I dont know Quinn well enough yet, but Hillis wasnt going to be used, and for a 6th round pick next year and conditional in 2012, it’s a great gamble.

If it turns out great, awesome! If not, we didnt waste much.

But Hillis making the Broncos team was questionable. Quinn much better backup than Simms and can give Orton a little challenge in 2011.

Getting a Qb for a backup fullback/running back and a few mid round draft picks is a steal. Even if he is just a backup.

Not having a good backup costed us 2 games last year.

Quinn is a marginal QB who couldn’t beat out Derek Anderson who they cut, we could of had Quinn for nothing because the Browns were likely going to cut Quinn after the draft anyways. Quinn is not an upgrade over Orton and I think that is basically made us pay more money for a marginal backup.

I love Hillis and what has annoyed me is that McDaniels has not found a way to use his talents, good coaches find ways to adapt their systems to the talents of the players. I think Hillis is going to excel under a west coast system and be a monster. I understand that there is limited risk in low round picks, but again, we picked up Terrell Davis in the 6th, Tom Nalen was in the 6th, Shannon Sharpe in the 7th. Every time you reduce the roll of the dice you reduce the potential for getting a good or great player.

We could actually have an athlete here in Denver that appears in something more substantial that a black jack pizza or burt chevy commercial.

Brady Quinn – 23/35, 239 yards, 2TDs, 0 INTs Vs. Denver Broncos, Week 10, 2008, in Quinn’s first NFL start.

You also got me in the trade haha. I’m a Quinn follower so go broncos!

this if it means Chris Simms gets kicked to the curb. Quinn HAS to be a better option than Simms to back up KO, you cannot do worse than Phil’s son.

not a fan of prettyboys when it comes to football players on my team, and my first reaction was Brady Quinn ? wtf !

but after a little consideration, this looks like a good deal for Denver. looking forward to MHRadio tonight as i may need further convincing…

oh and hello to everyone who reads this ! work has been really busy haven’t had much time for the Broncos this year as of yet. what else have i missed i wonder…

500 unique votes in like 45 minutes. Impressive.

I like the system match and the idea that maybe McD can milk more potential out of Quinn than the Browns could.

I hate the potential QB controversy…especially with Denver’s increasingly shrill and reactionary fan base.

1) For whatever reason, Hillis wasn’t going to be used in Denver.
 
2) Simms is an awful back-up.
 
3) Quinn was either a bust for CLE because he wasn’t terribly good, or because he was behind a bad OL. This point is pretty debatable, but I think a lot of good names have gone to CLE, only to get ruined for whatever reason. (It could be the OL, QB coaching, whatever).
 
4) At the very least (as John points out), Quinn will be an improvement at back-up QB. At best, given the McD background for bringing up QBs (and Quinn’s background before he went to CLE), there is a shot of Quinn being built up.
 
5) In sum, we’re giving up a risky 6th round pick to shore ourselves up at back-up QB. Hillis, rightly or wrongly, wasn’t going to be playing in Denver this year.
 
I like the move.

but I am glad he will get a chance to shine as part of something he can fit in.

Downside: No more rumblin’ redneck.
No more of that great mile high salute enthusiasm.
HillisRanUOver will have to change his name.

Upside: Lots. See posts.

I’m not upset about this. On and ever upward, forward, never backward.

If Hillis tears it up Cleve, I’ll be happy for him. But he was a ton a fun to watch.dammit

For next to nothing we got a QB that has all the tools and with the tutelage of McGenius he can develop into a great QB for the Broncos.

I do still wish HCMcD would have given Hillis more opportunities to show what he can do. Oh well! I guess it’s too late now. Hopefully, Quinn can finally live up to his hype here in Denver. If he becomes a legitimate starting QB (or even a serviceable backup) then the trade was worth it.

I liked Hillis, but it was painfully obvious he wasn’t going to be used here. Hopefully, the Browns can use his talent to its potential.

That being said I think it is a good trade, because I am more confident with Quinn as a backup than Simms.

the only thing that worrys me is Quinn spends to much time as a body builder, that has to be affecting him. The Brownies traded all of there receivers last year, so he or Anderson didnt have anyone to throw too.

mocking this move on Twitter. First of all, who cares? Second of all, why should I value MJD’s opinion on acquisitions. It isn’t like he’s a Cris Collinsworth or Tom Jackson-type analyst.

