Some clubs are offseason champions. Others use the offseason to build champions.
Five AFC West titles, two AFC championships and one Vince Lombardi Trophy are direct results of what Executive Vice President/General Manager John Elway managed to pull off during the free-agent signing periods of the previous six years.
With over $36 million of salary-cap room, the Broncos are positioned to add to their recent free-agent successes.
But which players represent the 10 best free-agent pickups of the Elway era?
10. WES WELKER, 2013
Welker and emerging young tight end Julius Thomas were the final pieces of an offensive puzzle that powered Peyton Manning and the Broncos to a slew of league records in 2013. Only a series of concussions slowed Welker down, but in his first season with the Broncos, he burnished a resume that could net him Hall of Fame consideration because of how he changed the possibilities for a slot receiver.
9. TERRANCE KNIGHTON, 2013
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie's contributions during his only Broncos season must be noted, but it was Knighton who not only played beyond expectations, but had the best game of his career in just about the highest-leverage situation possible -- the 2013 AFC Championship Game, where his interior pass rush effectively provided the nail in the Patriots' coffin during the second half. Knighton would eventually become a team captain.
8. WILLIS McGAHEE, 2011
The 2011 free-agent period was the most bizarre in NFL history, as the offseason lockout pushed the signing period all the way back to the start of training camp. When the Broncos signed McGahee, he had just been cut and was coming off the worst season of his career with the Ravens in 2010. Some thought he might be done. Instead, he responded with a Pro Bowl flourish, galloping for 1,199 yards and averaging 4.8 yards per carry as the Broncos led the league in rushing. While Tim Tebow got the national spotlight that year, McGahee provided the every-down blows that ensured the offense had a reliable bread-and-butter option that made the club's first AFC West crown in six years possible.
7. LOUIS VASQUEZ, 2013
Although injuries accumulated quickly for Vasquez in 2014 and 2015, his first season in Denver was arguably the finest for a guard in Denver annals. He remains the only first-team All-Pro guard in Broncos history, and his willingness to put team before himself showed in his flexibility in moving to right tackle when the need arose in 2014.
6. DARIAN STEWART, 2015
Value is the watchword for Stewart, who signed a two-year contract to replace previous starter Rahim Moore, who had moved on to Houston in that year's free-agent period. Moore was cut by the Texans one year into his three-year contract, while Stewart immediately flourished as the final piece in the "No-Fly Zone" puzzle, earning a four-year contract extension that he signed last November. His first Pro Bowl appearance followed two months later.
5. DeMARCUS WARE, 2014
Sack numbers don't measure Ware's impact on the Broncos during his three seasons with the team; his leadership was also essential to the Broncos coming together to win Super Bowl 50. Back and forearm injuries the last two years slowed him down, but Ware remained effective in short bursts and cemented his Hall of Fame status with two Pro Bowls and a dominant postseason run as the Broncos sprinted to their third world championship.
4. T.J. WARD, 2014
It's easy to forget that two other safeties got more buzz leading up to the 2014 free-agency period -- Donte Whitner and Jairus Byrd. Whitner effectively replaced Ward with the Browns; Byrd got $28 million guaranteed from the Saints. Neither is still with those teams, with Byrd being cut after three injury-marred seasons. Meanwhile, Ward powers onward, providing the thump in the box for the "No-Fly Zone." The Broncos' transition to a 3-4 alignment created a perfect sub-package role for Ward, who is effectively as much a linebacker as a safety. Few players possess his skill set, which the Broncos have used to great effect.
3. EMMANUEL SANDERS, 2014
Few players delivered more in terms of value than Sanders, who lingered on the market until the end of the first wave of free agency because he had been a No. 3 wide receiver in Pittsburgh. The Broncos signed him to a three-year, $15-million deal, and he quickly proved to be a bargain, handling the step up from No. 3 to No. 2 with aplomb while breaking every season-long career standard in his first Broncos campaign. A two-time Pro Bowler in Denver, Sanders led the Broncos in receiving yardage during the 2015 postseason that culminated in a world title.
2. AQIB TALIB, 2014
At the time the Broncos signed Talib, he was coming off the best season of his career to that point. But his first five campaigns had been marred by injuries and a four-game suspension in 2012. Fortunately for the Broncos, the 2013 season that led to Talib's big contract was just the beginning, and he's only improved his on-field performance from there. With three consecutive Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro selection since joining the Broncos, Talib has more than lived up to his contract.
1. PEYTON MANNING, 2012
Not just the best signing of the Elway era, but given the degree to which Manning transformed the franchise's trajectory, it could be considered the best free-agent pickup in NFL history -- or at least since the Packers signed Reggie White in 1993, the first year of the current free-agency system. The Broncos rolled the dice on Manning's surgically-repaired neck holding up, and once he got accustomed to the Broncos after some early ups and downs, he delivered just over two full seasons from October 2012 through November 2014 that represented his career apex. He had just enough left in his final season to push the Broncos over the goal line for their third Super Bowl win, making Manning the first quarterback to start and win Super Bowls with different franchises.
