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When he watched his quarterback go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004, Rod Smith wondered if his bust would be bronzed next to John Elway’s some day.

Now that he's entered the Denver Broncos’ ring of fame, the rag-to-riches receiver still wonders if he will end up in the Canton, Ohio museum.

It’s an interesting question. Will Rod Smith be a Pro Football Hall of Famer?

There’s no doubt the undrafted free agent turned star receiver has a strong resume, however, he played a position which has not been overly valued by hall of fame voters in the recent past. Tim Brown, Cris Carter and Andre Reed are part of a receiver logjam waiting to be elected to the hall.

Smith may have a long wait, if he makes it at all, even though he has won two Super Bowl rings. He is 11th in NFL history in career receptions (849), 17th in career receiving yards (11,389) and tied for 30th in career receiving touchdowns (68). He caught 70 or more catches for nine straight seasons, which is tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history. His career reception and receiving yardage totals is the best in league history for undrafted players.

Known as one of the hardest workers in the league while he played, Smith himself thinks he deserves to be inducted, although he knows it won’t be easy.

“Well what are they basing the Hall of Fame on?” Smith asked reporters Thursday in an interview to discuss his induction into the Broncos’ ring of fame. “What do you base it on? Do you base it on wins? I have some of those. Do you base it on catches? I have a lot of those. Touchdowns … and the unsung stuff to me is the blocking that Eddie [McCaffrey] and myself and the other guys I played with. You look at the running backs in my era and how many yards they rushed for. I take that personally because it was about the team to me. Honestly, there are a ton of guys that my numbers are way better than theirs, so why not be considered for it? When I went into the business I wasn’t looking at that, but once I got in the business and I saw that those things were possible. I went to John Elway’s induction into the hall of fame and I said it’s possible. It’s hard to see it until you see somebody else kind of go through it. When I saw John get inducted, I was very emotional that day, because I knew a piece of me went. But, I said, 'Why not be right beside him? Why not have a bust right beside him?' One thing I can say is this: I don’t get to vote, and if I did, I would vote for me because I gave them everything I had. That’s all I can do. I tried to be the best teammate I could. I tried to represent the game, the NFL shield as best as I could. Those who vote will hopefully see it the same way. That’s all I can do.”

Smith certainly has a case for Canton. The trouble is he plays a position where many players have a case, so his wait for enshrinement may be a long one.

The 23rd member of the Denver Broncos' Ring of Fame is one of the most renowned hard workers in team history.

Rod Smith went from an undrafted free agent to a two-time Super Bowl winner and leader of the franchise in Denver. It's no surprise Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and the selection committee have given Smith the team’s greatest honor by inducting him into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame. He is the first person to be inducted in three years.

Smith’s induction ceremony will be Sept. 23 at halftime of the Broncos’ home game against the Houston Texans. It’s probably not a coincidence Smith will be inducted against the Texans. Houston coach Gary Kubiak was Smith’s longtime offensive coordinator in Denver.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection set franchise records in receptions (849), receiving yards (11,389) and receiving touchdowns (68). He also owns the club’s career postseason receiving marks with 49 receptions for 860 yards and six touchdowns in 13 playoff games (12 starts), including the Broncos' back-to-back Super Bowl championships following the 1997 and ’98 seasons.

The Division II Missouri Southern University product spent his rookie season on the practice squad in 1995. He impressed then-Broncos coach Mike Shanahan in 1995 and Smith quickly became a major part of the offense. He remained a critical part of the team until he retired in 2008.

I covered Smith for a few years and I’ll always remember him for being a team player and being completely committed to his team. He was all business. Being a Bronco meant the world to him. He was a favorite of team employees on the football and non-football sides alike.

Smith’s first NFL quarterback, John Elway, had this to say about Smith’s election to the Ring of Fame:

“You couldn’t ask for a better teammate than Rod Smith. His work ethic, the way he competed and the positive influence he had on others were all qualities that made him one of the best. What a great Bronco who is so deserving of being honored as a member of the Ring of Fame.

“Although he had plenty of catches and touchdowns in his career, the only things that mattered to Rod were winning and competing for Super Bowls. That’s what was most important to him, and it showed in everything he did. Whether it was in the passing game or running game, you always knew Rod would give 100 percent on every play and do whatever it took to help his team win.

“Rod brought his lunch pail to work each day, took nothing for granted and made himself into an elite player. He’s a true pro. In addition to being one of the greatest undrafted players of all time, he’s one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play the position.

“I’m thrilled Rod has been elected to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame, and I look forward to celebrating his induction this season.”

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Broncos and why.

John Elway’s second tenure with the Denver Broncos has gone well so far.

