NFL Network's Michael Lombardi believes Tim Tebow is "ultimately" not in the Broncos' plans. Lombardi reported at least twice this past offseason that Tebow lacks support in the front office. Lombardi concedes that many in Denver denied his report. The Broncos were shopping Kyle Orton heavily just one week ago, which suggests a belief in Tebow. If last year's first rounder is no longer in the teams' plans, then the front office has changed its mind on the direction of the franchise after one week of no-pads practice.

Tim Tebow has been thoroughly outplayed by Kyle Orton early in training camp. "Observers saw it, coaches saw it and, equally important, players saw it," writes SI.com's Jim Trotter, who calls the gap between the two QBs "as wide as the initial debt-reduction plans of Democrats and Republicans." For now, Orton is clearly No. 1 on the depth chart. If this was purely a football decision, Orton would be a lock to start the season opener. Considering his contract situation, though, a trade remains a possibility.

ESPN's Bill Williamson says that the Broncos want "to give Tim Tebow an open highway to see if he can be the future of the franchise or not." The Broncos tried to run a bluff with the Dolphins on Kyle Orton and got called. Now they're in a pickle, as Williamson confirms they wanted to trade Orton badly. The Broncos could cut Orton, but they are more likely run him out there as competition to Tebow and wait for another possible trade to develop. The resolution to this situation is going to take some time.

NFL Network's Steve Wyche has spoken with "enough people people plugged into the situation" to confidently state that the Broncos' starting quarterback job is Tim Tebow's "to lose." "Unless [he] gets hurt in training camp or is absolutely awful," adds Wyche. A previous report from colleague Jason LaCanfora suggested the Broncos will "hold firm" to a second-round price tag for Kyle Orton, though Wyche believes they will end up settling for a third-rounder. The Broncos will then look to sign Jake Delhomme as a mentor once he's released by the Browns. NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks, who worked under coach John Fox for four years in Carolina, is also convinced Tebow will start.

According to NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks, coach John Fox's history suggests Tim Tebow will be the "no-brainer" choice as the Broncos' starting quarterback. Fox made it clear that he's looking for a "gamer" at the position, which fits Tebow's profile of strong intangibles, leadership, work ethic, toughness, and ability to come through with the game on the line. A defensive-minded throwback, Fox staked his first head coaching stint on Jake Delhomme, whose strong intangibles masked mediocre physical talent.

In an online Q & A with readers Tuesday, Mike Klis of the Denver Post predicted that Tim Tebow will be the Broncos' starting quarterback in 2011. "I believe Tebow will be the Broncos' starting quarterback this year and (Kyle) Orton will be starting somewhere else," writes Klis. The Broncos haven't made anything official, but public announcements of organizational thought haven't been the Broncos' style under John Elway. We expect Denver to be all ears to trade offers about Orton after the lockout, and Tebow to battle Brady Quinn and a veteran (Jake Delhomme?) in camp.

Coach John Fox admitted Thursday that "deep down, I have an idea" who will be the Broncos' starting quarterback when the season starts. "I prefer a gamer to a good practice player," said Fox. "I want someone who will execute under pressure in a game." The other factors high on Fox's list are "leadership" and "knowing the system." Fox refuses to handicap his QB derby because "so much depends on what happens going forward." We still believe Tim Tebow will be under center when the season opens, Kyle Orton trade or no.

Broncos HC John Fox insists Tim Tebow, Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn will all get an equal shot at earning the team's starting quarterback job this summer. "I've said it before and I mean it. It'll be a competition," Fox said of his quarterback situations. "Competition is what this game's about, whether if it's an opponent or a depth chart." While Fox sounds sincere, it seems very unlikely that Quinn will be legitimately viewed as a potential starter this summer.