We don’t know if the Broncos just wanted to get the word out or what, but it’s probably not a coincidence that ESPN and NFL Network both came out with declarative statements regarding Kyle Orton on Wednesday.
"[Orton] will be the starter in Denver. He will not be traded,” Mike Lombardi said Wednesday, echoing an item we mentioned from Adam Schefter earlier in the day.
NFL Network’s Twitter feed took the report at step further, saying the Broncos told Orton he’s not going anywhere. (It’s unclear if they got more information from Lombardi, or whether they heard him wrong on air.)
So why do we need so much clarity on August 3? Isn’t it obvious enough Orton is the guy considering he’s getting all the first team reps?
We wonder if the Broncos brass is sending a message here to their fans and to their players. They are addressing “The Tebow Thing.” They are declaring a leader.
Lombardi doesn’t think Tebow will ultimately get a fair chance in Denver.
“He’s in limbo right now. I said all offseason I thought Tim Tebow wasn’t in their plans. . . I think ultimately he is not in their plans,” he said.
Actions speak louder than words and Tebow clearly isn’t in the team’s plans to start Week One. One thing that Lombardi has repeated resonates with us more than anything.
Tebow is a quarterback that you are either all in with or not. You can’t be half in. You build your offense around him or not.
Josh McDaniels was all in, but he was fired before he could ever do anything about it. It’s very early, but so far John Fox doesn’t look like he’s all in.