According to John Keim of the Washington Examiner, the Redskins were interested in Orton when he was on waivers, but did not claim him. CSNWashington reported it was because of potential locker-room friction with Grossman. One league source said it was as much salary related (Orton would have been owed $3 million for one month’s work). By signing Orton, clearly a cheaper alternative than Peyton Manning, it would enable the Redskins to focus elsewhere in the draft – and still have a good chunk of change to spend in free agency. They likely would still draft a quarterback, if they view Orton as a one or two year guy, then maybe it could work – especially if they upgraded the receiving corps to pair with a less error-prone QB.

Source: Red Zone