Why this offseason could change a narrative surrounding John Elway

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward and Emmanuel Sanders.

That was the Denver Broncos’ unfathomable 2014 free agent class. It’ll be hard to find a better free agent class in the history of the NFL. Not only did John Elway hit it out of the park, but the bases were loaded.

The year before that wasn’t too shabby, either, as the Broncos lured in Wes Welker, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Louis Vasquez and Terrance Knighton. All of which became immediate starters who helped the team reach Super Bowl 48.

For most general managers around the league, that batch of free agents would have been better than they could have ever imagined in their wildest dreams. It would have been a career class.

But not for John. At the time, that was just what he did.

Oh, and don’t forget Denver signed the one and only Peyton Manning in 2012. He’s in John’s repertoire, too.

But since Manning hung ‘em up after riding off into the Super Bowl 50 sunset, the Broncos have been swinging and missing… and missing… and missing on the open market.

In 2016, the big signing was tackle Russell Okung. In the end, Okung’s incredibly team-friendly contract was the best part about that signing as it allowed Denver to move on from him after one year.

Outside of Okung, the other big names in 2016 were Donald Stephenson, who also only lasted one year with the organization, and Jared Crick, who missed the entirety of his second season due to back surgery.

Three years later, turns out the best signing of 2016 was long snapper Casey Kreiter.

Don’t worry, 2017 got better as the team signed Ron Leary, Menelik Watson, Domata Peko and Zach Kerr. Yet just two years later, only Kerr and Leary remain with the team. Even then, Leary is coming off a torn Achilles, and Kerr has only started one game in his Broncos career.

Last year—yikes.

Case Keenum, Tramaine Brock, Clinton McDonald and Jared Veldheer highlighted the 2018 offseason class, as Veldheer was technically acquired via trade.

As it stands now, none are expected to be back for a second year with the organization.

Three years, three strikeouts.

That all changed in 2019, it appears.

“We’re building something really good here,” Kerr said, explaining why he decided to re-sign with the Broncos this offseason for two more years. “We brought in two really, really good defensive backs along with Ja’Wuan [James].”

This year, Elway’s free agent class comprised of Kareem Jackson, Bryce Callahan and Ja’Wuan James, all immediate-impact starters.

James instantly solidifies the right tackle position Denver’s so desperately tried to plug. Since 2014, the Broncos have had a different Week 1 starting right tackle every single year. The former first-round pick will end that in 2020, barring injury or an unlikely switch to the left side.

Jackson and Callahan, along with Chris Harris Jr., give the Broncos the best corner trio in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, as all three finished as top-10 cornerbacks in 2018.

Don’t forget about Joe Flacco, either, who Denver acquired via trade with the Ravens.

Worst case scenario with Denver’s new signal caller is he’s only a slight upgrade from Keenum. Best case, he’s the Super Bowl MVP-type player he’s been in his career, specifically in 2014 when he was in a similar offense to what Denver will run this year under Rich Scangarello, throwing for 27 touchdowns to only 12 interceptions.

Either way, it will only cost Elway a fourth-round pick—a small price to pay to upgrade at the most important position in all of sports.

“Once I saw that we were making those types of moves, I was like, ‘You know what, that is definitely something I want to be a part of,’” Kerr said, showing how powerful Elway’s offseason has been. “Honestly, I was looking at it, and I was like, ‘Yeah, that is definitely something I want to be a part of.’”

This doesn’t even take into account what Elway did with his coaching staff, either.

Not only did Elway land his top head coaching candidate, Vic Fangio, he landed his runner-up, Hall of Famer—and widely regarded as the best offensive line coach in the league—Mike Munchak, to turn around Denver’s offensive line.

It’s clear both Fangio and Munchak have both already had a major impact on the Broncos before the team has even taken the field.

“I feel like Vic is the guy to kind of take us over that hump, take us over the hill,” Kerr said, speaking in a manner not heard in Denver in years. “I just want to be a part of it.”

“The Broncos were always my top pick just because Fangio and Ed [Donatell] are here,” Callahan said, laying out why he chose Denver.

Many credit Manning’s presence with the killer free agent classes earlier in the decade. As Manning’s time with the team has grown further and further away, and the Broncos’ free-agent recruits up until 2019 have got less and less enticing, it’s been easier to buy into that theory.

If, however, the 2019 class pans out the way it’s supposed to—four legitimate starters, and sizable upgrades at crucial positions—that narrative will rightfully begin to change.