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Kyle Orton suddenly finds himself with a little bit of stability.
Orton, who signed a one-year, $2.6 million tender with Denver as a restricted free agent this Spring, has agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract extension through 2011, with $5.5 million in guaranteed money.
The former Purdue Boilermaker has thrown for over 9,000 yards, with 51 touchdowns and 39 interceptions in his career. He also posted his best quarterback rating last year of 86.8, which is solid.
The Tim Tebow hype machine is in full effect and Brady Quinn was supposed to challenge him this offseason, but Orton has solidified his spot as the starter with a solid camp and preseason.
This surprising extension changes some values in dynasty leagues.
Kyle Orton, QB, DEN
This will stabilize what was a rapidly falling dynasty stock.
Orton was being avoided like the plague in many dynasty leagues. In fact, he was taken at #317 overall in our Experts League Draft we participated in with other distinguished fantasy sites a few months ago.
It’s too much to expect Orton to be a No. 1 quarterback in fantasy with the youth that surrounds him on offense. However, he could be a very solid No. 2 for the foreseeable future now that the Broncos have a little more invested in him.
Tim Tebow, QB, DEN
Don’t hit the panic button.
Tebow was drafted to be a long-term project and that’s exactly what he is. The Orton extension is actually a good thing for him. He should now have ample time and opportunity to learn and grow in the offense.
He remains a solid late second-round pick in rookie drafts as a high risk and high reward option in dynasty leagues.
Brady Quinn, QB, DEN
Hit the panic button.
Had Brady Quinn showed anything so far in camp, the Orton extension may not have come so quickly. His putrid outing last week and inconsistent play in practice made it a priority.
The Denver offense is incredibly difficult to learn and Quinn has admitted such. It’s going to take some time for him to feel comfortable.
However, it’s pretty tough to justify keeping him unless you’re in a very deep dynasty league.
Maybe it wasn’t Cleveland after all.
Broncos Skill Players
The Broncos are loaded with young players at the skill positions.
Knowshon Moreno, Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, and others will continue to progress with Orton at the helm, while developing a good relationship with Tim Tebow off the field.
It’s really a positive move for a team with long term potential.
Meanwhile, Jabar Gaffney and Eddie Royal remain major fantasy sleepers and are quickly developing a nice rapport with Orton.
SUMMARY
It looks like the Tim Tebow era in Denver is at least a year and a half away. This extension for Orton rewards a very deserving and underrated player. It also helps define the Broncos future a little better.
It would have been tough for Orton not to look over his shoulder if he started slowly this season. He’s now in position both physically and mentally to put together a good year.
For the complete set of strategic 2010 dynasty rankings, click below:
Strategic Quarterback Rankings
Strategic Running Back Rankings
Strategic Wide Receiver Rankings
Strategic Tight End Rankings
Strategic IDP Rankings
Join our fantasy football community at
www.DynastyLeagueFootball.com/dlforum
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I went to my local Subway restaurant to have some lunch the other day. I really needed a break from work, so I decided to go inside instead of using the drive-up.
What I thought about was both exciting and moderately disturbing. You see, I’ve found my mind never really leaves the world of fantasy football. This was just one more event that reinforced it.
As I looked at the menu, it was hard for me not to compare the different sandwiches to current players in dynasty leagues. I perused the list of Jared’s favorites, and I just couldn’t help myself.
The parallels for these fabulous gridiron footlongs are just so obvious.
Sandwich: Cold Cut Combo
Player Represented: Reggie Bush
You look at the cold cut combo at it excites you at first. Three delicious meats, all turkey based. It’s one of the cheaper ones, so it catches your eye quickly.
Reggie Bush is much the same.
You get it excited about him as you see his highlight reels. You think of all the ways he could help your fantasy team and listen to all the pundits saying “this is the year.”
In the end, it’s all just bologna.
Sandwich: Meatball
Players Represented: Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco
Do I really even need to go further?
Owens and Ochocinco teaming up has created one the most ridiculous circus-like atmospheres in league history. They have a chance to make history as either one of the most explosive duos we’ve seen, or as a pair who destroys a coaching staff.
Either way, it’s hard to argue they’re both not just a couple of meatballs.
Sandwich: Feast
Player Represented: Chris Johnson
The feast is one of the craziest sandwich creations known to man. It’s basically every meat and cheese found in the restaurant stuffed into bread with blunt force. In the end, it weighs about as much as you do.
The feast has everything, just like the player it represents.
Chris Johnson can run with power, is blessed with incredible speed, and can beat a team in just about every way imaginable. His athletic blend is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. There’s one other parallel here the Titans need to be aware of, though.
They’re both pretty expensive.
Sandwich: Veggie Delight
Player Represented: Eli Manning
I actually stray away from the veggie delight. I want something more sassy. Something more scandalous. The veggie is a little boring, but it’s certainly effective.