Take a look back at the Broncos' top 10 modern-era free-agent signings, as ranked by an average rating from the digital media office. (AP Images)
The Sheriff notched the top spot with an unanimous No. 1 rating after a four-year stint with the Broncos that featured two Super Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl win, an MVP season, two first-team All-Pro nods and three Pro Bowl selections. The accolades of course can go much further, but the basic thing to know is that Manning's impact transformed the franchise's trajectory before he went out on top after helping land the team's third Super Bowl.
Talib is still in the middle of his time with the Broncos after arriving in 2014 during the team's flurry of free-agency splashes, but his impact has been remarkable, particularly in conjunction with Chris Harris Jr., whose skills complement Talib's in the No Fly Zone. Talib provides numerous benefits: extensive experience and an impressive football I.Q.; great instincts and the ball skills to fully capitalize off them; and the energy that helps fuel the defense's aggressiveness. After three seasons in Denver, Talib is already the franchise leader in pick-sixes. Among his accomplishments in that time are a Super Bowl 50 win, three consecutive Pro Bowls and a selection to the first-team All-Pro squad in 2016.
The veteran safety came to Denver after 11 prolific years in Tampa Bay, but he had plenty more fuel in the tank for the Broncos. Lynch's hard hits and leadership helped drive the Broncos to their first AFC Championship appearance since the one that launched them to Super Bowl XXXIII. He earned four consecutive Pro Bowls nods in his four seasons in Denver and was named to the Ring of Fame in 2016.
After four years working with the Giants and 49ers, the speedy wideout from Stanford joined the Broncos' highpowered offense led by another Cardinal alumnus. Nine years later, McCaffrey would retire with rings from Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selection, and the fourth-most receiving yards in franchise history. Coupled with Rod Smith and tight end Shannon Sharpe, McCaffrey completed an outstanding group of receivers that helped deliver the Broncos its first championship, and then its second.
Like Talib, DeMarcus Ware was an instrumental free-agent signing that would lay part of the foundation for the path to the Broncos' Super Bowl 50 victory. The 12-year veteran outside linebacker was a key leader of the dominant 2015 defensive unit and was an influential figure in the development of Von Miller. Though injuries bugged him in the past two seasons, Ware came back when it mattered and made his impact felt. While Miller led the way in the 2015 postseason run, Ware's performance went a little under the radar. In that run, he had 12 quarterback hits (double what any other Bronco had, and had the game-changing fumble recovery in the divisional round against Pittsburgh. Ware has notched two Pro Bowl selections in three years.
Executive Vice President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway saw potential in Sanders, who had shown potential in his four seasons with the Steelers, and signed him to join WR Demaryius Thomas in the high-powered offense led by Peyton Manning. The move paid dividends as Sanders and Thomas have become the seventh WR duo tandem to each record three consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards. With his explosiveness and elusiveness, Sanders has given the Broncos another playmaker that can power the offense, and in turn, he's earned two Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl ring.
The former Colorado Buffalo All-American returned to the Rocky Mountains to reach his career peak. As a free agent, Williams signed with the Broncos in 1996, helping build the defensive foundation of the Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII teams. In his first year, Williams was an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection with 13 sacks, and then he followed that season with 8.5 sacks and two postseason sacks.
"Jake the Snake" earns his spot here for helping lead the Broncos back to consistent playoff contention in the mid-2000s with dynamic (if occasionally sometimes risky) quarterback play in Mike Shanahan and Gary Kubiak's balanced offense. In his best two-year span, from 2004 to 2005, Plummer threw for 7,455 yards, 45 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He also earned a Pro Bowl selection and got to an AFC Championship with the 2005 team.
Smith changed AFC-West allegiances in 1997 after nine seasons with the Chiefs, signing a one-year contract with the Broncos. With his help, Denver won their first championship and Smith signed back on for another two seasons. In his three years, he totaled 17 sacks and was selected as a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro. Smith came up huge when it counted, recording three sacks in the 1997 postseason, recovering a fumble in Super Bowl XXXII and returning a fumble 79 yards for a touchdown in the 1998 divisional round.
Schlereth (or "Stink," as he is also known) was a key part of a dominant offensive line that protected John Elway in the pocket and paved the way for Terrell Davis, who would earn league MVP and Super Bowl MVP honors. Stink garnered Pro Bowl honors in 1998 and finished his career as a Bronco with wins in each of his Super Bowl appearances before retiring in 2000.
A three-year member of the Broncos, Vasquez hit the ground running as a free-agent signing in 2013. That year, the Broncos hit league-record marks for offensive production, and Vasquez was picked for the Pro bowl and the All-Pro team. He also played in two Super Bowls, winning one.
The fiery and controversial linebacker was a ferocious mainstay in the middle of the field for Denver from 1996 to 2001. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion in that time, and did not miss a single game in those six seasons.
McGahee arrived in Denver and quickly proved he had more left in the tank for the Broncos. He rushed for 1,199 yards in 14 starts and earned a Pro Bowl selection. Behind him, the Broncos led the league in rushing yards per game.
In 2009, Dawkins signed a five-year contract, joining a talented defense that included Champ Bailey. Dawkins' leadership with Bailey and outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil would form a strong network for a group of young, talented defensive players that included Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr. and others. He was a two-time Pro Bowl safety in 2009 and 2011 and a second-team All-Pro in 2009.
