Miami nice? Broncos QB Orton appears headed to Dolphins

There wasn't any official word on a new address for Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton on Wednesday, but several signs point to it being in Miami.

Sources close to the situation told NFL Network's Michelle Beisner, reporting from Denver, that a trade is very close to happening. Orton would compete with Chad Henne for the Dolphins' starting job.

Observations from Dolphins camp NFL Network reporter
Scott Hanson checks in from South Florida with the latest on Brandon Marshall, Karlos Dansby and a possible trade for Broncos QB Kyle Orton. More ...

NFL Network's Albert Breer reports the Dolphins' pursuit of a trade for the Broncos quarterback might hinge on Miami's ability to renegotiate Orton's contract. Orton has a salary-cap figure of $8.4 million for 2011.

The Broncos put Orton on the trade block Tuesday, and they are unlikely to deal him for less than a third-round draft pick, league sources told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora. There is the possibility that the compensation will escalate based on Orton's performance and/or his new team signing him to an extended contract.

Orton is in the final year of his deal and has put up solid numbers in Denver after being a part of the Jay Cutler trade with the Chicago Bears in 2009, but apparently, new Broncos coach John Fox has decided to go with Tim Tebow, a first-round pick in 2010, as the starter.

Orton has made it clear that he doesn't want to back up Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy winner and national champion at Florida, who replaced Orton for the final three games last year.

Orton participated in Broncos player-led workouts during the lockout and, despite his hazy status, reported to Dove Valley on Wednesday for a physical and Fox's first team meeting.

The six-year veteran has started 28 games for the Broncos the past two seasons, passing for 41 touchdowns and almost 7,500 yards, along with 21 interceptions.

The Broncos' first practice is Thursday morning. Orton declined to comment to reporters as he left the facility Wednesday about 1 p.m. and again when he returned three hours later for the team meeting.

After saying early on in the offseason that Orton was the incumbent, the Broncos' new front office football chief, John Elway; general manager Brian Xanders and Fox haven't made any public comments about the quarterback's situation of late.

Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, however, described Orton's presence at the facility Wednesday as awkward.

"Yeah, I didn't know what was going on," Lloyd said. "I didn't know all the rules and stuff, but there's obviously some logistical things about showing up to camp. Technically, he's still a member of the Denver Broncos football team, so it was normal after I saw him."

Lloyd and Orton made a great duo last season, but Lloyd has moved on, figuring it's Tebow's time now.

"I've been spending most of my brainpower in the offseason focusing on how to get Tebow better and what I can do to help him develop as a quarterback," said Lloyd, who spent a week with Tebow preparing for training camp.

"Kyle's going to be awesome, wherever he goes," Lloyd said. "There's a lot of vacancies in the NFL for really good quarterbacks, and Kyle's a really good quarterback, and he's going to be fine."

The NFL free agency cycle is in full effect, with teams and players agreeing to terms fast as training camps open. Get the latest on all the news right here.

Actually, those vacancies are starting to fill up, whittling the list of potential landing spots for Orton.

Tebow went 1-2 as a rookie, completing 41 of 82 passes for 654 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions with six sacks. He also rushed for 227 yards and six scores.

"I think Tim's ready," Lloyd said. "And I think it's going to put a lot of pressure on us veterans to make him better. That's what it comes down to."

Star pass rusher Elvis Dumervil praised both quarterbacks.

"Man, I think both of those guys are good players. That's a decision the front office has to make. That's not really my area," he said. "Well, whoever the guy is we've got to rally around him because obviously he's the team captain being the quarterback."

Defensive captain Brian Dawkins said Tebow's trial run in 2010 showed he possessed "a lot of grit, a lot of determination, and he is as advertised as far as being a fiery guy."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Broncos want to trade QB Orton to clear way for Tebow

The Denver Broncos are willing to deal starting quarterback Kyle Orton, league and team sources said, and spent Tuesday assessing that market. Minnesota, Arizona and Miami are among the teams expected to engage in trade talks with them.

The Broncos value Orton and are unlikely to deal him for less than a third-round pick, sources said, with the possibility that the compensation escalates based on Orton's performance and/or his new team signing him to an extended contract.

