Let's rewind to August 2008.  Tell me, who would you rather have had on your roster at that point in time?  Chris Simms or Matt Cassel?  I'd have given the edge to Chris Simms.  Kyle Orton or Matt Cassel?  Definitely Kyle Orton.

Yes, none of us really knew how good Matt Cassel was.  In fact, I don't really know how good Matt Cassel is.  We'll all find out this upcoming season when he is in KC with different coaches and teammates.  I'd certainly credit a good portion, if not the majority, of Cassel's success to Coach Belichick and Coach McDaniels.  Let's focus on Coach McDaniels because he's our guy now.

What can Coach McDaniels do with Chris Simms and Kyle Orton?  I certainly think his influence, his teaching, his schemes and his tactical gameplan will make these two QBs better than they have previously been.  I'm fairly confident that Simms or Orton will flourish in McDaniels' offense, which boasts a solid offensive line and formidable receivers?  I'd really like to think either of them would thrive under the tutelage of McDaniels, much the way Cassel did in 2008.  I've been asking myself repeatedly today: "If Cassel could do it, why not Simms or Orton?'

Will we be saying these kinds of things to ourselves this December? 

• Wow, I never knew how good Kyle Orton really was. 
• Boy, that McDaniels sure knows how to transform QBs into weapons. 
• I guess I actually don't miss #6 all that much.

We're talking about the man who coordinated the highest scoring offense in the history of the NFL.  Josh McDaniels, the man who took a QB who hadn't started a football game since high school and coached him into becoming a seemingly franchise-type QB.  Now I know we've all heard those things before, but think about how this applies to our Denver Broncos.  We've got a lot to be excited about at the QB position, even without Jay Cutler taking snaps. 

Josh McDaniels did it last year and he's going to do it again: he's going to get the most out of any QB he coaches - and then some.  Let's not act surprised when Simms or Orton shines in 2009...because, after all, we knew Coach McDaniels would do it.