MUG's explanation for the QB debacle (it makes a lot of sense and is a bit sickening)

[Agamemnon]

http://forums.denverbroncos.com/showthread.php?t=192962

Contracts Dictated which QB Started

Lost in all of our fan hoopla about the idea of these QBs competing to start was the inevitable fact that Tebow was not going to start. No chance, was never going to happen. And here's the factual contract data as to why:

Written into Tebow's contract is this qualifier "Tebow's contract DOUBLES from 11.25 million to 22.50 million if he plays 55% of the time in TWO of his first three seasons".

Meanwhile, Orton's contract this season? 9 Million, 6 million guaranteed. So, since no team would trade for Orton at franchise player money, and since Orton refused to renegotiate his contract, the only remaining option was to cut him and pay the 6 million. We weren't going to bench him and pay 9 million.

So, this was the dilemma, pay Orton millions and millions to not play AND double Tebow's contract, or keep Tebow on the bench and not hitting escalators while getting something for the 6 million you owe Orton no matter what.

And you have to wonder about Tebow's future here due to his contract. A contract signed before the rookie wage scale. If Tebow plays 70% of the snaps in 2013, his contract doubles to 22.5 million and if the team makes multiple playoffs under Tebow and he achieves leaguewide awards his contract triples to 33 million.

Meanwhile, the #1 overall selection this year, Cam Newton's contract? 4 Years, 22 million. Andrew Luck is looking at the same deal. And there are 3-4 other QBs likely to go in the Top 20 in the next draft for much cheaper deals in the strongest QB draft in quite some time.

And what about Brady Quinn you might ask? Well, if he plays 70% of our snaps, his contract goes from 700,000 to 6.6 million due to a 5.9 million escalator bonus.

Do you think this was a fair QB competition? Hell no. Orton was never not going to start. Not with Bowlen in a financial crises and unable to even make waiver claims because of financial concerns. Let alone not even being competitive on the open free agent market. We weren't going to pay Orton millions not to play.

We have this big Quinn versus Tebow versus Orton debate, and there probably was a true battle for the #2 spot (which we laughingly refused to name), but there was never a competition for the #1 spot. Finances dictated that. Period.

So if you wonder why Tebow or Quinn didn't play with the starters, or Orton with the 2nd team, this is why. The team knew what direction it was going months and months ago despite telling us it was a competition. Lying has been standard for the front office this offseason despite declarations of openness. Sure they tried to trade Orton's albatross of a contract, but no team was taking that unless Kyle re-negotiated and he made it clear he would not absent a pricy long term deal. Nobody in the NFL wants to give him that. And as for all the chatter about "Tebow being terrible", almost guaranteed it was planted by the front office to try and justify to fans why he wasn't given a chance to start.

Too bad for them the contract information was made public. A little research sure sheds some light on an awful lot of questions and confusing bait and switch comments by EFX.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

You are now officially the Buffalo Bills.

[PRBronco]

Fffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuu.....

[errand]

Wow it's always something...anything...as long as it's not a performance issue that keeps Tebow on the bench.

It's not that he couldn't throw the ball accurately to a guy 12-15 yards down field consistently..it's the coaches have it out for him.

It's not that he tends to disregard his reads and progressions but runs instead, it's the FO has it out for him

It's not that his delivery is slow and deliberate and allows DB's to break on his passes quicker...it's now his contract causing his being stuck on the bench.

You really think that if the Broncos believed they could make the playoffs with Tebow playing 55% of the plays and doubling his salary they wouldn't do it? What's 22 million when a playoff appearance could generate another 100 million in revenue?

[WolfpackGuy]

Whoever dreamt up that contract on the team's end needs to be backhanded.

See ya in Week 10!

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by errand

You really think that if the Broncos believed they could make the playoffs with Tebow playing 55% of the plays and doubling his salary they wouldn't do it? What's 22 million when a playoff appearance could generate another 100 million in revenue?

I think the Broncos believe they won't make the playoffs either way, so Bowlen might as well line his pockets with the (our) money, instead.

[errand]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

I think the Broncos believe they won't make the playoffs either way, so Bowlen might as well line his pockets with the (our) money, instead.

Nobody owns an NFL franchise to just let it flounder around...well maybe Al Davis and Daniel Snyder do....but c'mon you really think that this conspiracy theory is true.

Why sign him to such a contract to begin with if you weren't willing to pay him if he makes your team successful, thereby generating more money than you'll pay out?

[brncs_fan]

Orton is starting because he has been the better QB through the preseason. Contract has nothing to do with it.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Originally Posted by errand

Nobody owns an NFL franchise to just let it flounder around...well maybe Al Davis and Daniel Snyder do....but c'mon you really think that this conspiracy theory is true.

Why don't you ask Bills fans how their franchise is run. Almost every decision they make is based primarily on money.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Originally Posted by brncs_fan

Orton is starting because he has been the better QB through the preseason. Contract has nothing to do with it.

