Is John Elway the best G.M. in football
John Elway has the Denver Broncos flying high again at 6-2, atop the AFC West heading into Sunday's showdown with Oakland.
Denver - A few weeks back when DeMarco Ware went down with an injury, right there, waiting in the wings was 2015 first-round draft pick, Shane Ray. A couple weeks later, C.J. Anderson goes down and the Broncos, have should-have-been a 2nd round pick, Utah rookie, DeVontate Booker ready to go. Even last week as the Broncos faced San Diego, with Aqib Talib nursing a sore back, right there and ready to go was Bradley Roby who was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after his 49-yard pick-six, against said Chargers.
Ahhhhh, the maestro that is Denver GM, John Elway!
A few years back, Elway had to sit through a Tim TeBow year (Oh, how he must have hated that) before he went out and grabbed Peyton Manning who still had plenty in the tank. Four years of Manning resulted in a Super Bowl win, two Super Bowl appearances and an appearance in the AFC title game (lost to Baltimore).
While some outside the Broncos organization questioned the move to let John Fox go and bring in Elway's former understudy, Gary Kubiak, that too, turned to gold as Kubiak waded through some difficult injury (Manning) waters to help win last year's Super Bowl.
Gary Kubiak and John Elway
While Elway and company seem to have a knack for the draft, it's the player personnel moves where Elway really shines. Maybe it's the old car salesman in him but Elway in the board room seems right at home with calling the shots.
With Brock Osweiler playing hard-ball at the conclusion of last season, Elway didn't pony up the kind of money that Osweiler was demanding. And, Elway, despite knowing Osweiler, knowing his game, and projecting the Broncos to be good under the direction of Osweiler made the tough cut, precisely and with little fuss.
"Ok, Osweiler, beat it, we don't need you,"
While Osweiler has struggled in Houston, the Broncos addressed the QB situation by grabbing veteran backup Mark Sanchez, moving brilliantly in the draft to acquire Paxton Lynch, and all the while, the real starter, had already been drafted, Trevor Siemian.
The Broncos went from losing a HOF, losing the incumbent, and yet, somehow ended up with three QB's on the roster that could probably suffice, playing behind one of the best defenses in NFL history.
Win or lose Sunday's big game, Elway has the Broncos in the conversation, Again. He appears to have the rare combination of former player tucked in with savvy businessmen and it looks like the Broncos are and will continue to be one of the elite organizations in football.
