Denver Broncos top five free agent signings in team history

1. Peyton Manning, QB (2012)

I mean, what really needs to be said here?

Signing Peyton Manning wasn't just a cool thing that happened to the Denver Broncos. It was more of a "where were you when it happened?" sort of thing. It's one of the most significant offseason moves in Denver Broncos and NFL history.

Peyton Manning, a living legend, cut by the Indianapolis Colts because of a perfect set of circumstances. The Colts had the chance to draft Andrew Luck after Manning missed the 2011 season with five neck procedures. The guy could barely grip a football but had one of the most historically documented free agency pursuits of all-time.

Manning chose the Denver Broncos, and as of that fateful day in March, 2012, the Broncos were officially reborn as one of the elite franchises in the NFL. After more than a decade of struggling since John Elway retired, Elway himself pulled off the greatest free agent signing in NFL history by bringing in Manning, who almost instantly played at an MVP level for the Broncos.

In four years, the Broncos lost just 12 games on Manning's watch. He threw 37 touchdown passes in 2012 followed by a still-standing NFL-record 55 in 2013. The 2013 season was something you might do playing a Madden video game.

Manning ended up throwing a whopping 140 touchdowns in four seasons with the Broncos. He led the team to two Super Bowl appearances and one victory. Okay, he may have been dragged to the victory, but Manning was still the shot in the arm the team needed at the end of that 2015 season.

There's no amount of hyperbole you could conjure up to adequately describe the Peyton Manning era in Denver. All you can do is marvel at the fact that it actually happened.