John Elway understands the curiosity surrounding Peyton Manning. The Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations believes we're in for a treat -- but not without a supporting cast.
Rap Sheet: Elway knows balance
The Denver Broncos have Peyton Manning, but John Elway believes they'll need more to be a true Super Bowl contender, Ian Rapoport writes. **More ...**
"One guy doesn't win a world championship for you, even though he gives you a hell of a chance to be able to compete," Elway told Ian Rapoport. "As I told (Manning), my job is to get the best quality people around him, the best coaches to give us the opportunity to win a world championship. It's fun to be able to put that puzzle together, but there are so many different pieces to put in a team that has the ability to win a world championship."
Elway sat down with Rapoport at Lake Tahoe this week (rugged assignment, Ian) and preached building a complete team in Denver.
Unfortunately, we see a few pieces missing:
• Elway stressed the need to pound the ball. The Broncos washed their hands of Tim Tebow for a pure passer, but it's easy to forget what last year's starter contributed to the ground game. Willis McGahee is a solid producer, but there's no Terrell Davis in the mix. Not even close.
• Manning enjoyed a cast of young wideouts with the Indianapolis Colts. Some were stars. He willed others to improve. It was always a deep unit. The Broncos lack weapons, and the big question is how Demaryius Thomas will respond to the expectations.
• Former defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has moved on to coach the Oakland Raiders. The defense -- masking its own weaknesses last season -- pulled the offense out of tough spots. We'll have to see what Jack Del Rio can do, but the loss of Allen is a concern.
That's our (rather quick) take on the matter, but why not hear Elway's? He allowed Rapoport to wander deep inside the machine. Check it out.