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Broncos get Brady Quinn. Next stop? Missing the playoffs

So you’ve probably heard that the Denver Broncos acquired quarterback Brady Quinn, late of the Cleveland Browns and previously of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, in a trade involving Peyton Hillis (who I’m not in love with) and some late draft picks.

I’ve got nothing against Hillis; he’s just not one of my favorites the way he seems to be for some Broncos fans.

So how does Brady Quinn, Medicine Woman, shift the balance of power in the AFC West? Not at all! Everyone keeps asking me what I think about this trade, which is weird, considering Quinn’s dazzling career 5.39 yards per attempt, which barely beats Hillis’ 4.9 yards per rushing attempt. Let me spell it out for you: he sucks. No, he doesn’t suck at football the way I suck at getting women, but he’s yet to show any hint that he’s got the potential to turn a team around, despite his build, athleticism, and hype.

And make no mistake: turning the franchise around is absolutely what the Broncos need right now. We might’ve been gangbusters out of the gate last year, including a Week Two win over Cleveland in which Quinn threw thirty-one times for 161 yards and a pick, but we were straight garbage down the stretch, with a pair of four-game losing streaks sandwiching our only second-half wins. Overall, we were middle-of-the-pack, if anything, outscoring opponents by two points over the course of the season and finishing 8-8. But the team fell apart in ways that seemed to go beyond things that are easily correctable. And we’ll be even worse if we get rid of Brandon Marshall, our one offensive weapon at the skill positions. (That’s an odd thing to say, because Ryan Clady is nothing if not skilled, but you know what I mean.) Knowing Josh McDaniels, we’ll probably get rid of Marshall and Champ Bailey, and then next year we can trade for guys with one third of their potential. In other words, don’t anybody get excited, because we’ve got a long way to go.

Comments

blaine said…
Well, if nothing else, he's a huge upgrade from Simms and you didn't really have to give anything up to get him.

I think Brady Queen still has potential. His teammates in Cleveland all raved about his work ethic, which if that's true can only be a good thing for the Broncos.
8:08 AM
John said…
Ordinarily, teammates rave about a guy's work ethic so they don't have to criticize his lack of talent. I think this trade is completely lame, and indicative of McDaniels' too-smart-by-half approach. We need some serious rebuilding, not a tune-up.

We are definitely middle of the pack at best, and so far I see nothing to indicate that we are going to break out of that any time soon.
8:24 AM
Mike said…
Blaine, that's fine as far as it goes, but some morons seem to think much, much more highly of Quinn. Fine, he's an OK backup...but the Broncos need more than a new backup QB and aren't making the moves yet, so there's no reason for unbridled optimism.

I think it's possible he works hard and has potential, or rather that it's possible for a player to be that way, but I don't have high hopes for Quinn here.
10:05 AM
Anonymous said…
This was one of your best posts. From a humor perspecitve, very funny, sucks for the Broncos though. Go Nuggets.

LT
10:41 AM
David said…
brady quinn, medicine woman.

that's why i come here.
1:24 PM
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