SAN FRANCISCO — John Elway had a plan.
March 12, 2014, Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware sat in first class on a flight from Dallas to Denver to visit the Broncos' general manager. Conversation was promised. A deal was not.
Sitting a few rows behind Ware on that flight was Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib, who had agreed to contract terms with the Broncos the night before. The two knew nothing of the other's plans before their fortuitous meeting 30,000 feet in the air. But it didn't take long for the dots to be connected.
"When I looked back there in that back seat and I see Talib, I'm like, you know what?