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Denver Broncos: John Elway’s top 12 free agent signings

BySayre Bedinger|
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 08: Peyton Manning holds the Lombardi Trophy to celebrate the Denver Broncos in win Super Bowl 50 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High before taking on the Carolina Panthers on September 8, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 08: Peyton Manning holds the Lombardi Trophy to celebrate the Denver Broncos in win Super Bowl 50 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High before taking on the Carolina Panthers on September 8, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
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John Elway has been better than any general manager in the NFL at building his roster through free agency. Who are his top 12 signings?

ENGLEWOOD, CO – MARCH 07: (L-R) Denver Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak, quarterback Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager John Elway, and Denver Broncos President & CEO Joe Ellis pose for a picture as Manning announces his retirement from the NFL at the UCHealth Training Center on March 7, 2016 in Englewood, Colorado. Manning, who played for both the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos in a career which spanned 18 years, is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (539), passing yards (71,940) and tied for regular season QB wins (186). Manning played his final game last month as the winning quarterback in Super Bowl 50 in which the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers, earning Manning his second Super Bowl title. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
ENGLEWOOD, CO – MARCH 07: (L-R) Denver Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak, quarterback Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager John Elway, and Denver Broncos President & CEO Joe Ellis pose for a picture as Manning announces his retirement from the NFL at the UCHealth Training Center on March 7, 2016 in Englewood, Colorado. Manning, who played for both the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos in a career which spanned 18 years, is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (539), passing yards (71,940) and tied for regular season QB wins (186). Manning played his final game last month as the winning quarterback in Super Bowl 50 in which the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers, earning Manning his second Super Bowl title. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The Denver Broncos have been one of the most successful teams in NFL history, and much of that success is thanks to John Elway.

Whether he was making plays out on the field as the team’s franchise quarterback or making decisions in the front office, Elway has rarely failed the Broncos and he’s been especially exceptional as an NFL executive.

Elway has been particularly effective in free agency, using the money and cap space he’s given very wisely and making impact moves year after year.

Putting together a list of Elway’s best moves in free agency was quite difficult to do, especially with so many different players making such a huge impact on the franchise.

There were players who were even left off this list that could have a case made for them.

Here are the top 12 free agent signings, ranked, that John Elway has made in his time as a Denver Broncos executive.

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