ENGLEWOOD (Colo.) — John Elway leaned back in a chair and stretched his troublesome knee. He then went straight to the bottom of quarterbacks.
It was many years ago. Elway was the general manager for this organization. Denver Broncos. He explored what it takes for a quarterback to win trophies, and why it is so difficult to find a great one.
Elway stated, “You must be willing to put everything on the line.” To compete every day, push every day, and to do it yourself every single day. You can’t expect others to do it if it’s not your thing. To not let that stop you from doing it and to accept that some people won’t like it. This is what I mean by raising all boats. It’s not an easy task and sometimes the boats can be very heavy.
Elway, sitting in the back of the crowded auditorium at Broncos’ complex Wednesday to watch the quarterback Russell WilsonWilson spoke at the introductory news conference and said things that would be music to Elway’s ears. He spoke out about things that hadn’t been seen or heard by the Broncos since Peyton Manning did the heavy lifting.
Wilson answered a question about daily expectations by saying, “How fast can I process what I see, what your knowledge and what my studies?” It is critical to have the ability to process all information. Guys have to put in a lot of effort every day at practice. It starts with the meetings. It begins with offseason. It starts with the weight-room. You must show up on schedule and be available to complete the task. You have to do the little things, and those are crucial. It’s a wild obsession with the small things that allows you to have the big stuff and the big moments.
Wilson’s approach has been what the Broncos have missed during six consecutive playoff losses. Although his nine Pro Bowl selections are great, the Super Bowl victory is remarkable, and those eight seasons of at least 25 touchdown passes, well, that’s rare air. However, his leadership might be more important than all else.
Wilson has already scheduled throwing sessions with Broncos receivers — probably in California as well. He’s made unshakeable claims about making it to the Super Bowl and the playoffs. He has stressed the importance of practicing.
You can find countless stories from coaches and former teammates about Manning, Elway and other players who demanded play be run again in practice due to a route being wrong or someone out of place.
Since Manning’s retirement, those moments have been more difficult to find. a carousel of quarterbacks have battled for the starting job. Uncertainty on the roster is not always conducive to the confidence required to run plays on the practice fields.
Wilson stated that it was ultimately about the pace of practice. “I believe fans come to see us practice because they want to see a show. It’s a spectacle. It’s not a show. This ability to practice at the highest levels, compete with our defense, offense, and special teams is essential.
George Paton is also a music lover. Paton stated that Wilson was the Broncos “No. 1” target. Paton stated that Wilson became the Broncos “No.1 target” during the offseason, even prior to the Super Bowl.
Paton stated, “We were going do everything necessary to get Russ.” “It’s just unique you can trade [for]We felt that we had to give him the chance. … He is an elite athlete with elite arm strength and elite accuracy. We believe he has the NFL’s best deep ball. You can see him off-plan, with his eyes, instincts, playmaking ability, and the “it” factor that all great quarterbacks possess. He excels in the most important moments and he is the best at the final game to win the game. His longevity throughout his career has been unmatched.
Russell is a winner. We’re bringing Russell to a talented, hungry team that needs to learn how win. We feel that he will get us to where we need to be.”
It can be hard to explain the “it” factor. This can be supported by a range of statistical bulletpoints. It was the first time that a former Broncos Linebacker was used. Von MillerManning spoke to Miller after Manning arrived in 2012. Miller stated that he knew what Manning meant before Manning said the second sentence.
Miller stated then that there was a “just that feeling”. That feeling that I would do anything to win in this field. He was going to practice, study, and do everything. We all need to do the same. That was what you felt, everyone felt that. That’s it.