Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Here's why Elway Must Resist the Temptation to Kick the Tires on Tom Brady
John Elway set the NFL world on fire when he miraculously convinced the biggest free agent in league history to sign with the Denver Broncos back in 2012. At the time, Peyton Manning was a four-time MVP and had one Super Bowl ring.
Just a few months before Elway closed the deal that brought the Sheriff to the Mile High City, he sat next to then-head coach John Fox and anointed Tim Tebow as the Broncos' starter heading into 2012. After all, despite how ugly the Tebow-led Broncos offense was at times, the team stormed back from a 2-5 start to win the AFC West and beat the defending AFC-champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wildcard Round of the playoffs.
However, the prospect of landing Manning threw all that Tebow stuff out the window. In short order following the Manning signing, Elway allowed Tebow to choose his next NFL destination and traded him to the New York Jets. The Broncos would go onto appear in two Super Bowls with Manning over a four-year period, winning one, while Tebow fading into obscurity within two seasons.
Ever since Manning hung up his cleats following the Broncos' victory in Super Bowl 50, it's felt like Elway has been trying to recapture that same lightning in a bottle, but to no avail. First, it was a trade to acquire Mark Sanchez, a veteran with a few playoff wins under his belt, which was followed by signing Case Keenum as free agent following a deep playoff run in Minnesota, which was followed by acquiring Joe Flacco via trade, the latter of whom most closely resembled the resume Manning brought to the table as a former World Champion, despite him being a far cry from the NFL legend the Sheriff already was.
None of it has worked. Fortunately, while Elway has been trying to make hay with veteran cast-offs the league over, he kept going back to the well, looking for a quarterback with long-term franchise upside. Trevor Siemian flamed out. Paxton Lynch was a bust. Chad Kelly got arrested.
But finally, despite all his previous misses in the draft and free agency, Elway landed the guy — Drew Lock. Lock was selected early in the second round of this past draft and went 4-1 as a starter down the stretch for the Broncos, setting both team and league records along the way.
Elway did it the hard way. The Broncos bled, paid their dues post-Super Bowl 50 and spent their requisite time in the NFL desert and now the team stands to benefit in a big way. That is, if Elway doesn't leave good enough alone.
Another all-time-caliber quarterback is about to hit the free-agent market. Only this time, that player is a guy Elway himself has gone on record as calling the greatest QB in NFL history.
Tom Brady is poised to be a free agent for the first time in his storied career. And the Denver media machine can't stop talking about it. However, it is of the utmost importance to the long-term viability of this team that Elway resists the urge to court Brady.
As a six-time World Champion and three-time NFL MVP, you might ask why the Broncos would be remiss to pursue Brady. First off, although Manning and Brady will be compared in retrospect for many years to come, they couldn't be more different as first-time free agents.
Manning was 36, almost 37 years old when the Broncos signed him. There was the concern about the four neck surgeries that had derailed his final season in Indianapolis but ultimately, after working him out, Elway had no qualms in paying the man.
Brady will be 43 years old by the time the 2020 regular season rolls around. It'll be his 21st NFL season. Although there were those neck concerns with Manning, he had yet to show a significant decline in his actual play on the field, his missed 2011 campaign notwithstanding.
However, Brady showed significant signs of decline in 2019. Father Time remains undefeated and while Brady has been able to fend off the vagaries of age for a surprisingly long time, eventually, we all knew he'd have to pay the piper. Those payments began in earnest in 2019.
If this were a question of a 36-year-old Tom Brady, maybe the upside of pursuing him would be worth the downside risk of alienating Drew Lock and perhaps derailing all that good, organic, dearly-bought momentum the Broncos finally have heading into an offseason. But I don't see it.
2020 should be about Lock and building the nest around him. Let some other team pay through the nose to sign Brady and watch him unravel with increasing alacrity over the ensuing two years.
For a young quarterback, having the full faith and support of the organization goes a long, long way, especially for a guy who should have been drafted in the first round but fell to early day two.
The Broncos have a good thing going with Lock. His NFL resume might not be anywhere close to Brady's, but for now it's all about maximizing the future of this team. Do you suppose it's Lock or Brady who would give Denver the best chance at doing so?
Maybe pursuing Brady would be more advisable if the Broncos were one player away from winning it all. But they're not.
This team has a talented young core and that quintessential building block of a future franchise QB. But considering the amount of veterans Denver has entering free agency and the other roster holes that emerged during 2019, it's safe to say this team still has a ways to go.
Let Lock grow into being that franchise guy alongside his young teammates. It might be difficult to resist the urge, especially knowing what we do about Elway's roster-building philosophies and tricks of years past, but bringing in Brady, despite his six Super Bowl rings, is the quickest way to torpedo all the positive ju-ju and momentum the Broncos have built up through a mountain of sacrifice.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
