Brandon Stokley (14) after catching a touchdown pass during the first quarter of the AFC divisional round playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at Sports Authority Field. (Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports)

As voted by fans, Brandon Stokley was named the DISH Unbeatable Value Player of the Year.

The honor recognizes a player that exceeds fan expectations.

At 36-years-old, Stokley was the second oldest most experienced wide receiver in the NFL behind only Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers.

Signed by the Broncos last April, Stokley caught 45 passes for 544 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games (9 starts). He became just the 10th player in league history to catch 40 balls and record five touchdowns in a season at 36 or older. He also had three receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown in Denver’s playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Stokley received 65% of the vote casted by fans on DenverBroncos.com. Derek Wolfe (13%), Mike Adams (8%), Dan Koppen (7.5%), Keith Brooking (5%), Danny Trevathan (3%), and Jim Leonhard (2%) also received votes.

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Nov 4, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin (12) carries the ball during the 1st half against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Here we are, one month and counting until the free agency period begins. With some of the Denver Broncos’ players also becoming free agents, one has to wonder where Denver’s eye is going to be. To re-sign or not to re-sign; that is the question.

There are a lot of high profile players out there that are going to be up for grabs. Some of these high profile players include, but are not limited to wide receivers such as Greg Jennings (GB) and Wes Welker (NE). Each of these players would be valuable assets to the Broncos offense, but they come with a hefty price tag.

Jennings is nearing the end of his four-year contract with the Green Bay Packers and would be a valuable asset for a strategic offense that runs the route, where Jennings is most successful. With Peyton Manning behind the helm, I think that Jennings’ talents could help the Broncos. Jennings had to fight for the spotlight with fellow player Randall Cobb who put up 954 yards and 8 touchdowns, and Jennings only ended up with 366 yards, but 4 touchdowns. Bottom line, there is a lot of potential for Jennings especially with a team that has a well-organized offense as Denver is making out to be.

Acquiring Wes Welker would definitely raise eyebrows. Welker put up 1,354 receiving yards with 6 touchdowns in 2012. Welker ended up playing under his $9.35 million franchise tag with the New England Patriots without any long term extension last year. As free agency comes up again and Welker approaches 32, he will not have as much leverage to force the Patriots to extend a contract offer to him. The only downside I see to acquiring Welker would be the cost of his contract, and the Broncos would be limited on cap room. Though I would love to see him in orange and blue for more than one reason, I do expect to see Welker to play for a different team this year.

Another talk of the town outside free agency and more likely of an acquisition for Denver would be a trade for Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver, Percy Harvin. Harvin racked up 677 yards and 3 touchdown passes in 2012, but like Greg Jennings, the spotlight was mainly pointed toward another player. Of course you all know that I mean this year’s MVP, Adrian Peterson. Even so, Harvin would be a valuable asset, but he also comes with a tad bit of baggage in the attitude department. Sound familiar, Bronco fans? It does to me too. It reminds me of the Brandon Marshall and Josh McDaniels days. Attitudes aside, both Harvin and Marshall were and still are stellar players. Honestly, personality clashes happen, but that doesn’t mean that a player is a bad player, you just need to find the right fit and that has certainly been proven in Marshall’s case.

Giving credit where credit is due, Marshall has flourished with the Chicago Bears under former teammate and quarterback Jay Cutler. I think that Harvin working with respected and seasoned veterans like Peyton Manning could tame Harvin, especially with the potential of a Super Bowl run in 2014. Unlike the price tag on Welker and Jennings, the 24-year-old Harvin is still due to make $2.9 million under his current contract in 2013, and that is something the Broncos could afford to invest in to beef up their wide receiver slot, but who knows?

Brandon Stokley was Manning’s go-to man putting up 544 yards and 5 touchdowns, in addition to helping the Broncos third-down conversion where it needed it. Stokley certainly proved that he still has it at 36, but the Broncos only signed him to a one-year deal last year after the acquisition of Manning. Stokley, like Harvin, is a free agent, and I personally feel that the Broncos will not make a move in the wide receiver end without consulting Manning first. With that in mind, remember what John Fox and John Elway’s goals are. It’s ultimately about winning a Super Bowl, and they are going to make sure that they put the right weapons in front of Manning in order to do so.

Stay tuned, Broncos Country. It is only the beginning!

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Brandon Stokley (14) reacts after his touchdown catch with wide receiver Eric Decker (87) against the Baltimore Ravens in the second quarter of the AFC divisional round playoff game at Sports Authority Field. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

At 36 years old, Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley had his best season since 2007. He finished the regular season with 45 catches for 544 yards and 5 touchdowns which ties for the second most touchdowns in a season in his 14-year career.

Always Peyton Manning’s go-to guy on third-and-long, Stokley may be small, but his sure hands and experience made him a great target among the Broncos’ young receiving corp. He ended the season by contributing 3 catches and the game’s first offensive touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens.

Stokley is an unrestricted free agent now, and many perceive his future as up in the air.

“I think we’ll relax for a little while, but my plan is to get back to work and hopefully play another year,” Stokley said of his future. “This is about the only thing I do halfway decent, so for me, why not? I feel like I still love it, I still love competing and I still love playing football so hopefully I’ll get another opportunity.”

If Manning had not come to Denver, Stokley likely would have spent this season on his couch.

“Without him, I wouldn’t have played this year, there’s no doubt,” Stokley said. “I’d be retired, probably about 20 pounds heavier, so, yeah, I owe him a lot for this year and a lot for my career in general. Coming from Baltimore, going to Indy, that kind of sparked my career, playing with him. Yeah, I owe the guy a lot.”

Last off season, Manning needed to workout before multiple teams tried to coax him to their respective cities, and he wanted to do it with familiar receivers. Under the watchful eye of Duke head coachDavid Cutcliffe, Manning threw to his former Indianapolis Colts‘ crew.

“I told a few guys: Dallas (Clark), (Austin Collie), Stokley, I can get you courtside tickets to Duke-North Carolina, but you’ve got to come and throw for three days with me. I really needed to do these workouts because I was getting ready to have to workout for teams, whoever it may be.”

Stokley was looking so good during the workouts that Cutcliffe told him that he should give it another shot in the NFL. He was running quick routes, keeping up with the younger guys, and as strong as ever. As good as Stokley looked, Manning still had to rip into him a little bit.

“Brandon had been working out a little bit,” Manning said. “He came down there and we were working pretty good, throwing twice a day. I think that’s why Duke got beat in basketball because Brandon used the Duke trainers to work on him so much, they didn’t spend any time on the basketball team.”

Manning showed the Broncos some tape, and Stokley looked good enough on film for the team to bring him in for a workout. The rest is history. Now the Broncos have a full season’s worth of tape to determine whether they want him back.

“I love this group of guys in this locker room and the receivers that we had—it couldn’t have been better,” Stokley said. “It was just a lot of fun. I had so much fun. Like I said, it’s about the only thing I do halfway decent.”

Just like age, ‘decent’ is all relative.

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