So the trade of Cutler was a bit stunning, but he was being a childish ass so, to heck with him.  The bright side of this is that it yields a wonderful opportunity for rivalry.  To that end, rsncrntz and I made a bet as to which quarterback would have the highest passer rating at the end of the season.  You might think I'm nuts for betting on Orton...  Okay, I AM nuts for betting on Orton.  But I do have a logic here.

The big problem Cutler is going to face is that, while he has the physical talent, he is going to be playing on a defensive minded team without a strong supporting cast.  Don't get me wrong, the Bears do have some talent, but not nearly what the Broncos have.  Orton's not going to have the same tough offensive line he had in Denver.  He's not going to have the pro bowl grade receivers.  So while he has the talent, he's going to be hard pressed to make use of it.  On the bright side for him, the shadow of Jim McMahon is a lot shorter than that of John Elway :)

Orton, on the other hand, though not nearly as good as Cutler, physically, is going to have a strong offense he can plug into.  He's got one of the best offensive lines in the league, a solid running game (when they can stay healthy), and top notch receivers.  There will be less pressure on him to save the game all on his own, and I think that will make him a better quarterback than his pedigree would suggest. 

Also, psychologically speaking, I think Orton will have an advantage over Cutler as a QB in Denver.  The big problem for Denver Quarterbacks is that they are always compared to Elway.  We look to the Quarterback as the core of the team and the one who will save us in the end.  But nobody in Denver thinks for a moment that Orton's that guy.  He's our new Steve DeBerg.  The unexciting veteran who can keep the team running until we groom a new superstar.  So the pressure if there is to be any will be on McDaniels for having made the trade, not Orton. 

It's going to be interesting to see.  I think both quarterbacks are going to have some struggles and I think, as a team, the Bears have a better chance this year with the Broncos having to totally rebuild their Defense.  But talking purely as a comparison of quarterback success, I believe Orton will win this year.