Granted, some caveats are in order. Because things are not even close to equal, Tebow, for whom the Broncos traded up to select in the first round of the 2010 draft, would seem to be in very little danger of being beaten out by Weber, a four-year starter for the Golden Gophers who signed just after the lockout ended late last month and has ?practice squad? written all over him.
Technically, even after Broncos coach John Fox?s announcement Monday that Orton has retained the starting job for a third consecutive season, Tebow remains in a battle with Quinn for the No. 2 spot. Realistically, given the regime change that began last December with the firing of coach Josh McDaniels and continued in January with the hiring of Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway as executive vice president of football operations, Tebow will likely spend his second season in Denver as a third-stringer with a highly uncertain future.
Less than a month after the Broncos nearly traded Orton to the
Miami Dolphins with the idea of handing over the offense to the former University of Florida star, the bottom line is that Tebow, one of the most accomplished and beloved players in college football history, remains popular in the Mile High City only in the eyes of his legions of adoring fans. He has lost his guardian angel (McDaniels), and harps no longer play when he enters the huddle.
