The Broncos' defense is, deservedly, receiving much of the credit for Denver's expectation-shattering start, but QB Kyle Orton's steady, mistake-free play continues to garner more attention with each win, the way we hear it.

Orton was not welcomed warmly in Denver after getting shipped over from Chicago in the Jay Cutler trade in April. He was booed in a training-camp scrimmage after throwing interceptions, didn't endear himself to the home fans with a nondescript preseason and had some wondering if head coach Josh McDaniels ended the quarterback competition with Chris Simms too early when he named Orton the starter in June. Orton, however, has managed the offense with precision in the early going, and has yet to make a turnover through four games. McDaniels has modeled his play-calling in a way that's amenable to Orton's abilities — Orton hasn't been asked to carry the offense on his own, thanks to a stout running game.

His solid play could lead to preliminary talks about a contract extension, as Orton's deal will expire after the season. Sources were skeptical, however, about the chances of a deal getting done before the offseason. Word is Orton, who has a 25-12 record as a starter, would have to take a team-friendly deal that would most likely be below market value if he wants an extension before February and the team might not be ready to commit to him long term.

A major external factor that could get in the way of any such deal is the uncertainty surrounding the Collective Bargaining Agreement. If a new CBA isn't reached before the start of the offseason, there will be no salary cap in 2010 and Orton, a fifth-year veteran, would be a restricted free agent rather than an unrestricted free agent, as he would have been under the current agreement. Denver could keep Orton by issuing him a high one-year tender, since teams rarely sign tendered RFAs to offer sheets and risk a loss of draft picks if its offer isn't matched.

The Broncos will be one of the teams that stand to lose the most in free agency regardless of the salary-cap situation, as three of their most valuable players — Orton, WR Brandon Marshall and OLB Elvis Dumervil — all have contracts that will expire after the season. Each will have less than the six years of experience required to become an unrestricted free agent in the uncapped format this offseason.

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