Early in his tenure as the Broncos’ GM, John Elway took a moment to outline the positions he considers vital to a Super Bowl contending roster. He named two on offense: quarterback and left tackle. And he named two on defense: edge rusher and cornerback.
History has proven the worth of Elway’s assessment: As a result of excellent moves that secured three of those positions (left tackle being the rather stark exception), Elway’s Broncos went to two Super Bowls and won one. Peyton Manning will stand tall in the annals of Broncos quarterbacks for a long time to come.