No, the St. Louis Rams will not be putting in a waiver claim for Kyle Orton, not unless he can either play cornerback or offensive tackle. St. Louis has a capable backup, for now, in A.J. Feeley, and the young Sam Bradford still has oodles of potential, hidden by a mountain of struggles this season. That said, Orton is probably a name that Rams fans should keep their eye on next year.
I say all this against the backdrop of a likely housecleaning at Rams Park. Whether or not Josh McDaniels gets the boot remains to be seen. If McDaniels does stick around, he will be looking for a new backup quarterback. Feeley's contract is up after this season, and he isn't really a fit for McDaniels' offense, whatever that offense is.
Orton is a free agent after this season. During McDaniels tenure in Denver, Orton enjoyed some success, enough to make you wonder if the Rams wouldn't be at least a little interested in him as a backup option for Bradford in 2012, IF McDaniels sticks around that long. Given the abuse Bradford has taken this season, and likely will take being protected by practice squad linemen, having a backup that could step in and start over the long haul might not be a bad idea either.
Besides McDaniels' future with the team, Orton could well be looking for a starting job in 2012. Given the number of teams with crummy quarterback situations this year, there could be plenty of demand for Orton if shows something as Jay Cutler's replacement in Chicago (assuming he lands there).
Regardless of Orton or McDaniels' status for 2012, the Rams will definitely be looking for a backup QB. Add it to a long list of needs.