Orton is in the final year of his deal and put up solid numbers in Denver after being a part of the Jay Cutler trade with the Bears in 2009, but apparently new coach John Fox has decided to go with Tim Tebow, a first-round pick in 2010, as the Broncos' starter.

Orton, who participated in Broncos player-led workouts during the lockout, has made it clear he does not want to back up Tebow. Orton has started 28 games for the Broncos the past two seasons, passing for 41 touchdowns and almost 7,500 yards.

The Denver Post, which first reported that Orton was on the trading block, listed the Tennessee Titans as another possible trade destination for Orton. Trades were able to be announced as of 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

The Post also reported that the Broncos plan to release 11-year veteran running back Correll Buckhalter, 32, who is scheduled to make almost $2 million this season.

After starting seven games and rushing for 642 yards in 2009, Buckhalter gained just 147 rushing yards and 240 receiving yards this past season.

The Broncos spent the day negotiating with their draft picks, including No. 2 overall selection Von Miller, who said he planned to be ready to practice when training camp starts.

"I want to come in and just learn. I don't want to put myself anymore behind than I already am," Miller said.

Miller stands to make much less money in the new labor accord, with a four-year deal likely worth about $25 million or so, some $45 million less than he could have gotten under the old setup.

"I've been playing football all my life for free. So, whatever it is, whatever my contract may be, I'm good with whatever," Miller said. "You really can't be possessive over something you didn't have."

On top of that, Miller figures he will simply make it up during his career.

"I plan on getting three, four, five contracts," Miller said, smiling. "I don't plan on just getting this one. I just want to play football. I'm not really worried about all that other stuff."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Elway: Orton, not Tebow, is Broncos' starting QB right now

If the Denver Broncos had to pick a starting quarterback today, it would be veteran Kyle Orton, not youngster Tim Tebow, team executive John Elway said Wednesday on NFL Network.

"Kyle is still the starting quarterback," said Elway, a Hall of Fame quarterback who's now the Broncos' executive vice president of football operations.

Orton passed for 3,653 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions and completed 58.8 percent of his throws in 12 starts this season as the Broncos finished 4-12.

Tebow, a first-round draft pick out of Florida in 2010, generated some excitement while starting in the Broncos' final four games. He passed for 654 yards and five touchdowns on the season, but he also rushed for 227 yards and six scores.

"Tim is a very good football player," Elway said. "He's not a very good quarterback yet. We can make him a great quarterback. He's a young guy.

"When you look back a year ago when they drafted him ... he has all (the intangibles). Now we have to get him experience and get him the work to improve him as a quarterback."

Elway, no stranger to Super Bowls after having played in five of them, emphasized that new coach John Fox and his staff have plenty of evaluation to do at quarterback and every other position this offseason.

"Now that John and his staff are in place, they're going to have to come in and draw their own conclusions," Elway said.

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With run game grounded, Orton leads Broncos' aerial assault on Titans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Denver Broncos couldn't be more one-sided offensively right now. The way Kyle Orton's playing, it doesn't matter.

Orton threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Correll Buckhalter with 1:33 left, and the Denver Broncos rallied and beat the Tennessee Titans 26-20 on Sunday.

In what is quickly becoming a weekly routine, Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton had another 300-yard passing game. Find out where he ranks among the top performers.

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The Titans held Denver to 19 yards rushing, forcing Orton to put the ball up 50 times even as he was sacked six times. Orton responded by throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns.

"I don't think we played our best football the whole time, but anytime you can give yourself a chance to win in the fourth quarter on the road against a good football team, we'll take it," Orton said. "When it got down to it, we made the plays."

Denver coach Josh McDaniels said Orton was hit way more than he wanted.

"But he never lost his poise, continued to be confident on the sidelines, and made a lot of critical throws for us to change field position. He executed when we needed him to execute. I'm very pleased with the way he's leading our football team and the way he's playing," McDaniels said.

The Broncos (2-2) clinched the victory when wind shortened the ensuing kickoff. The Titans (2-2) let the ball bounce, and rookie Marc Mariani, who already had a 98-yard return for a touchdown, ran up and jumped trying to catch it only to be hit by David Bruton.

Cassius Vaughn recovered, and Matt Prater kicked his fourth field goal to pad the lead.

