FanHouse ChrisSimms

While it was thought there would be a transition for the Broncos offense this season, no one could have imagined the nightmare the Broncos may be facing in Week 1 of the 2009 season. In January, the Broncos had a Pro Bowler at the helm. In July, they had Kyle Orton, with Chris Simms backing him up. Now, it's entirely possible they head into Cincinnati on Sept. 13 with Tom Brandstater as their starting quarterback.

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.

Meet The ...
Kyle Orton Dead Arm Syndrome: a condition characterized by a complete lack of strength in the upper arm. Despite hosting the NFL's second most productive offense in 2008, averaging just shy of 400 yards per game, and the third best passing offense in the league, the introduction of Orton as the starting quarterback puts the kibosh on the productivity. Orton has a weak arm, relies heavily on check-down passes and makes bad decisions. In terms of supporting cast, the receivers are a huge upgrade from his days in Chicago with Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, but Marshall wants out so be sure to keep a close eye on this situation. Also, new head coach and signal-caller Josh McDaniels runs a spread offense, so he'll need to rely on Orton probably more than anyone would ever want. I don't expect the offense to suffer immensely with a solid new batch of runners, but it definitely takes a dive from last season.

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Josh McDaniels replaced Mike Shanahan six months ago. He's yet to coach a real live game but he's somehow managed to lose his Pro Bowl quarterback, and depending on how the next few weeks unfold, he could have his hands full with one of the league's best young wide receivers, too.

Not exactly how McDaniels envisioned things back in January but it is, as they say, what it is. So after trading Jay Cutler to the Bears for a couple first-rounders and Kyle Orton, and then signing free agent Chris Simms to compete for the job, McDaniels used organized team activities to settle on a starter.

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

Heading into this year's draft, Josh Freeman was considered to have the highest upside of any quarterback entering the NFL in 2009, while also possessing the biggest downside. The Buccaneers, in need of a true franchise quarterback for the first time since ... well, they've never really had one, were not only willing to take the chance on Freeman, but they were also willing to move up two spots to get him.

Three years ago, NFL Network draft oracle Mike Mayock was pimping Jay Cutler's NFL prospects before it was fashionable. Now that Cutler has whined his way out of Denver, Mayock thinks the Broncos should use this month's draft to find their next franchise quarterback.

Hardly earth-shattering news; the depth chart currently lists Kyle Orton and Chris Simms. Both serviceable players (and I'm on record saying Orton can handle the gig), but neither the type you build a team around. Plus, Josh McDaniels was an offensive coordinator with the Patriots before taking the Broncos job; he's not going to be content to rely on his defense to win games. This ain't Baltimore.

On Monday, in a post about the possibility of Brady Quinn still landing in Denver, I mentioned that, via the Denver Post, an NFL source said it won't happen because "[Jay] Cutler's agent Bus Cook made it clear his client would not play for new Cleveland coach Eric Mangini."

Well, Cook, who also represents Brett Favre (hence the Mangini reference), takes issue with the allegation, telling the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot, "That's not true ... Jay doesn't even know Eric Mangini except for maybe when they met when he was coming out of Vanderbilt.''

Cook adds:

Last Friday, a day after the Bears acquired Jay Cutler from the Broncos, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi warned that Denver could still be in the Brady Quinn business, even though Chris Simms and Kyle Orton were now on its roster.

Detroit, Minnesota, Tampa Bay and the Jets all took cracks at prying Jay Cutler away from the Broncos, but in the end, Denver may have been left with a choice between Chicago and Washington, according to the Denver Post's Mike Klis.

"Washington, I know, was working hard on this," Klis said when I caught up with him on the phone late Thursday night. "Basically, this deal got done because Josh McDaniels liked Kyle Orton better than Jason Campbell, that's what this tells me."

Klis also discussed whether Denver fans should be happy with this deal or not, as well as what this means for the Broncos' 2009 season and pending draft plans. The highlights are after the jump.

Jay Cutler is headed to Chicago. According to the Broncos' official website, Denver has agreed in principle to trade Cutler to the Bears. The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the Bears will send the Broncos their 2009 and 2010 first-round picks, a 2009 third-rounder and Kyle Orton in exchange for their first real quarterback since Erik Kramer threw for nearly 4,000 yards in 1995. The Bears also receive a 2009 fifth-round pick from Denver.

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I don't know about you, but when one of my bosses urgently needs me, he either calls or yanks me by the earlobe into his office. We're still waiting for Pat Bowlen to have such contact with Jay Cutler, which shocks me. For a quarter-century, Bowlen has been among the dynamic owners in American sports, a primary reason why the Denver Broncos have been an elite NFL franchise.

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