by Woody Paige , The Denver Post

Pattie: I am blushing. You should have a crush on Jim Tressel. I would vote for Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals, although I think Carpenter and teammate Adam Wainwright will split a lot of votes. Jason has dropped lately and would have to pitch as he did this week and win all his starts the rest of the season, and the Rockies would have to overtake the Dodgers in the standings.

Tim Lincecum of the Giants is the best pitcher in the league, but he's dropped something like six straight because of lack of run production and just missed a start with a lower back spasm. The force he generates, for his body size, could be a problem in the long run, and is a major reason the Rockies passed on him in the draft. Carpenter has had a remarkable run and just pitched a one-hitter. He's the leading candidate. I think I will name my dog Pattie.

Define "legitimate." Hey, Woody, Do you think the Broncos have any chance of drafting a legitimate starting QB in the next couple drafts given the trades we have made using our draft picks, or will we be rolling with Kyle Orton under center for the next few years?

Alex, Seattle

Alex: No. They might have had a chance at one of the top quarterbacks next season if they hadn't traded away their own first-round pick (instead of the one they received in the Jay Cutler trade) because of their potential record. But they like Tom Brandstater, and I liked him in the New Mexico Bowl against CSU last year. He has the size, the best arm among the quarterbacks and the savvy to learn the system.

I'm sure Josh McDaniels believes that if the Patriots could get Tom Brady and make him into a great quarterback (who has won 78 percent of his starts), he can do it too, with a quarterback from the later rounds. He likes Kyle Orton more than Jay Cutler, which should answer your question. Orton will not be a longtime franchise quarterback, so they will need a quarterback in two or three years.

Darling Darius. Could you please explain why the Broncos decided to keep LaMont Jordan instead of Darius Walker for the final running back spot? Jordan had a mediocre preseason at best (and that's being generous), while Walker seemed to show significant potential, particularly in the Arizona game. What happened?

Chris, Castle Rock

Chris: Darius Walker was nothing unique, to be frank. He played against slugs. Jordan didn't have much of an exhibition season (I never use that other word because the NFL demands that they be called ********* games. They're practice games, yet they charge regular-season prices, which is totally unfair. Only 30,000 showed up at the last exhibition in Denver.)

The belief is that Jordan will be a back for short-yardage situations, although he has been hurt throughout camp. The Broncos have three backs, and when Knowshon Moreno is completely healthy, Jordan likely will be gone, to be replaced by Walker (who wasn't signed by anybody else, which should show you something, and ended up on the Broncos practice squad, so he can be activated). Spend your valuable time worrying about more important things with the Broncos .

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No sightings

Hey, Woody, just wondering if you know whatever happened to Bradlee Van Pelt? He was a guy who seemed as though he would run through a brick wall, such was his enthusiasm and

determination to succeed. Did he make it on to any other team after he left Denver? Remember the direct snap he ran in for a TD - was that an early form of the wildcat? Thanks.

Roger, Leeds, England

Roger: Bradlee was let go by the Broncos , picked up by Houston and released by the Texans in 2007. He tried to catch on with other teams as a quarterback, but there was no interest. Early this year Bradlee's father, Brad Van Pelt, an exceptional former New York Giants linebacker, died.

Bradlee said before this season he wanted to try to come back as a safety. Nobody signed him. I'm sure he has been dealing with a considerable amount of grief with the loss of his father, who was only 57. Beyond that, I have no other information. He was a unique, tough quarterback at CSU, but was never going to be a starter of note in the NFL as a running QB.

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