When the Minnesota Vikings drafted Christian Ponder with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, it looked like Ponder would be the starter from the get-go. It made sense. Brett Favre is gone and Joe Webb isn't a viable option, even in the short-term.
According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen (via Pro Football Talk), the Vikings are interested in acquiring Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton. Supposedly the Arizona Cardinals have already talked with the Broncos about a deal for Orton. With Tim Tebow the presumed favorite to win the starting job under center, teams with rookie quarterbacks or looking to upgrade their current situation will inquire about Orton once trades can actually happen.
Orton, Kevin Kolb and even Carson Palmer will be hot commodities on the trade market. Kolb should draw a nice return, while Palmer wants out of Cincinnati, but owner Mike Brown doesn't want to trade him. The Broncos may look for a second-rounder, according to NFL.com's Jason La Canfora:
“But the idea that you can get Orton for a third- or fourth-round pick, I don’t necessarily believe that’s the case. That’s not what I’m hearing. If you start talking about second-round value that moves up, then maybe the Broncos start thinking about it."
However, La Canfora went on to caution that the team won't look all around to trade him, since the team may believe he is the answer to winning. We shall see.
For more on the Broncos, head over to Mile High Report.