The NFL's 20th best, at best, quarterback was unequivocally, undeniably, unmistakably named the Denver Broncos' No. 1 quarterback on Saturday. For now. Coach Josh McDaniels told the team before practice, the media afterward that Kyle Orton is Your Brand Spanking New Denver Broncos' starting quarterback. During practice, with the first team, Orton threw a couple of interceptions and also threw a completion to the young man operating the music machine several yards out of bounds and threw a pass onto the distant field. And he was forced to eat the ball twice on red-zone plays. It was not Orton's best day on the field. Being named the Broncos' No. 1 quarterback, as 15 previous quarterbacks can attest, is a designation that does not have a lot of meaning. For long. Ask Steve Ramsey, Steve Tensi and Steve DeBerg, who were replaced as starters. Ask Bubby Brister, who was demoted from starter even before the season started. Ask Jake Plummer, who was the Broncos' quarterback in the AFC championship game in 2005, benched in Denver for all time in 2006. Ask the last guy who started last year. Don't ask John Elway, exceptional exception to the rule. He was irreplaceable. Kyle Orton was the Bears' starter for 15 games in his rookie season, 2005, but Rex Grossman started the playoff game. Orton didn't start in 2006. In fact, he didn't play a game, and was third-string behind Brian Griese, who had been dumped as a starter in Denver by Plummer, who was dumped by the last guy. Orton officially was named the Bears' starter again on Aug. 18, 2008. He was the Bears' starter no more, or less, on April 2, 2009. He was traded to the Broncos for the other guy. Following the abysmal effort -- which McDaniels justified by saying Orton was playing against a scout team (which can't be as good as, say, the Patriots) -- Orton beat the previous pronouncement by two months, and he beat out Chris Simms, who hasn't played a serious down of pro football since 2006, and Tom Brandstater, who hasn't played any down of pro football. Orton's No. 1 by default. Or by Kid McD fault. It is well to recall that the number of games Orton has started is 33, the last Broncos guy 37. It is well to know that Orton has a 21-12 record as a starter, although most of Chicago's game was defense, and the last guy was 17-20 as all of Denver's game was offense. Only Simms of the three has started in (and lost) one playoff game. But let's face it. Denver's two quarterbacks can't be rated in the league's top 20, which includes the Mannings as well as Tom Brady and Matt Cassel (the two QBs McDaniels coached in New England) and, of course, the last guy. We will soon find out if McDaniels can do wonders with the new guy in town, or the other new guy, or even the rookie guy. On Saturday, it was obvious to all observers that Orton has the third strongest arm in the Organized Team Activities (OTA). One of his intended targets, who dare not alienate Orton publicly, admitted such also. Orton's ball tends to float (and sometimes drown), while Simms fires a more powerful ball and, in the past, often has misfired a powerful ball. In (some) time, Brandstater, at 6-feet-5, may be the best of, and on, the lot at Dove Valley. Of course, there are two elephants not in the room or on the practice field. One has gone to Chicago, the other gone to stupidity. Brandon Marshall is absent, without an excuse card or a clue. So the Broncos, in light of the Orton announcement (which removed whatever doubt there may have been) and the Marshall Plan, or lack thereof, search for more wide receivers. Jabar Gaffney, late of the Patriots and entering his eighth season, is a keeper. He completely understands McDaniels' system, has enough size and speed and is not one of those washed out wideouts the Broncos have brought in for years. Rookie tight end Richard Quinn has to learn how to catch. Tight end Tony Scheffler can. And don't sleep on sleeper rookie free agent Nate Swift out of Nebraska. Perfect name, good game -- most career receptions in Cornhuskers history (although passing has not been Nebraska's forte). Swift could become an eventual successor to the solid Brandon Stokley. Yet, the offense will depend on the quarterback. When I asked another NFL quarterback recently about Orton, the reply was, 'He's a very good guy.' We don't necessarily want to go to brunch with the quarterback. Gary Kubiak, who also wore No. 8, was a good guy -- and a good backup. Without passing in a (real) training camp scrimmage or an exhibition, and even with a practice that would make team fanatics weep, Orton has won the quarterback's job. It is his to keep, temporarily, or lose, permanently. For better or worse. (Woody Paige is a sports columnist for The Denver Post. He can be reached at wpaigedenverpost.com.) 