"There has been a long, linear connection between Broncos coach Josh McDaniels and his new quarterback, Brady Quinn. Between these connected dots was Charlie Weis, a big guy who nevertheless didn't get in the way.

In 2004, McDaniels was moved from New England Patriots defensive assistant to quarterbacks coach, where he worked directly under Weis, the team's offensive coordinator. Today, McDaniels refers to Weis as one of his mentors. After 2004, Weis went to Notre Dame, where he became the head coach, with Quinn already waiting. McDaniels, meanwhile, took control of the Patriots' offense.

Weis prospered in his two seasons with Quinn, as did his quarterback, while McDaniels guided the Patriots' offense to record levels. Cleveland then drafted Quinn, who attracted interest from McDaniels soon after he took charge of the Broncos a year ago in a deal involving disgruntled Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, who was eventually traded to Chicago.

"Everyone, no matter who you are, no matter what position you're at, when a team like Denver is talking about possibly picking you up in a trade, you have to be excited about the opportunity," Quinn said Monday in a conference call with the Denver media. "It's a great organization. It's something I'm sure a lot of guys in the NFL would love to come play for, especially to live in a city like this."

McDaniels flirted with Quinn last year. They became engaged Sunday. The Browns, who empowered coach Eric Mangini to make all football decisions last year, were unwilling to deal Quinn at the time. Mike Holm- gren now heads the Browns' regime, and he quickly made Quinn expendable after acquiring veteran Jake Delhomme to play quarterback and Seneca Wallace to be his backup.

McDaniels didn't hesitate to make a deal, acquiring Quinn in exchange for running back Peyton Hillis, a sixth-round pick in the 2011 draft and a conditional draft pick in 2012."