We Got Him!

By now, you all know (or should know) Peyton Manning chose to play for the Denver Broncos.

HOOORAAAAYYYYY!

I'll admit, I was pretty surprised he chose Denver. The longer Manning watch went on, the more it seemed like Denver would not be the choice, especially with the emergence of San Fransisco and Tennessee as Manning suitors towards the end of the race. Had Manning not chosen Denver, I was worried about what the Broncos brass planned to do with all the cap space they have to spend somewhere.

Those fears, of course, have been extinguished.



Watching Manning's press conference live, I couldn't stop smiling. He's a class act, and I've always been impressed by his demeanor on and off the field. Now he'll play for the good guys, which is something so surreal it probably won't sink in until he's on the field with that orange 18 jersey and blue Broncos helmet. Can't wait to see that.

Manning, even playing at 70, 80 percent is an upgrade over recently jettisoned starter Tim Tebow. Sure, when I entertained the idea of acquiring Manning, I thought it would be beneficial for Tebow to learn under one of the quarterback greats. However, Elway and the rest of the front office took this opportunity, granted by the only guy (Manning) who could make the Denver faithful get over Tebowmania, to get out from under Tebowmania.

Tebow was never Elway's guy, nor was he Fox's. Sure, Fox and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy scrapped their offense in favor of a read-option attack that Tebow could excel in, but that was not their plan for the long haul. They inherited Tebow from the McDaniels regime and have seemingly reversed the turmoil McHoodie put the organization into.

As Elway said during Manning's introductory press conference, Manning signing with Denver "guarantees nothing." What it does is make them a good team. Even with Tebow and the run we had last year, I felt like it could go either way. Manning, as long as he stays healthy, is a stable presence at the quarterback position.

Denver's young skill player in receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, young tight ends Julius Thomas and Virgil Green, and even running back Knowshon Moreno (better as a stretch runner, pass catcher) should benefit tremendously from Manning's presence. We saw what he did with Austin Collie, Blair White, and tight end Jacob Tamme. Decker and Demaryius Thomas were third and first round picks respectively, so they've got plenty of potential and I imagine Manning will help them get to the next level.

To the defense, Manning takes some of the pressure of a youngish group. Nothing helps a good pass rush like playing with a lead, and Manning should be able to provide Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil plenty of opportunity to harass opposing quareterbacks. To veteran cornerback Champ Bailey, Manning brings increased odds of getting one of the greatest corners a ring. Again, there's no guarantee, but it could happen.

Lastly, having Manning means the team doesn't have to draft a quarterback high to compete. If they still plan to draft somebody, they could get someone later to develop as the third quarterback during Manning's Denver tenure. Perhaps someone like Kirk Cousins from Michigan State or Arizona's Nick Foles in the fourth round or later. Who knows.

I'm excited to see the new look Broncos with Manning under center next fall. Free agency is ongoing so the team still has pieces to add, but so far they're doing a great job. Go Broncos.