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Denver Broncos: Top 15 acquisitions of the decade

By Graham Tiedtke

Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – FEBRUARY 07: Aqib Talib #21 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after defeating the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – FEBRUARY 07: Aqib Talib #21 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after defeating the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

Signed Aqib Talib in 2014

By: Sayre Bedinger

Following the Broncos’ difficult 43-8 loss in Super Bowl 48 to the Seattle Seahawks, John Elway knew that something had to be done about his defense, which was a battered and bruised mess by the time his team got to the big game.

Elway saw the blueprint put forth by the Seahawks in how their roster was built with speed at every level, and that element of speed and toughness was missing from Denver’s secondary, which was sort of a hodge-podge by the time they faced off against Seattle.

Most people expected the team to just re-sign Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who had signed a one-year contract with the Broncos in 2013 and vastly out-performed that deal. The Broncos were negotiating with DRC when a deal for Talib became possible, and the Broncos pulled the trigger, letting DRC walk and bringing in the enigmatic, unpredictable Talib.

Talib, whose past and off-field issues had gotten him traded from the Buccaneers to the New England Patriots, was coming off of a tremendous campaign in New England before the Broncos signed him to a five-year, team-friendly deal.

Talib brought an attitude to Denver’s secondary, but more than that, he brought insane production as a ballhawk and a physicality that made him one of the premiere shutdown corners in the game from 2014-2017.

In 58 regular season games with the Broncos, Talib picked off 11 passes, taking six back for touchdowns, and also added 183 total tackles. He had six pass breakups in Denver’s Super Bowl 50 run in 2015 and was elite in every way you could ask a cornerback to be in his time with the Broncos.

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