Can John Elway shake the bad drafter label in 2014?
“With all the success that Elway has experienced off the field for the Broncos, he has also been met with his share of criticisms, mainly when it comes to scouting and drafting talent, or lack thereof.”
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John Elway is Denver sports.
There is no one else in the history of the Denver Broncos or any other Colorado sports franchise that personifies sports in the Mile High city quite like No. 7 does. It’s pretty safe to say that he will hold that prestigious honor for decades to come and even potentially eternity, or at least for the rest of our lifetimes.
His amazing legacy on the field was forever solidified with a Super Bowl win career walk off, something that generations of guys dream of doing. To be able to walk away from the game as a player after reaching the pinnacle of your sport is enviable in any discipline.
When Elway came back to the Broncos via the front office, some viewed it as simply a public relations move. That perhaps owner Pat Bowlen was attempting to distract and move on from the disastrous Josh McDaniels era, and there’s no better facilitator than Colorado’s prodigal son, Elway.
What we didn’t know is how hands on he would actually be in this new role. As executive vice president of the Broncos, Elway was involved in decisions across the board, from staff hires to free agency, as well the NFL draft.
Elway has been praised for his front office role and recently was given a new four-year contract and the spiffy title of General Manager.
Elway’s work in the free agent market has been heralded with saving the franchise from sinking by landing one Peyton Manning, perhaps the biggest guy to hit the free agent market in the modern football era. The acquisitions of Wes Welker, Louis Vasquez, Shaun Phillips and Terrance Knighton were also pivotal in Denver’s Super Bowl run.
Under his watch, the Broncos have won three straight division titles, one with Tim Tebow under center and two more with Peyton Manning.
With all the success that Elway has experienced off the field for the Broncos, he has also been met with his share of criticisms, mainly when it comes to scouting and drafting talent, or lack thereof.
In his three seasons so far at the helm, only a few of the players drafted in the early rounds have actually panned out as top guys for the Broncos. Historically, some of the later draft picks have actually worked out very well for Elway; however the guys taken in the first part of the draft have struggled to prove their value.
The best draft class as far as talent and players making an impact on the current squad was his first season, 2011. The Broncos first three picks were Von Miller, Rahim Moore and Orlando Franklin, while mostly hurt this season, are all still playing and valuable members of the Denver Broncos.
In 2012, Elway’s top three selections were Derek Wolfe, Brock Osweiler and Ronnie Hillman. While all three of these guys are still on the Broncos’ roster, none of them have made a significant impact and Denver could have been better off with a number of other players in those spots, achem…Doug Martin. To be fair, Osweiler has not exactly been given a shot to shine but that’s just fine with us.
2013’s draft brought the Broncos Sylvester Williams, Montee Ball and Kayvon Webster as their first three picks. While Montee Ball appeared to be hitting his stride down the stretch and could eventually prove to be the Broncos’ future in the backfield, the other two were underwhelming and seemingly wasted early round picks for the Broncos, yet again.
What will the draft hold this year for John Elway and the Denver Broncos?
Can he and the rest of the staff make the decisions necessary to fill actual holes on the field and build for another Super Bowl run? It will certainly be interesting to see if Elway is capable of really assessing the talent of these young guys and selecting more impactful players, or if he will remain pegged as a crappy drafter.
Either way, I know I am ready to move forward to the 2014 season, and I’m pretty sure the rest of you are as well.