Tebow was not given a chance in preseason games.

[brncs_fan]

Originally Posted by Bob's your Information Minister

You are now officially the Buffalo Bills.

Nah. We'll be fine.

You guys will always be the Chiefs though. Splendidly mediocre and unappealing in every way imaginable.

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by errand

Nobody owns an NFL franchise to just let it flounder around...well maybe Al Davis and Daniel Snyder do....but c'mon you really think that this conspiracy theory is true.

Why sign him to such a contract to begin with if you weren't willing to pay him if he makes your team successful, thereby generating more money than you'll pay out?

I wouldn't put ANYTHING past Pat Bowlen. He's already brought a tremendous amount of harm to this franchise and is clearly taking advantage of the fact that for two years, there will be no cap floor. Why are we still not spending anything even though the dead money problems are erased from the books in the new CBA and we're 20m below the cap? I still haven't heard any rational explanation for this beyond the most likely explanation (i.e. Bowlen is a flaming POS).

When he starts spending, we'll consider giving him the benefit of the doubt. But so long as he continues his miserly ways, its only reasonable to assume the worst....because that's the most likely explanation. It's not our fault that his outside business investments aren't doing well. I don't care, its not relevant. It has nothing to do with the team. If you can't hack it anymore, then GTFO old man. Just get out. We need to make real investments if we're going to do well. We can't get by this way.

[oubronco]

Oh good God

[vonqkilla]

Bowlen is owner in name only, Joe Ellis is running the show. Bowlen cant remember what he had for breakfast, and the Mcdouche/Cutler fiasco confirms it.

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by errand

Nobody owns an NFL franchise to just let it flounder around...well maybe Al Davis and Daniel Snyder do....but c'mon you really think that this conspiracy theory is true.

Why sign him to such a contract to begin with if you weren't willing to pay him if he makes your team successful, thereby generating more money than you'll pay out?

I have no idea how you came up with those two names... Snyder, Jones and Davis are the complete other end of the spectrum...

[Hercules Rockefeller]

And these contract details were pointed out when camp started, this is new news how? But at least we have another thread where SoCal and the other Internet GMs can whine about cap room some more and Tebow people can claim some conspiracy outside his control is preventing him from starting.

[Paladin]

Drama strikes again!!!!!

[Rock Chalk]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

I think the Broncos believe they won't make the playoffs either way, so Bowlen might as well line his pockets with the (our) money, instead.

For a republican you sound like a democrat.

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by Hercules Rockefeller

And these contract details were pointed out when camp started, this is new news how? But at least we have another thread where SoCal and the other Internet GMs can whine about cap room some more and Tebow people can claim some conspiracy outside his control is preventing him from starting.

Do you have any explanation for our current spending practices?

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by Rock Chalk

For a republican you sound like a democrat.

I'm a moderate Republican.

[Hercules Rockefeller]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

I think the Broncos believe they won't make the playoffs either way, so Bowlen might as well line his pockets with the (our) money, instead.

So then what are you whining about? Oh noes!!! They didn't spend to the cap when they don't think they're a playoff team. Whine some ****ing more. That's reality this season. It happens. Deal with it. Sorry you're not happy the $5 the Broncos get from your Sunday Ticket subscription has been spent.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by Hercules Rockefeller

And these contract details were pointed out when camp started, this is new news how? But at least we have another thread where SoCal and the other Internet GMs can whine about cap room some more and Tebow people can claim some conspiracy outside his control is preventing him from starting.

Clearly you missed the point. It isn't about who is or isn't our starter. It's about the "competition" amongst the QBs being a farce. Neither Tebow nor Quinn got to play with the 1st stringers and Orton never had to play behind the abomination of our 2nd string o-line. There was no QB competition because of financial issues, yet EFX lied to us and said otherwise. Considering how cheap this team has been this offseason, this explanation has suddenly become very hard to dispute. Unless you are one of those blind followers EFX is counting on...

[Hercules Rockefeller]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

Do you have any explanation for our current spending practices?

You've already said it- they're not a playoff team this year.

[Shananahan]

Originally Posted by Agamemnon

Written into Tebow's contract is this qualifier "Tebow's contract DOUBLES from 11.25 million to 22.50 million if he plays 55% of the time in TWO of his first three seasons".

So.... if he won the starting job and started the next two years, he'd be earning each year about the same amount as Orton is being paid this season. You think if he was clearly the better QB they'd have any reservation paying him what they're already giving Orton?

Tebow's not starting because they couldn't get rid of Orton and he's better enough at this point to where they can't outright cut him. Money plays a role in this, but only on Orton's end.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by Hercules Rockefeller

So then what are you whining about? Oh noes!!! They didn't spend to the cap when they don't think they're a playoff team. Whine some ****ing more. That's reality this season. It happens. Deal with it. Sorry you're not happy the $5 the Broncos get from your Sunday Ticket subscription has been spent.

Don't lie. You were down with how McD operated as well weren't you?