The legendary Denver quarterback has earned rave reviews around the league for his work as Denver’s primary football decision-maker since he took over in January 2011. On the surface, things are looking good in Denver, and there really isn’t a lot of pressure on anyone as the Peyton Manning era begins.

However, if Manning doesn't bounce back from the neck injury that sidelined him for the 2011 season, the heat will be on Elway. By all indications, Manning, 36, should be fine and plenty of teams would have taken the same risk as Elway did.

But if the 2012 season somehow starts without Manning behind center in Denver, Elway is going to hear it from fans. He will be asked every day how he could trade away Tim Tebow and sign damaged goods like Manning.

It will not be a pretty scene if that happens. The odds are Manning will be fine, but Elway needs to hope the odds play out as expected because he is all-in with Manning.

Here are more tributes and statements of about t he death of Chargers superstar linebacker Junior Seau. He was 43:

The Oakland Raiders:

“We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Junior Seau. Junior’s great passion, intensity and love for the game were evident every time he stepped on the football field. He was a formidable competitor who left an indelible mark on the game of football. We extend our most sincere condolences to his family and the Charger organization.”

Tweets from Denver executive vice president John Elway:

I had the pleasure of playing against Junior for many years. He played the game the way it was meant to be played.

We shared a lot of laughs from our AFC West battles when I saw Junior before he was inducted into the Chargers HOF in November.

Junior was a true competitor and a special player. My heartfelt condolences go out to the Seau family.

The NFL Players Association

The NFL Players Association is saddened to hear of the passing of Junior Seau, a terrific player and teammate. The 12-time Pro Bowler achieved a level of success on the field that is unparalleled and his off-the-field service accomplishments are beyond admirable. The All-Decade Team linebacker’s career spanned an incredible 20 seasons, and Junior Seau’s determination and passion for the game will always be remembered in the hearts and minds of the fans. The NFLPA player family today joins with the Seau family to mourn a brother lost too soon.

Statement from Bills GM Buddy Nix:

“I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Junior Seau. This is such a tragedy and his passing will be felt by many. Junior was a great player in this league for so many years and he embodied that competitive spirit that all the great linebackers possess. My deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences go out to his children and his entire family, his friends, the Spanos family and the Chargers organization.”

Statement from Bills defensive coordinator Junior Seau:

“Hearing this news about Junior...it’s just so tragic…it’s hard to believe. I still to this day remember the day that Junior joined our family at the Dolphins. He brought a sense of renewed energy and a spirit to the field, off the field, in the weight room, just everywhere that Junior went and everyone that Junior was associated with. He instilled a belief that we hadn’t reached our potential and that we could be better and he would find a way to help make that happen. I just feel terrible but I know how much he loved his kids. I remember him coming to me and the first thing we talked about was what the offseason schedule would be and what was going to be our bye week schedule. Everything he was doing was centered around getting back to San Diego from Miami to be able to spend quality time with his kids. I don’t think there’s a better way a man could be remembered than in those terms.”

» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South


The biggest offseason move in the AFC West in years was the Broncos’ signing of superstar quarterback Peyton Manning in March.

It instantly changed the landscape of the AFC West and it likely will continue to do so for the next three years or so. During the draft, Manning’s impact was felt in the division when several of the premium picks by the Broncos’ rivals were defensive players.

The first player taken in the division was athletic defensive tackle Dontari Poe. The Memphis product was taken No. 11 by the Chiefs. San Diego used its first three picks on defensive players, all of whom have a chance to make an instant impact.

Let’s look at the highlights of the AFC West draft:

BEST MOVE

The first two days of the San Diego Chargers’ draft.

No one in the division scored like the Chargers did. Following up a strong free-agency class, Chargers GM A.J. Smith deserves a lot of credit for this draft. The Chargers badly needed impact players on defense and they got them.

San Diego made one of the top value picks of the draft when it watched South Carolina pass-rusher Melvin Ingram fall to them. He was supposed to be a top-10 pick. San Diego considered moving up to take Alabama safety Mark Barron but he went at No. 7. Instead, the Chargers stayed at home and watched an equally talented player fall to them. Ingram fills the Chargers’ biggest need and he should be an instant contributor.

The Chargers scored again by getting great value in the second and third rounds. San Diego watched Connecticut defensive lineman Kendall Reyes fall to them at No. 49. With LSU safety Brandon Taylor still on the board (San Diego considered him at No. 49), the Chargers moved up and took him at No 73. There is no way the Chargers could have scripted the first three rounds any better.

The 2012 Chargers got better in this draft.

RISKIEST MOVE

Arguably, there wasn't a riskier move in this draft than the Kansas City Chiefs’ choice of Poe at No. 11.

The nose tackle from Memphis was one of the most talked about players in the draft. After his stunning performance at the NFL combine, Poe was considered a potential top-five player. However, after teams dissected his game film, they discovered Poe didn’t consistently make plays against marginal competition.