Picking up Brady Quinn who knowns Weis’s System which is similar to McDaniels is a great move. Quinn in college was a excellent QB but anybody who goes to Cleveland with that talent would STRUGGLE.

Great move with little risk!!!

moments ago as I’m tweeting (BroncosItaly is my gloss in case anyone wants to follow), MJD offers an apology. Now, THIS is power!

people underestimate having a chip on your shoulder. I am glad to see a strong portion of this Broncos community happy about the trade. Hillis was one of my favorite Broncos, but he was ineffective with us last year. I will miss him, and I hope he does well with the Browns.

This is a superb trade for Denver, especially because they don’t have to surrender any picks in THIS draft. That was a key for McX in this whole situation. Quinn is a better prospect at this point than any QB in this draft, save for maybe Sam Bradford (yes, even Tebow).

While I am sad to see the Tebow-to-Denver option ripped to shreds, I think this move will be just as effective. Quinn is a good leader and locker room guy, he is familiar with our system, and will get far better coaching here than he ever did in Cleveland. This is a brilliant move by the Broncos’ front office.

the Jags dont know what a QB is

to get the big reward bereft of the big risk? As a devout member of Bronco Country, I say YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Derek Anderson walks away in a huff, saying Cleveland fans “don’t deserve a winner” following his release.
Holgren signs Seneca Wallace? and Jake INT Delhome? Has the guy lost his mind? Anyway this is a good move for the Broncos and for Brady Quinn. He is yet young, being only 25 he has plenty of time to wash away any bad habits the Browns may have inflicted upon him. He’ll make an execellent back up for Orton. Since we don’t really know Kyle’s future on the team, you never know in this league what’s going to happen.. Good move McD/X

is a genius but I think his handling of the QB situation smocks of arrogance. Delhomme is NOT a better option anyway you slice it. I’ve visited the Browns blog and the denizens thereof DESPISE that move. What’s up with legendary coaches named Mike being arrogant? Holmgren bringing in Jake the Turnover Machine and Shanny rolling the bones on Mo Clarett?

It’d be foolish to rule out Denver just acquiring Quinn to dangle in front of Charlie Weis. Reunite them and give us Cassel.

Pretty much eliminates QB and DE/DG with the moves we made. If McD isn’t going with a FB position (has used Larsen and Hochstein) we might draft a RB in the mid rds.

i had to tell them they are starting over all over again. They like getting Hillis but are upset that they didnt get higher draft picks.

I may regret this but I dont think Brady Quinn is likely to be a championship QB. So we add a mediocre QB to a group of mediocre QB’s and if Brandstater is in his 2nd year then he could be a backup….now there is a logjam and my hope of Tebow (yes I think Tebow will be a champion at the next level) or Claussen is down the drains. We needed a huge upgrade and instead look like Tampa stockpiling crap for QB’s.

One that McD actually likes.

Given time, and teaching, i think Quinn could get his mojo back.

sorry I wnt to Florida and they teach spelling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i could pick 10 people off this site who could play better D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m still relatively new to this website, what is MHR radio??

hopefully no TEABAG tag, i mean tebow

He played for Notre Dame.

but Hissil should get some PT for shizzil.. Seriously… Hillis deserved something better than McBungle’s one man pine outhouse!

As a backup, Quinn is oceans better than Simms already. I considered Brees wasted space in his first 3 years and even if Quinn ends up being able to win a few games as a backup I think Denver got a good deal…

Now the question is… Do we still draft a QB?

Ohh it’s Brady Quinn?. So it’s not Jimmy Clausen?. Hmmm?. Soooo we are probably not going to be taking a shot at drafting a QB?.. Well what did we give for him??? Ohh thats not to bad. But it’s that muscle bound freak Quinn… Is he ill tempered? Well that’s a start.

to many other needs

It’s curious that HCMD has barely been in Denver a year and has now brought in 4 new QBs.