Tennessee had one last chance with 33 seconds left, but Vince Young's third incompletion fell to the turf as time expired to overshadow a game in which Tennessee had a season-high in sacks and an interception. Young's second pass went through Kenny Britt's hands deep in Denver territory.

"This loss is unfortunately an example of just not being able to make the play at the end to close this game out, and that is exactly what happened," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said.

Denver came in with the NFL's top passing offense, and Orton helped the Broncos hold the ball for more than 35 minutes. The Broncos, who got only two field goals on five trips inside their opponent's 20 in losing to the Colts last week, scored on six of seven such trips against the NFL's best defense in that category.

The only time the Broncos didn't score?

When Jabar Gaffney couldn't collect a low throw from Orton at the back of the end zone with 4:33 left. Gaffney atoned for that on the next drive as Orton threw deep to the receiver, and officials flagged Titans safety Chris Hope for pass interference, putting the ball at the Tennessee 1.

Orton put Denver ahead with his TD pass to Buckhalter, his second of the game.

"Jabar had been asking for the ball the whole game," Orton said. "(I) just didn't have time to get him the ball in some of those situations, went back to him, and he made a great play."

Denver's defense also did its part with two sacks and one turnover. The Broncos held Tennessee to just 46 of its 288 yards on offense in the second half with three first downs. Chris Johnson ran for only 53 yards, including an 8-yard run that gave the Titans their lone first down in the fourth quarter trying to protect a lead.

"The situation is we are not a good running team right now," said Johnson, who ran for 2,006 yards last season. "We got work to do."

Tennessee led 20-16 after Mariani's kickoff return for a TD in the third quarter, and Rob Bironas kicked his second field goal of the game with 5:00 left in the third quarter.

The Titans sacked Orton three times in the first quarter and outgained the Broncos 115-15. But Bironas pushed a 35-yard field goal wide right, and Johnson fumbled to end two drives deep into Denver territory.

"We've actually got to start scoring touchdowns on defense and making big plays and interceptions and fumbles," Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan said when asked what more they could do defensively. "We have to put that on ourselves. We have the added pressure ourselves to start making plays."

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Denver took advantage of a roughing call by Sen'Derrick Marks on Orton on third down where the lineman appeared to grab the quarterback around the thigh. A play later, the Titans jumped offside for a neutral zone infraction that prompted defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil to throw an obscene gesture at officials that was caught by television cameras.

A play later, Orton put Denver up 7-0 with a 2-yard TD pass to Eddie Royal.

The Titans answered almost immediately. Javon Ringer, Johnson's backup, broke loose on a 54-yard run, and Young found Kenny Britt for an 8-yard TD to tie it up on the next drive. The teams swapped field goals to go into halftime tied at 10 apiece with Bironas kicking a 55-yarder as time expired to atone for his earlier miss.

Notes: Denver rookie Demaryius Thomas had his first career kickoff and took it 36 yards in the second quarter. That's the longest kickoff return for Denver this season. Then he had a 65-yarder in the third quarter. ... Gaffney needed 11 yards to reach 4,000 yards receiving for his career, and he had 51. ... Titans wide receiver Justin Gage hurt his left hamstring, and Fisher said he didn't have updates yet on rookie defensive end Derrick Morgan's left knee or Marks who got hurt late.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Orton, special teams rally Broncos past Titans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kyle Orton threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Correll Buckhalter with 1:33 left, and the Denver Broncos rallied to beat the Tennessee Titans 26-20 on Sunday.

The Broncos (2-2) clinched the victory when they kicked short on the ensuing kickoff, trying to avoid rookie Marc Mariani, who already had a 98-yard return for a touchdown. The Titans (2-2) let the ball bounce, and Mariani tried to jump up and catch it, only to be hit by David Bruton.

Cassius Vaughn recovered the loose ball, and Matt Prater kicked his fourth field goal to pad the lead.

Tennessee had one last chance with 33 seconds left, but Vince Young's third incompletion fell to the turf as time expired to overshadow a game in which the Titans had a season-high six sacks and an interception.

Orton finished with 341 passing yards and two touchdowns as Denver held the ball more than 35 minutes.

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