"Listen to the man on the corner bar stool, listen to the people talking on the radio, listen to those gathered around the water cooler, and just as often as not, the backup quarterback has become the most popular player in the conversation.

Brady Quinn is lucky. Because after listening to Broncos coach Josh McDaniels speak from a hallway sofa at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes hotel Monday, Quinn has settled into the likable role of backup quarterback.

Kyle Orton keeps the preferred, if not always easily accepted, position of starting quarterback.

"Yep. No question," McDaniels said during a break from the NFL meetings. "He's earned it."

There had been some question about who would be the Broncos' starting quarterback in 2010 after Orton received a one-year tender as a restricted free agent earlier this month and Quinn was acquired last week from the Cleveland Browns.

In exchange, the Broncos sent to Cleveland backup running back Peyton Hillis, a sixth-round draft pick in 2011 and a pick between the third and sixth round in 2012 that will be determined by how much Quinn plays.

The trade package is considerably less than the going rate for a starting quarterback. Yet, Quinn will get a chance to compete for Orton's job during the offseason minicamps and preseason. It's just that he'll start the competition in second place. Tom Brandstater, who didn't take a snap as a rookie last year, remains the No. 3 quarterback.

"There are guys that are definitely starters, and until someone comes in to knock them off their spot, it's going to be that way," McDaniels said. "Brady's a player who fits a lot of the qualities and characteristics we look for in our quarterbacks. We feel like we have three who are in that same boat. It made sense for us to try to improve the competition at that position just like it does when we try to improve our competition at any position.""