To begin the business of Day One of the NFL’s 2011 season, the Denver Broncos will place quarterback Kyle Orton on the trading block.

Welcome, coach John Fox, to the never-dull, always-changing world of Broncos football.

With the NFL trading period opening at 8 a.m. today, Orton’s days as the Broncos’ starting QB may be down to hours. The Broncos will be entertaining offers for Orton, according to two NFL sources.

Orton has made it clear that after posting the two best seasons of his pro career, throwing 41 touchdown passes against 21 interceptions for the Broncos, he doesn’t want to serve as backup to the unproven Tim Tebow.

Teams that don’t have a proven starting quarterback and therefore need one include Minnesota, Tennessee and Arizona. Seattle, Washington, Cincinnati and Miami also could be possibilities.

The opening of the trade period became possible after the league’s 32 player representatives, including Broncos safety Brian Dawkins, unanimously approved a 10-year collective bargaining agreement Monday with team owners, who last week voted 31-0 in favor of the proposal.

“For the owners, they got what they wanted in terms of they got a greater percentage of the revenues and they got rid of Judge Doty,” said labor expert Gary Roberts, dean of the Indiana School of Law-Indianapolis. “The players got better safety and long-term health benefits. They also got an increased floor on the salary cap. That should help the marginal player.

“All in all, I thought it was a pretty fair deal.”

What the owners received in the deal, which ended the NFL lockout:

• A shift in the percentage of the league’s revenues, which came in at $9.3 billion last year, from about 50 percent to about 53 percent. An additional 3 percent of the pie would have come out to an additional $279 million for the owners in 2010.

• A new rookie wage pool that significantly diminishes the expense of first-round draft picks — reducing one of the owners’ riskiest investments. Last year’s No. 2 draft pick received a $60 million contract, with $40 million guaranteed. Von Miller, drafted No. 2 overall by the Broncos this year, is expected to get a four-year contract worth $21 million, with most of it guaranteed.

“A large percentage that had gone to the rookies will go to the veterans,” said Joe Ellis, the Broncos’ president.

• Disputes between the owners and players will no longer belong to the jurisdiction of a Minnesota judge named David Doty, who has consistently ruled in the players’ favor. Now, an independent arbitrator will hear such grievances.

“That’s a huge, huge plus for the owners,” Roberts said.

The player improvements from the league’s previous CBA:

• Significant increases in player safety and long-term health benefits by way of significantly reducing the number of offseason workouts and physical contact during the offseason and the regular season. There will be no 18-game regular season, which the owners wanted, at least through the 2013 season.

“The health and safety issues were huge for us players, especially as you find out more and more about the long-term impact on players’ bodies after they’re through playing,” Dawkins said Monday from Washington, where the deal was announced. “That was very important to us. And financially, going from a total revenue to an all revenue system was very, very important to us.”

• Dawkins referred to the $1 billion “enhancing the game” credit the owners received before sharing the remaining revenues with the players. Having more revenue available to them helped the players accept a smaller percentage.

• A $55,000 raise in the minimum salaries in 2011, plus $15,000 raises in each of the next four years. And while the owners were able to lower the salary cap from $128 million in 2009 to $120 million in 2011, they also raised the floor to at least 99 percent of a team’s annual salary cap.

“Football is a team game, and it takes every player to succeed,” Dawkins said. “We negotiated this deal for all players so all players would benefit, not just a select few.”

• An increase in retired player benefits of at least $90 million a year.

Now that the NFL’s 2011 season is a sure thing, Orton has become Broncos’ No. 1 issue.

Orton had been No. 1 on the Denver depth chart at quarterback since he was acquired from the Chicago Bears in their trade for Jay Cutler before the 2009 season.

If the Broncos don’t like the offers they receive for Orton, he likely would remain their starting quarterback. Tebow would be the backup and Brady Quinn would be No. 3 on the depth chart.

But trade Orton, and it becomes Tebow’s world. The Broncos would just be living in it, although Quinn would get an opportunity to compete for the starting job.

If they trade Orton, the Broncos likely would sign a third quarterback through free agency.

Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com

It’s full speed ahead

The NFL lockout ended with a labor settlement Monday. Here’s what next for the Broncos:

8 a.m. today: Players can voluntarily report to Dove Valley for conditioning. Trading period begins. Draft picks and college free agents can be signed. Broncos can begin negotiating with, but not sign, their own free agents Ryan Harris and Marcus Thomas and can negotiate, but not sign, veteran unrestricted free agents.

Wednesday: Players signed by Broncos must officially report to team headquarters for training camp.

Thursday: Training camp opens with two sessions: 8:50 a.m. and 6 p.m. Both sessions are open to the public. Admission and nearby parking are free.

Thursday: Broncos can start clearing roster space and salary cap room by waiving or releasing players.

Friday: Broncos can start signing free agents.

Mike Klis, The Denver Post