Denver Broncos most recent approach to free agency is working
The Denver Broncos have gone from 4-12 to 13-3 in a mere two seasons and have John Elway to thank. His approach to free agency simply works, and it’s only a matter of time until he leads the Broncos back to another Super Bowl.
There’s a new sheriff in town; John Elway is laying down the law.
For football fans everywhere, this is an exciting time; NFL Free Agency begins today.
And for the Denver Broncos, a shift in philosophies has paid off as the team has turned around from 4-12 to 13-3 in only two seasons.
That’s an incredible improvement, and much of it is due to Elway’s decisions.
When Mike Shanahan was in town, he went after high-priced veterans that proved they had little left in the tank by the time they got to Denver.
When Josh McDaniels was the head coach and control freak, his ineptitude shown through as he traded away top talent and filled the team with no-name players. The result was the worst Broncos team in 40 years, arguably in the history of the franchise.
But, what Elway is doing from behind the big desk in Dove Valley is working very well.
When Elway became the Vice President of Football Operations in January of 2011, the Broncos were the laughing stock of the league.
The team was in shambles – looking for their third head coach in four years, nearly devoid of talented players – Elway immediately went to work fixing the franchise he loves. He hired John Fox to lead the team and signed reasonably-priced free agents. Matt Prater, Ryan McBean, Marcus Thomas and Wesley Woodyard were re-signed while new free agents included David Anderson, Tony Carter and Willis McGahee, among many others. He also used the draft to fill holes; Von Miller, Rahim Moore, Orlando Franklin and Quinton Carter have all started for the team since.
Last season was much of the same for Elway and the Broncos. He again re-signed key players in Prater, Woodyard, Britton Colquitt, Joe Mays and Manny Ramirez, each of which played an important role in Denver being the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
In free agency, the Duke of Denver found a litany of cheaper vets that made an immediate impact. Mike Adams, Keith Brooking, Joel Dreessen, Trindon Holliday, Dan Koppen, Jim Leonard, Tracy Porter, Brandon Stokley and Jacob Tamme were all brought in and every one of them made big plays for the Broncos last season. Adams, Tamme, Dreessen and Stokley started all year long, while each of the others enjoyed at least one start for the team.
Of course, we can’t have a discussion about Denver free agency without including the acquisition of Peyton Manning. Manning is the one outlier among all of Elway’s additions; he cost a ton of money, though, he’s a Future Hall of Famer.
Landing Manning meant getting the biggest free agent in the history of the league to play for the orange and blue, many said his signing made Denver a Super Bowl contender. Sure, Manning undoubtedly improved the team, at least on the offensive side of the ball, and his many intangibles to go with the profound play make him one of the most valuable players in the NFL. But without Tamme, Dreessen and Stokley to throw to, without Koppen and Ramirez to block for him, Manning would have been lost. Defensively, Denver was vastly improved; Woodyard became a leader, Tony Carter forced turnovers, Brooking stepped in valiently when Mays was injured and Adams was solid in coverage. On special teams, signing Holliday mid-way through the season provided a much-needed spark, and he scored three touchdowns while being one of the most dangerous return men in the league.
Elway’s built a winner in Denver using a fantastic formula; find guys that want to be here, that want to win, ones that have good attitudes and are willing to play for less than other teams may be willing to pay them.
In Elway they trust, and in Elway Broncos fans trust, because he’s done so well so far.
So, what will he do today, when free agency opens at 2 p.m. MT?
In all likelihood, he’ll stick to the gameplan, finding older athletes that can still play and are willing to do so for less money in exchange for winning. But, don’t be surprised if the Broncos go out and get another big-name free agent, like they did last year with Manning. It may not be a future Hall of Famer, or it might be; we won’t know until it happens. But one thing is for sure; with Elway calling the plays, Denver is dangerous. They’ve been rumored to be interested in more Pro Bowl players than is prudent to name here, one or more of them is coming to the Mile High City.
What we know as of Monday night is this: D.J. Williams and Caleb Hanie have been cut, and Elvis Dumervil may be right behind them if his agent and the Broncos can’t come to terms by the start of free agency this afternoon. If Dumervil indeed leaves, look for Elway to go get Dwight Freeney or Osi Umenyiora as a replacement, and to sign them for less than Doom’s $13 million he’s due this season.
Denver’s again poised to make noise in free agency, and with Elway in charge, it’s only a matter of time until the Broncos are back in the Super Bowl.