Who’s NOT better than Simms? I was hoping for a new QB to challenge Orton and hopefully take over the job in a year or two, but it’s not Quinn. Quinn is very similar to Orton with less arm strength and arguably less football smarts. He’s got better mobility but this move is more like xeroxing a solid starting QB—where’s the gain? Well, I guess Quinn is a “hottie”??… so we’ve got that going for us…

As far as Hillis being a system guy… I guess if guys who catch the ball well, have good speed for their size and play their butts off are system guys, yeah, okay. Let’s bring that system here.

It’s not a huge deal either way but going out on a very strong, substantial, tornado-proof limb here: Cleveland wins this one. Point Holmgren.

I love this move and I think he will do well in our system.

You guys remember the first game he ever started was against us in 2008. The Browns lost that game but Quinn played great. I think this was meant to be.

orton before the trade: “this is going to be my fourth year as a starter and I’ve never been the highest-paid qb on my team.”

Quinn has just been too inaccurate when I have seen him play most of the time, I’d stick with Orton being the starter for now.

John Clayton breaks it down for us. No word on whether this means another 3-13 year for the Broncos.

They’re not keeping 4 QBs, and it doesn’t sound like Brandstater is going anywhere. We now have an extra pick for th4e BPA approach in an awesome draft. Awesome.

Also, next year’s draft will be very weak, as a result of all the early entrants this year. A sixth-rounder in 2011 is in talent terms the equivalent of a 2010 UDFA.

The only shame here is that I like Orton the person much better. But if Quinn outperforms him, I’ll somehow learn to live with that.

After agreeing with maybe a quarter of McD’s decisions last year, I’m pretty ecstatic with all of them so far this offseason. We’ll wait and see how I feel after the draft, but I’m glad we won’t be wasting a pick on a QB in such a poor class. Maybe this puts those awful, awful Tebow rumors to rest.

Quinn will surprise people, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that we may have a QB controversy if the Broncos struggle out of the gate. I hope it’s an open competition, because I like Quinn’s game when he has time to throw.

I am extremely excited that I don’t have to worry about Jimmy Clausen falling to us in the draft and us picking him up. I should have known better, McX is way smarter than that.

I hope Orton is strong enough in the head to not get phased. Im hoping McD tells Orton in private that he wont get benched and will stick with him this year. Quinn will be helped by McD but will need that first year to learn the system, it had better be on the bench. I expect a better Orton against the deffenses we play next year.

Whether we like it or not is irrelevent. He’s here I I hope he does well. I didn’t like the Plummer signing at first and he turned out to be our best QB of the decade.

I am trying to stay positive, but Hillis was a stud, not last year, cuz McD refused to play him, but he is a bad mofo. Quinn will always be a back up, not worth two draft picks and Hillis, no way, never.

Tom Bradstater is six days older than Brady Quinn. Both men were born in October of 1984.

This surprised me a bit

I voted yes because he is an improvement over Simms, who just doesn’t have it, and the fact that Hillis wasn’t going to get much playing time in 2010. It sucks because I really liked Hillis and he is a good, tough player to have. Hopefully he will find his place in Cleveland. I am not sold just yet on Quinn being a solid starter, however maybe McDaniels can work with him and help him improve.

Low risk and high reward so we’ll see what happens…….camp should be interesting.

I do believe Quinn has more upside side than down. I’m not sure any QB in the NFL would have made the Browns any better the last couple of years. Upgrade over Simms I do believe.

We really didn’t give up that much. If Quinn makes a good backup, this is a good trade. Quite honestly, if a 6th round pick makes your roster in his rookie year, you either have a weak team or you got lucky. Quinn will make it as a backup at the worst and then there is the possibility of him becoming even more for us eventually. This was a sound move for the Broncos IMHO. GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer? He didn’t get drafted. So to say that a sixth or seventh round pick doin well, means your team sucks is not valid. A lot of the time, those players want it more than the first rounders, because they had to work so much harder for it. Just ask Rod if you ever see him around town. I went to school at Missouri Southern and watched him play.

But back to the point, a good quarterback makes the other players play better. Do you really think the three amigos were that amazing, or did John Elway know how, when, and where to get them the ball? Everybody stood an inch taller in the huddle with Elway, therefore, I don’t buy the, “Nobody could make Cleveland better” argument. I am sure Quinn is a decent backup. Worth what Hillis has and two draft picks? No way!