Per Peter King, of SI.com, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels thinks Kyle Orton is better than Luke McCown

Few are more plugged in to the innerworkings of the NFL like SI.com’s Peter King. In his research last week with the movers and shakers of the league, he has come to the conclusion the Bucs nearly got their hands on whiny Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler.

In short, it came down to the fact that Broncos coach Josh McDaniels liked Bears quarterback Kyle Orton more than he liked Bucs quarterback Luke McCown, who King suggests was being offered along with two first round picks.

The key to the trade was Kyle Orton. Laugh if you want, but it’s the absolute truth. McDaniels looked hard at tape of the available quarterbacks from teams that made serious offers, players like Orton, Washington’s Jason Campbell and Tampa Bay’s Luke McCown. Every one of those teams was in the ballpark with an offer of at least two first-round draft picks and a quarterback.

But as the deal went down, McDaniels, who watched every offensive snap of more than 10 Bears games with Orton playing, got more and more impressed with Orton’s arm, his decision-making and his ability to extend plays when the pocket broke down. You can think and I can think it’s crazy he didn’t like Campbell — who got Washington off to a 6-2 start last year — more than he liked Orton, but it’s the unvarnished truth. McDaniels thinks he can win with Orton.

If King’s information is accurate, one could make the argument Chucky indirectly Pearl Harbored this deal by his refusal to play McCown and instead play that walking interception, Son of Bob.

Regardless, Joe was relieved Cutler and his attitude are in the Second City, where, if Cutler doesn’t play well right off the bat, Bears fans will melt his will to even step on the field.