Kyle Orton Trade to Arizona Cardinals Rumored

More Kyle Orton trade rumors are starting to surface, with the latest one having Orton shipped to the Arizona Cardinals. The Denver Broncos have apparently talked with Arizona about a possible trade, and this has further fueled the speculation that Denver might be ready to start Tim Tebow in the 2011 regular season.

Natalie Rivers of 3TV Sports in Phoenix states that Arizona indeed has had preliminary contact with the Broncos about Orton. This gives some credence to rumors that were already out there, and also proves that Denver might be more serious about parting with Orton than many had thought. This would be a huge step for the organization, but with the fans in love with Tebow, it might not be that big of a risk.

Orton didn't have a horrible 2010 regular season, despite the Broncos racking up quite a few losses in his starts. He ended up with 3,653 passing yards and 20 touchdowns to go along with just nine interceptions. There were times when he seemed to fall out of favor with the fans, though, especially those who wanted to see Tebow take over the snaps.

At just 28 year old, Orton has a lot of football in front of him still, but he hasn't found the level of success that Chicago or Denver wanted to get from him. Maybe a new start is what he needs, especially if Arizona feels it has the structure that would make him even more successful. From that point, it would all come down to what Arizona might be willing to give up in order to bring an NFL-ready quarterback into the fold.

With their first round draft pick this year, the Cardinals went with cornerback Patrick Peterson from LSU. He was the best defensive back available, and he could have also been the most talented player taken in the draft. He will certainly give them a boost on defense, and the second round selection of Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams should pay dividends as well. They had a very good draft but what wasn't addressed was their situation at quarterback.

For the Broncos, trading Orton might make sense if they are going to give Tebow the ball anyway. It's a risk, because they wouldn't have a great back-up quarterback, but they could probably convince Arizona to give up a few nice draft picks in 2012. Denver also doesn't have to play the NFC West team in 2011, so there isn't a risk of going up against Orton right away. It's also possible that Arizona isn't the only team that wants Orton, so this could be just the first of many confirmed rumors to come.

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