Eli Manning is much the same.
Manning is a valuable dynasty quarterback, but he just doesn’t come with glitz and glamour of other fantasy quarterbacks. Owners go crazy watching his demeanor on the field. He does help win games, though.
The good thing about Manning and the veggie is neither will blow up your stomach.
Sandwich: Buffalo Chicken
Player Represented: Trent Edwards
This one was easier than the meatball.
Dynasty owners cringe when they watch Trent Edwards play. His legendary knack for the check down and inability to throw the deep ball consistently for Buffalo have left many owners cutting bait with him.
This preseason has shown us a little different Edwards, but right now, his prior history of having a lack of courage labels him as an easy choice as the buffalo chicken.
Sandwich: Tuna
Player Represented: Brandon Marshall
Can you make a meatball out of tuna? We may just find out this season.
Brandon Marshall’s move from Denver to the Dolphins has been one of the biggest stories of the offseason.
He’s apparently doing his best to stay in the news.
His recent practice antics can’t be sitting well with the biggest tuna of them all in Bill Parcells. After everything Marshall has gone through, you’d think he’d know better and take advantage of his fresh start in Miami.
Hopefully he does.
Sandwich: Club
Player Represented: Ray Rice
The club has ham, turkey and roast beef. It’s a tasty blend that warms the tummy, but found in a more compact size than the enormous feast.
Ray Rice is a blend of his own as well.
He’s much like Chris Johnson in the fact he has a little of everything. He can run, catch, block, and score much like Johnson.
He’s not quite the feast, but he’s pretty close and won’t cost a customer or a fantasy owner in dynasty leagues quite as much.
Sandwich: Philly Cheesesteak
Player Represented: DeSean Jackson
With McNabb out of the picture, Jackson is arguably the most noteworthy of all the Philadelphia Eagles in fantasy football.
The cheesesteak is one of the premium subs on the menu at Subway, but it’s also only available for a limited time.
That brings us back to D-Jax.
Was his fantasy breakout performance in 2009 a limited time offering, or can he really repeat that explosive statistical season?
The parallels for the Philly Cheesesteak and the Philly player seem to be right on par.
Sandwich: BLT
Player Represented: LaDainian Tomlinson
I have to admit it. This one was all in the letters.
LT doesn’t remind me of bacon, lettuce, or tomatoes in any way I can think of. The letters represent his status in fantasy football and in dynasty leagues, though.
BLT = Bye LaDainian Tomlinson!
The next time you frequent your local sandwich shop, tell them DLF sent you. They won’t know what that means, but maybe it sounds cool to strangers.
Just make sure you don’t upset a spicy Italian.
For the complete set of strategic 2010 dynasty rankings, click below:
Strategic Quarterback Rankings
Strategic Running Back Rankings
Strategic Wide Receiver Rankings
Strategic Tight End Rankings
Strategic IDP Rankings
Join our fantasy football community at
www.DynastyLeagueFootball.com/dlforum
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
I of all people would know.
I have been, amongst the Denver Broncos community, one of his biggest doubters.
What I saw on the field against Cincinnati was a raw, impassioned performance from a stupid rookie. There is no other way to put it.
Breaking off a rush at the end of the game to fight for the goal line showed me that Tim Tebow is the kind of quarterback who is guided by his heart, not his head. In the NFL, that will earn a man serious rib-related problems.
I certainly expect Tebow to make better decisions following such a major life-lesson.
My biggest complaint about the guy has always been that he is a college quarterback. He certainly didn’t show the skill set of a guy cut out for the NFL.
In the past, his biggest strength at the quarterback position was his size and his legs. In professional football, where everyone is big and fast, that advantage simply will not be there. Tebow caught a glimpse of that at the goal line and will now recover.
But the fact is, he shocked me in areas where I completely doubted him.
I knew his footwork and mobility would be good (and it still will, he just has to learn to contain it so he doesn’t get hurt all the time), but I didn’t expect his decision making or his delivery to impress me.
For a raw, rookie quarterback still in the process of developing, Tebow showed me he has some of the key components to make things work. There were flashes of brilliance, and he definitely delivers a stronger ball than Kyle Orton.
His passing still needs some work, but his field vision is far better than I expected. A couple of the passes he delivered were not only very much on target, but also difficult to perceive from his vantage point.
Doubting him as a passer is still acceptable, as the kid has a lot of growth to do, but for now, Tebow is showing signs that he will end up being a very viable weapon in the NFL.
At the position of quarterback.
If I, myself from six months ago caught me writing this, I would be in very big trouble.
I can only hope for the sake of the Denver Broncos that his development continues and his raw tendencies are broken in a bit more.
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The Philadelphia Eagles led by Kevin Kolb, travel to the jungle in Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.
