Broncos GM John Elway’s Re-Signing an Important Move for Franchise
January 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway reacts late in the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots in the 2013 AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
John Elway is a legend in Denver. He always has been, and he always will be. Elway has led the Denver Broncos to two Super Bowl titles–the only ones in franchise history–and now he’s working to lead them to more.
Just with a different title.
Elway has been the Broncos’ decision maker in the front office for the last three seasons, bringing in the foundation and the pieces to take Denver from the second worst record in the NFL to the Super Bowl, and one of the best teams in the league over the last three seasons.
Despite not having the title ‘General Manager’ until now, Elway has been that for the Broncos, essentially, leading up their scouting, making final calls on free agents and draft picks.
What people feared when Elway joined the Broncos in this new capacity was that he would be in over his head. Was Elway truly GM material? Would he just flame out like another player turned GM might?
There were plenty of doubts surrounding Elway’s hire but one thing I always maintained was the fact that you know all Elway wanted to do was help the Broncos win a Super Bowl, and he would take any measure to get there.
That was very evident in 2012, when he went out and caught the biggest fish potentially ever in free agency history–Peyton Manning. It was also evident in 2013, when Elway signed Wes Welker away from the Broncos’ arch nemesis, the New England Patriots.
With numerous hits in both the draft and free agency, it was a no-brainer for the Broncos to re-sign John Elway and keep him the head of the front office until 2017. Elway is a tireless worker, and I loved reading this bit from Jeff Legwold’s piece over at ESPN:
“As a scout who works for a team whose top decision-makers didn’t make the trip to last month’s Senior Bowl said, “My guys aren’t here, and I look up in the stands and I see [expletive] John Elway the week before his team is in the Super Bowl. All you need to know.”
“F-in John Elway…”
That might be a slightly humorous representation of who Elway has become since joining the Broncos’ front office, but that should excite Broncos fans. Elway is going to stop at nothing to make this team better. He’s going to exhaust his resources and put together the best possible team he can to help return the Broncos to prominence.
That is why re-upping Elway’s deal as the top guy in the front office was not just a no-brainer, it might have been the most important move the franchise could have made.