John Elway calls the shots in Denver. But he checks with Peyton Manning first.
Elway, the Broncos’ front office boss, confirmed today that before signing free agent receiver Wes Welker, he first called Manning to see whether Manning thought Welker would be a good addition to Denver’s passing game.
“I asked Peyton about it yesterday to make sure he was on board,’’ Elway said, via the Denver Post.
That’s not surprising. The Broncos’ brass haven’t made any secret of the fact that everything they do is about building a team around Manning that can win a title in the remaining years Manning has left. And before they make a significant move like bringing in Welker, they’d like to see if Manning agrees that it’s the right move.
Still, it put Manning in an awkward situation because his good friend, Brandon Stokley, may end up out of work in Denver because of Welker’s arrival. The next time Manning and Stokley talk, it could be awkward.
At least, it would be if Stokley weren’t such a class act about it: Stokley has already gone on record as saying he thinks signing Welker was a great move for the Broncos. Obviously, Manning agrees.