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TXBRONC
08-25-2009, 07:30 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_13194853

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Mailbag: Who's the real Kyle Orton?
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Posted: 08/25/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT

Hey, Mike. Who is the real Kyle Orton? The one who looks confident driving the team downfield in two preseason games? Or the one who throws three picks at San Francisco and a wrong-handed interception in the end zone at Seattle? Thanks.
-- Sean, Golden

Sean - I wish I could give you an insightful scouting report, but the truth is, not even the wisest of NFL scouts knows how Orton will perform with a full season of quarterbacking in what is arguably the most quarterback-friendly offensive system in the NFL. This is a system, remember, that helped Tom Brady -- a sixth-round draft pick -- throw an NFL-record 50 touchdown passes in 2007. This is a system that allowed Matt Cassel -- a backup quarterback not only in his first three NFL seasons, but also all four years in college -- to perform so well when given his first chance in 2008, he will receive $40.5 million over the next three seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The offensive coordinator for Brady and Cassel the past two years is now the Broncos' head coach. Josh McDaniels is just getting started in bringing Orton along with his system. Orton was much better in preseason game 2 than he was in game 1. I don't think the question with Orton this season is whether he plays well. The question is, how well?

Why is the Broncos' schedule so brutal this year? I would have thought that an 8-8 team would have had it a bit easier. There is not a team in the NFL with a more difficult non-division schedule than Denver. What gives?
-- Jeff, Mesa, Ariz.

Jeff - No doubt, the Broncos had some bum luck with their schedule this year. It's not that they finished 8-8 as within the weak AFC West, 8-8 was good enough for second place. So the Broncos are playing a second-place schedule.

That's one tough break. The second piece of misfortunate is the Broncos' second-place schedule appears more difficult than San Diego's first-place schedule. Last season may have been a fluke year when the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans won their respective divisions while perennial powerhouses New England and Indianapolis finished second.

So the Broncos get New England with a healthy Tom Brady and the Colts with the incomparable Peyton Manning, while the Chargers go up against the Titans and Kerry Collins and the Dolphins with Chad Pennington.

On paper, Brady and Manning are far more imposing than Collins and Pennington. But then, nothing else about the first few months of the McDaniels' head-coaching era has been easy. Why should the schedule?

Do players get a percentage cut of their jersey sales? Is that ever factored into a player's compensation package? For example, could the Broncos offer Brandon Marshall a larger slice of his named merchandise sales as residual income? Thanks!
-- Bill Sweeney, Los Angeles

Bill - Each "name" player does get a small percentage when each of his replica jerseys is sold. In other words, if there are 500 Brandon Marshall jerseys sold and 100 Ryan Clady jerseys, Marshall would make five times more in royalties commission than Clady.
Another percentage of jersey-sale profits, however, goes into a central player-royalties fund, which is then redistributed to each player equally. In other words, Clady would make a few pennies on a sold Marshall jersey.

Teams don't include merchandise revenue in their player-compensation packages in large part because teams don't control merchandise revenue. Teams get a merchandise check from the league's merchandise arm just like players do.

This might be a stupid question, but here goes: Do we have an offensive coordinator? Is it really McDaniels? Thanks.
-- Edward, Denver

Edward - Not a stupid question. A bit of a trick question, but not stupid. In title, Mike McCoy is the Broncos' offensive coordinator. In truth, McDaniels handles the responsibilities usually associated with offensive coordinators. Namely, McDaniels will game plan (with McCoy's input), and McDaniels will call the plays during the game (with McCoy's input).

McCoy, who spent the previous nine seasons as an assistant for Carolina coach John Fox, will run his share of offensive meetings and work directly with the quarterbacks.

Let's suppose that some people (like me) are right, and the Broncos finish the season 3-13. Now let's say the Broncos earn the first pick in the draft. Am I right in assuming that they have traded this pick for a pick they used in this year's second round?
-- Josh Williams, Butte, Mont.

Josh - You are correct. And given your scenario, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen would be more than relieved not to have the No. 1 overall draft pick. The Detroit Lions just had to give quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has never taken an NFL snap, a six-year, $78 million contract that includes a preposterous $41.7 million guarantee.

If Stafford became the NFL Rookie of the Year this season and followed it up with a Pro Bowl berth in his second year, the NFL would still have quarterbacks of greater value. In fact, the price of top-5 draft picks has become so inflated, I wouldn't be surprised if, under your scenario, the Broncos consider passing on taking the No. 1 overall draft pick. Unless there is a substantial modification to the league's warped economic system following this season, I wouldn't be surprised if the top three teams pass on their draft slots.

Mike - Young players to me are half the excitement of the NFL -- rookies, sophomores, etc. How much playing time/impact do you see some of the younger players having on the defensive side of the ball?
-- Greg Jones, Houston

Greg - Based on the preseason, rookies Robert Ayers and Alphonso Smith will get significant playing time. Ayers is already an outside linebacker and Smith a third cornerback on the Broncos' nickel team. Safety Darcel McBath will also be used in passing packages, even after veteran Brian Dawkins heals from his hand injury.

As for the sophomore class, there's a chance Spencer Larsen could eventually work his way into playing time at inside linebacker.

Mike Klis has covered the Denver Broncos since the start of the 2005 season after previously covering the Colorado Rockies and Major League Baseball for 15 years. Drop a Broncos- or NFL-related question into the Broncos Mailbag, or visit The Denver Post's Broncos Page.

Dirk
08-25-2009, 08:36 AM
Thanks TX. No new insight but good reading anyway! :D

TXBRONC
08-25-2009, 08:53 AM
Thanks TX. No new insight but good reading anyway! :D

Thank you. The reason I posted is so that we could see the views of other people.