When the Broncos traded Jay Cutler to the Bears this offseason, they felt good about the transaction, and not only because they acquired two first round picks in exchange for the former first round quarterback. They also felt good because Chicago included quarterback Kyle Orton as part of the package.

But Orton got off to a rather rough start in his Broncos’ debut on Friday night, throwing three interceptions in the first half of Denver’s preseason loss to the 49ers. His first pick came on the goal line after marching the Broncos down the field on his first drive.

One could chalk up Orton’s poor start to nerves – after all, he is playing for a new team and a new coach in a new city. But when you take into account that he was also booed at a recent scrimmage for throwing multiple interceptions, Denver certainly has cause for concern.

Nobody is going to fault the Broncos for trading Cutler after he caused a stink when the team considered trading for Matt Cassel this offseason. But looking back, it’s easy to criticize Denver for not having a better backup plan in case Orton didn’t pan out. After all, there’s a reason why the Bears were happy to give up two first round picks and their own starting quarterback to acquire Cutler.

That said, it was only one half of one preseason game. Orton might come out next week and light up the scoreboard in Denver’s second preseason outing. Fans should show patience, while Orton tries to learn Josh McDaniels’ offense and get accustomed to his new receivers. It would also help if Brandon Marshall could get healthy and start practicing as well.