BetMania posted the odds for this game and have the home town Bengals as three point favorites. Sign up at Bet Mania and contact customer service with the NFL preseason promo code REGAW and get a free $50 bet on the game.
Here are some key issues for the game, to include a pick for the game:
Banged Up Birds and Bengals
The Eagles come into the game a bit banged up and have a laundry list of birds that will not participate. Offensive lineman Todd Herremans (foot), Jamaal Jackson (knee), and Nick Cole (knee) will not suit up. Cornerback Asante Samuel (hamstring) and running back Mike Bell (calf) are questionable, and will see limited playing time if any at all.
The Bengals have their share of injuries as well. Bengal’s coach Marvin Lewis has already ruled out WR Antonio Bryant (knee), FB Fui Vakapuna (shoulder), WR Robert Geathers (foot), LB Rashad Jeanty (leg), S Tom Nelson (knee) and OT Andrew Mitchell. RB Brian Leonard (foot) was not listed by Lewis but should probably be ruled out as well.
Defensives are down
The Bengals will be playing on a short week, after the Sunday night tilt against the Broncos. They will have the advantage of playing two preseason games prior to this one.
Even though it’s the third game, the Bengals’ starting defense still has work to do. In the first two games, the first string committed three penalties that led to 17 points by the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. All three penalties came on a turnover or on third down to keep drives alive.
The Bengals defense will have their hands full with Kevin Kolb, wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and tight end Brent Celek, who played for the University of Cincinnati.
Playing Time
Both coaches talked about playing time for their starting unit on Thursday. Eagle’s head coach Andy Reid expects to have his starters play the entire first half of Friday’s game.
When Lewis was asked on how much the first team might play on Friday: “They’ll play a little more than they did last week (OK, maybe a half). Some guys, some guys won’t play as much as they did last week.”
Prediction and Pick
The Bengals come into this game off a short week and with defensive problems, which means that they did not have much time to try and fix the communication issues. The offense looked great for the Bengals as they were able to drive the field on numerous occasions and spread the ball all over the field, but they will get a challenge from the young Eagles defense.
The Eagles offense looked impressive against Jacksonville and both Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick ran the offense well.
The Eagles second-string defense allowed Jacksonville backup quarterback Luke McCown to pass for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Expect a better effort from the Eagles, as they focused on defense in several areas this week leading up to the game. The Eagles have better depth at the quarterback position and this will lead to an upset win by the Birds.
Play on the Philadelphia Eagles +3
Final: Philadelphia 28 Cincinnati 24
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Much has been written recently about the injury bug that has invaded Dove Valley this off season and continuing on into training camp. When your injury report maintains a steady count well into double digits, it changes the way a team can practice, evaluate players, prepare for exhibition games, and build timing and cohesiveness. Maybe the MVP of this season so far is Steve “the Greek” Antonopulos, the head trainer.
With the Saturday game looming large for both teams, let’s take a look at what is at stake for both teams.
DENVER BRONCOS
Missing in Action: Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter, LenDale White, Ryan Clady, Elvis Dumervil are definitely out. Champ Bailey, Daniel Graham, Brandon Stokley, and Chris Kuper are not practicing Thursday which makes them doubtful for Saturday’s game. In addition rookies DeMarius Thomas and Eric Decker are dinged as is Tim Tebow.
What does this mean?
Denver needs to start building their foundation for what the 2010 version of this team will be. So far, they have not had a starting running back available and this week Justin Fargas will see some action but he has been on the roster for only a little over a week. Nor have they had a true complete starting offensive line with only one starter from last year, Ryan Harris, who is also coming off an injury. Both of those are areas of concern as it changes the way an opposing team prepares a game plan against them.
It reduces the ability to run Josh McDaniels’ complex offensive strategy that balances the run with the pass. It allows the other team to tee off and run more blitzes, run different coverages and place the QB in a position of getting hurt. And with Tebow questionable it puts the pressure on Orton and Quinn to play the entire game. Which puts them in harm’s way to also get hurt in a meaningless game, at least as far as the regular season goes.
DETROIT LIONS
As for the Detroit Lions, they have few major injuries and will have three healthy QBs ready for the game. They are a team trying to claw out of the hole they have been in for a long time and regain respectability in the NFC North, a brutal division.
The Lions have nothing to lose in this game and a lot to gain. They can come out and put a full-on rush on Orton and Quinn with two hard-charging defensive linemen in Kyle Vanden Bosch, who has regained his prowess this pre season and arguably the best player in this year’s draft, Ndamukong Suh. Both of these players will be testing the Bronco makeshift offensive line with two rookies and the absence of Danial Graham at TE.
If this doesn’t make a Bronco fan (and head coach) pause and think, I am not sure what will. Denver needs to come out of this game with no more injuries, especially in the offensive line and at QB. Anything less will be a disaster, no matter what the final score.
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