brady Quinn got injured and lost for the season. Had Tebow struggled, Quinn would have started and finished the season.

Thus, when other teams were in need of QB help, the best thing for Denver to do was release Orton and let him get a chance to help.

If Orton goes to Chicago, starts against Denver, Chicago wins and that loss for Denver keeps Denver out of the playoffs, then that&#8217s how it is. It&#8217s not something we&#8217d like, and for some, it&#8217s not something they want, but that&#8217s just how things go sometimes when you are making decisions for the franchise.

My issue is not with people who were asking for Tebow to start but not coming in with an ax to grind against Orton, but those who had an ax to grind with Orton from the start&#8230 these are the same people who think every move Denver has made this year is questionable, even as many of them are proving to be the correct ones. These same people will simply set the bar as they see fit, having once declared &#8220Orton sucks, start Tebow now&#8221 and then if Orton goes to a team that makes the playoffs while the Broncos miss the playoffs, will say &#8220Broncos screwed everything up by releasing Orton.&#8221

It&#8217s those people who need to step back and accept things for what they are now, rather than just setting the bar at this place and that place just so they can say they were never wrong.

Posted by Bob Morris on 2011-11-23 04:55:31

tunesmith@6: good Q. my guess is in case chicago believes another team like kc also wants orton on the cheap. if chi waits, it&#8217s an open contest with kc, and would orton go where he has no future behind cutler or where where he could unseat cassel?

Posted by sterto on 2011-11-23 04:08:26

Just to be clear, I don&#8217t think anyone is claiming Orton just to get a leg up on Denver. But anyone who thinks he isn&#8217t better than Hannie or Palko is crazy. To those still pining for Orton, I just don&#8217t know what to say. He was an absolute failure as a starter in Denver. That is a fact. Please accept it.

Posted by Royalwithcheese on 2011-11-23 04:06:47

By the way, hudayberdi, I challenge you to put up a quote of anyone who ever said they wanted Orton to succeed at the expense of Denver making the playoffs. I think most people (myself included) want the Broncos to succeed no matter who the quarterback is. And who wants to see Orton come into Mile High and beat the Broncos? I sure as hell don&#8217t. But I think if he signs with either Chicago or Kansas City, it&#8217s a good possiblity.

Posted by CompUser on 2011-11-23 03:56:50

Wow, NDbronco, I didn&#8217t know that. I feel so special now!

Posted by CompUser on 2011-11-23 03:46:24

Nice post #14. But CompUser is a noted Ortonmaniac.

Posted by NDbronco on 2011-11-23 03:39:06

I agree no one will shell out $3 million only to beat Denver. However, both the Chiefs and the Bears might be interested in him for the close of the season, and they both have Denver on their schedule.

Bob Morris and CompUser - two points here:

I understand and agree with the point of view that Denver, and particularly its fans, didn&#8217t give Orton the greatest treatment. However, that does not and should not change our wish for the Broncos to make the playoffs, right? If we want Kyle Orton to succeed at the expense of Denver making the playoffs, well, we&#8217re Kyle Orton fans at that point right? Put aside whatever you think about QBs, and just ask yourself if you want to see Dawkins, Champ, Clady, Kuper, Miller, etc. miss out on playoff football because a motivated Orton comes into Mile High and beats the Broncos. I wish Kyle the absolute best in every endeavor EXCEPT games he plays against Denver.

As for the argument that Denver fans think Orton is awful, and therefore shouldn&#8217t care - there are shades of awful, and Kyle&#8217s shade is a heck of a lot brighter than Tyler Palko&#8217s and Caleb Hanie&#8217s. Plus, even if he doesn&#8217t take a snap he can give the other team all kinds of valuable intelligence.

Posted by hudayberdi on 2011-11-23 03:34:12

The only reason a team would sign Orton is if he improves their chances of winning - this year. No one is going to pay 3 million to &#8220get a leg up&#8221 on Denver. I think Kyle Orton is an upgrade for several teams with pretty poor quality backup QBs.

He makes absolutely no sense going to Chicago as their line play is bad and he&#8217d be just as bad as he was here. KC makes a little more sense - he&#8217s an upgrade over Palko - but not by a whole lot. Miami wouldn&#8217t touch him given that Matt Moore is playing really well.

Posted by chantech on 2011-11-23 02:49:02

OK, I don&#8217t get it. If Kyle Orton is such a terrible quarterback, as most people seem to think he is, why would anyone not want him to sign with a team Denver still plays this season? If he&#8217s such a terrible quarterback, that would be a good thing, wouldn&#8217t it?

Posted by CompUser on 2011-11-23 02:37:11

This whole thing makes no sense. The only teams that might have any interest are ones who stand in Denver&#8217s path to a possible playoff spot. Who cares that Orton&#8217s agent said he would like a release after Cutler went down? At the very least, wait until after the week you play the Bears. Is it possible this move was made to save ~$2 million? If so, I really hope that money goes directly to Bunkley&#8217s signing bonus.

Posted by Royalwithcheese on 2011-11-23 02:34:41

4. hudayberdi

Exactly what I was thinking. Either way I think the move is stupid. Dove Valley continues to blow my mind with their insane decisions.

Posted by BRASO on 2011-11-23 02:13:24

Breaking: Police brutality at Occupy Mile High stadium:

http://sn108w.snt108.mail.live...|0|8CE778D40F96980||0|1|0|0|6|&maxwidth=220&maxheight=160&size=Att

Posted by magster on 2011-11-23 01:50:11

I believe tunesmith is correct about how the compensatory picks work. I wouldn&#8217t lose sleep over them.

And if Orton goes to a team that is set to face the Broncos, and he wins, then so be it. I wish him well. The boobirds who jumped on Orton every time, well, they just have to learn to live with it.

Posted by Bob Morris on 2011-11-23 01:40:00

BTW it&#8217s not guaranteed we would have gotten a compensatory pick for him anyway. I think we&#8217d have to lose more veterans than we sign, it might depend on the type of contract he&#8217d sign, etc etc.

Posted by tunesmith on 2011-11-23 01:33:26

Why would Chicago claim Orton if they&#8217re 30th and if 31 and 32 don&#8217t want him? They already know Orton wants to go there; wait for free agency and be in a good negotiating position.

Posted by tunesmith on 2011-11-23 01:32:08

Did we just sacrifice a compensatory pick in the 2013 for $1.5m or whatever the amount owed to Orton is. And if he is not claimed we save nothing.

Please tell me we still get something for him.

Posted by Orange and Blue on 2011-11-23 01:11:06

If Orton ends up playing for KC or Chicago against Denver with a massive chip on his shoulder, this move goes from &#8220high-class&#8221 to unbelievably stupid. If Denver loses to the Orton-led Chiefs at Mile High in the last game of the year - and especially if that costs the Broncos a playoff spot - there will be a hugely negative fan reaction in about 8 million different ways. That would be the one thing that would rile up literally every faction of our already fragmented fan base.

Posted by hudayberdi on 2011-11-23 01:07:24

It would be great to see Kyle head to a contender. I am a big fan and wish him the best. Classy, smart move by the FO.

Posted by ButteBronco on 2011-11-23 01:07:23

Sounds like a game of telephone, except it&#8217s professional reporters doing &#8220reporting.&#8221

Posted by underdog on 2011-11-23 01:02:59

How Ironic would that be, Cutler sitting on the sidelines helping Orton. Just watching the body language of those two on the sidelines will make for interesting games alone.

Posted by tom3565 on 2011-11-23 00:52:06

Bears will grab Orton if KC doesn’t

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