John Elway's 7-Best Free-Agent Moves as Broncos GM Revealed

John Elway has had his whiffs in free agency since arriving in the Broncos front office back in 2011 but he's had his fair share of hits, too. Here are his seven-best decisions.

You've already read the article laying out John Elway's seven-worst free-agent moves he's made since arriving as the Denver Broncos GM. Today, I’m going to examine Elway's best decisions in free agency over the years. 

The focus will be on free-agent signings, player extensions, and trades, not draft picks — meaning you won’t see the likes of Paxton Lynch or Garett Bolles appearing on this list. I will also focus on only those moves in which we have some sample size and retrospective scope with which to judge — thus any moves made in 2020 won’t be listed because we don’t yet know what the impact will be.Let’s go over the seven best moves that Elway has made in free agency.

Without further ado, here are the seven-best moves that Elway has made in free agency.

7. Trading for OT Jared Veldheer (2018)

Elway’s misfortune with addressing the right tackle position has seemed to be a recurring them since Orlando Franklin was moved from right tackle to guard, only to leave shortly thereafter in free agency.

But for all of Elway’s missteps, he made a good move in sending a sixth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for the veteran Veldheer.

Though Veldheer was older and coming off injuries, he had a solid 2017 season when he moved from the left to the right side. When he joined the Broncos, he provided stability on the right side, something the team had lacked.

The Broncos didn’t extend Veldheer, who spent time with the Patriots and Packers in 2019 before retiring. But his acquisition is a good example of how a team can turn a late-round draft pick into a quality contributor.

6. Signing OG Evan Mathis (2015)

Some may have been surprised when the Philadelphia Eagles cut two-time Pro Bowler Mathis. The veteran spent the summer weeks during NFL training camp mulling offers from other teams.

Toward the end of the preseason, Mathis made his decision, passing on better offers elsewhere to take a one-year deal for $1 million with incentives.

Though Mathis wasn’t in his best form and missed a couple of games with injuries, he did enough to provide some stability to the interior offensive line. He earned most of his incentives in the process and got what he really wanted when he joined the Broncos — a Super Bowl ring.

5. Signing DT Terrence Knighton (2013)

Elway has done his best with his under-the-rader signings, in which he gives a player a short-term deal at a low cost. There’s plenty of such signings I could point out for this list.

But in Knighton, I went with one who quickly became a fan-favorite. When Jack Del Rio took over as defensive coordinator, he had praise for Knighton, whom Del Rio coached when the player was with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Knighton agreed to terms on a two-year, $4.5M contract. He thrived in Del Rio’s scheme, giving the Broncos a presence against the run and showing some ability as a pass rusher.

Though 'Pot Roast' moved on after the 2014 season, he’s still fondly remembered by plenty of Broncos fans for his play. It’s just a shame he didn’t get to be part of that historically dominant defense that took the field in 2015.

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4. Signing WR Emmanuel Sanders (2014)

The Broncos’ offense had a record-breaking outing in 2013, only to watch as WR Eric Decker departed in free agency. Elway needed a receiver who could take his place.

Enter Sanders, who turned down an offer from the Chiefs for the chance to play for the AFC team coming off a Super Bowl appearance. He agreed to terms on a three-year, $15M contract.

Sanders proved to be a bargain at that price, turning in multiple seasons of good production. He was a key player on the Broncos Super Bowl 50 championship team and went on to appear in two Pro Bowls in the Orange and Blue.

His play was so good, he earned himself a three-year extension that paid him more in line with the better wide receivers in the NFL. But it all started with the value deal he took in 2014.

3. Signing DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward (2014)

It may seem like cheating to put three players together, but in this case, there’s a good reason why. After losing Super Bowl XLVIII, Elway wanted a better defense and got edge Ware, Talib, and Ward together to convince them to come to the Broncos.

Ware and Talib actually encountered one another on the same flight to Denver, and after hearing Elway’s sales pitch, it was enough for them both to agree to contracts. Ware got $30M over three years, Talib got $57M over six years, and Ward got $22.5M over four years.

The trio provided upgrades at their respective positions and made the defense a better unit in 2014. But it was 2015 when they all flourished under DC Wade Phillips and posted a historically dominant season.

And it all led to the Broncos winning Super Bowl 50, in which they had to beat three teams with quality offenses and top quarterbacks. This trio combined for seven Pro Bowl nods over a very brief window of playing together in the Orange and Blue. 

2. Extending CB Chris Harris, Jr. (2014)

One of Elway’s first undrafted free agent finds was Harris, who emerged from being a special teams contributor as a rookie into that of a starter at cornerback. He got the second-round restricted free-agent tender in 2014 and his play kept improving.

It was enough for Elway to enter negotiations for an extension mid-season and the contract he signed him to was somewhat surprising — a five-year, $42.5M extension that, while a sizable increase over his current salary, still put him in a lower-tier among veteran CB salaries.

Harris’ level of play continued to rise, though, and he proved to be a steal at that extension level. Though he did renegotiate the final year of his deal to rise to $12M, the Broncos still got a great return on their investment in the earlier years.

And while Harris’ time with the Broncos didn’t end on a good note, there’s no question he did a lot for the team for multiple years — and chances are the team may never be able to extend a player at such a low cost again.

1. Signing QB Peyton Manning (2012)

Let’s be honest, there can be no other move that tops the best free agency moves Elway has ever made than him getting Manning to join the Broncos, who at that time was a four-time NFL MVP. 

After the Indianapolis Colts cut Manning, he visited multiple teams and mulled offers, before deciding to join the Broncos and sign a five-year, $96M contract.

We know what happened from there. The Broncos won four straight AFC West titles under Manning, he set an NFL record for most passing touchdowns in a single season in 2013 while leading the highest-scoring offense of all-time (606 points). The Broncos went to the Super Bowl that season, then the team capped Manning's storied and prolific NFL career by winning Super Bowl 50.

Of course, in his final season with the Broncos in 2015, Manning’s play had sharply declined due to Father Time, but his presence in the locker room was still important. And who doesn’t want to end their career with a Super Bowl win? Ask Elway. 

Manning’s arrival in Denver helped launch a renaissance for the Broncos, who may have been coming off a playoff trip in 2011, but went on to greater heights under the veteran quarterback. And while Elway has made plenty of good moves in free agency, it’s hard to argue that any of them could ever top the signing of Manning.

Follow Bob on Twitter @BobMorrisSports and @MileHighHuddle.