by Online Chatter»The Broncos Mailbag with NFL reporter Mike Klis , The Denver Post

Mike Klis: I don't mean to take anything away from Brandstater, who was the Broncos' Most Improved Player of Preseason Week 3. But you can't be serious.

I understand your frustration with the repetitively short throws by starting quarterback Kyle Orton. But he is the most polished of the Broncos' quarterbacks.

If Orton can't go in the season-

opener, Chris Simms on a hobbled ankle would be next in line. Simms should be back in practice by Monday. And by the way, the best preseason performance by any Broncos quarterback was Simms' second half against San Francisco.

Brandstater? I was impressed with how far he came from the Seattle game, when he took four sacks in one quarter, to the Chicago game, when he made some nice downfield throws and took no sacks. But even if neither Orton nor Simms can go in the opener, I think the Broncos' starter would be a veteran quarterback picked up from Sunday's release pile.

In need of a time machine. Preseason or not, the Bears game represented what a lot of us have been thinking since January. Saying bye to Mike Shanahan and Jay Cutler was a huge mistake. Do you think Pat Bowlen would now agree?

Jeff B., Lakewood

Mike: I sat down with Bowlen last week in his office and he would not agree. Regarding Shanahan, Bowlen was extremely complimentary, even calling him the best coach in Broncos' history. But Bowlen strongly believed that after 14 years, it was time for a change.

As for dealing away Cutler, no doubt it looks bad now. But let's wait. Even if it appears Cutler will become in many ways an even better quarterback than he was with the Broncos in 2008, I say the winner in all this is the first side to reach the Super Bowl.

Mentor still needed. A while back, I read where Rod Smith was mentoring Brandon Marshall. What ever happened with that, and has Rod been interacting with B-Marsh during all that's now going on?

Mark, San Diego

Mike: One of the most overrated story lines in sports are those regarding mentors or leaders. Here's the deal about leaders - characteristic No. 1 is the leader has to be a really good player. I've known many players who had incredible leadership skills, players like Stephen Alexander, Mike Leach, Chad Mustard and Hamza Abdullah for the Broncos , and players like Sal Fasano, Gary Bennett and Terry Shumpert for the Rockies.

But if you want to be like Champ Bailey, you don't eat what Louis Green had for breakfast, no matter that they don't make men any better than Louis Green.

Rod Smith's last good season was 2005, the year before the Broncos drafted Marshall. Smith might have had Marshall's ear for a time in 2006, but not since.

Round pegs, square holes. I know that when Josh McDaniels came in, he retained Rick Dennison as the offensive line coach. But the running backs he has been signing are not the usual one-cut-and-go guys that work best with the zone-blocking scheme Dennison teaches. Somebody told me that McD has abandoned the zone for man-blocking.

Lucinda, Littleton

Mike: Your observation is spot on. The offensive line was built for the one-cut, zone-blocking scheme while McDaniels prefers the power running game. Maybe that's why the Broncos haven't been able to run the ball very well during the preseason.

I sat down with McDaniels last week and he said there has been more of a power-running game so far in the preseason, but there will be times when the game plan calls for the zone-blocking scheme.

No doubt this is an area of transition. I think eventually there will be bigger interior blockers and more hit-the-hole type running. What we all want to see is the running game with Knowshon Moreno.

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Thirsting for new blood. Do you see the Broncos doing anything in the offseason to acquire a quarterback? Guys like Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson and Matt Leinart are out there, possibly. Or a strong incoming class of QBs?

AJ, Sioux Center, Iowa

Mike: I believe McDaniels would love to coach Quinn, who is familiar with New England's offensive system after playing for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. I also think Leinart (right) would work wonders in McDaniels' system.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Leinart has a very good year with the Cardinals. I think he's the league's best backup QB. His problem is that Kurt Warner is one of the league's best QBs, period.

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