By the time the draft rolled around, it seemed as though Poe could fall into the 20s. But the Chiefs took him because of his ability and the fact he fills their greatest need. Poe was the best talent at No. 11 and the fact he filled a major need makes this a logical pick.

But if Poe doesn't develop, the Chiefs will get heat for not following the general consensus. The team has failed to hit a home run with recent picks on the defensive line, so the Chiefs have to make this work. Kansas City thinks Poe will excel under coach Romeo Crennel because he will concentrate on one position as opposed to having to play several spots as he did in college. If the Chiefs are right, this will be a big score. If not, they’ll be forever reminded of it.

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

I don’t think it was shocking that the Denver Broncos picked a quarterback or that the quarterback ended up being Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler.

But I think it was a surprise Denver took him at No. 57. That’s a high spot for a player who probably won’t start until 2015, at the earliest.

The Broncos have other needs and they have Manning. Yet, Osweiler was a target. It shows how much Denver executive VP John Elway values the position and how much he liked Osweiler. He could have waited a couple of years to peg Manning’s successor, but he did it before Manning has even thrown a pass in Denver.

FILE IT AWAY

This draft will be remembered as a success for all four teams in the division. I was impressed with how each team approached the draft and the patience each team showed.

I think the Chargers got as many impact players for the immediate future as any team in the league. I like Denver’s creativity. It traded out of the first round and still got some quality players such as defensive linemen Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson and running back Ronnie Hillman.

The Chiefs quietly had a strong draft and middle-rounders such as receiver Devon Wylie, defensive back De'quan Menzie and running back Cyrus Gray will add depth to this team.

New Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie didn’t have many picks to work with -- his first was No. 95. But it is easy to tell there is draft-room stability with the post-Al Davis Raiders.

McKenzie played his board well and didn’t make any puzzling picks based on measurables as the late Davis was known to do. Oakland’s draft will not make many headlines, but McKenzie may have tabbed future starters in tackle Tony Bergstrom, linebacker Miles Burris and receiver Juron Criner.

Monday, Denver executive VP John Elway said the Broncos weren’t as worried about their situation at defensive tackle as folks on the outside.

Well, there had to be some concerns because the Broncos made sure they got better at the position during the weekend.

The Broncos targeted the position and are in better shape with two sharp picks. Early in the fifth round on Saturday (via a pick obtained for receiver Brandon Lloyd in a deal with the Rams last year) Denver took underrated Tennessee defensive lineman Malik Jackson.

He is a versatile player who can play both inside and outside and he may end up being an end. He is a disruptive force who should help against the run. Expect Jackson and Derek Wolfe, taken with the No. 36 pick out of Cincinnati, to help Denver immensely and expect both to be instant parts of the defensive line rotation in Denver.

Any questions about how much Broncos executive VP John Elway values classic strong-armed quarterbacks?

In a yet another statement of his anti-Tim Tebow approach to the position, Elway made his second big quarterback splash in a month by taking intriguing Arizona State prospect Brock Osweiler with the No. 57 overall pick.

Bypassing more pressing needs, Elway made this pick with the most important position on the field in mind -- beginning roughly in the 2015 season. It’s clear Elway wants to go to bed at night without having to worry about who his quarterback is going to be for the next dozen years and he clearly wants to distance himself from the option days of Tebow, which Elway tolerated only until he found a special solution.

Of course, the immediate future at quarterback is Peyton Manning. After electing to continue his career with the Broncos, Manning signed a five-year deal with Denver four days before his 36th birthday last month. By all indications, Manning is healthy and he should be able to give Denver at least three good years.

The 6-foot-7 Osweiler is now in line to be Manning’s successor. The Broncos see something special in Osweiler. They didn’t need to take a quarterback this year or next year. But they see a raw specimen in Osweiler.

The knock on him is he is a bit green. So what better team for him to end up with than the Broncos? ESPN analyst Todd McShay has said on multiple occasions that Denver is the perfect spot for Osweiler.

He can watch and learn from Manning without any pressure. Osweiler -- who said one of his closest friends is Elway’s son, Jack, a former Arizona State player -- realizes the great opportunity he is getting.

“I could not be any more excited to be going to Denver to learn from Peyton Manning,” Osweiler told reporters Friday night. “A lot of quarterbacks might be upset about having to sit behind somebody, whereas I look at it as a tremendous opportunity to learn from one of the best, if not the best, quarterback to ever play the game.”

If Osweiler can’t parlay his time with two of the greatest all-time quarterbacks into NFL success, then that’s his fault. And if Osweiler is a flop, the Broncos will know it before he needs to take over for Manning from extensive practice and preseason play. Thus, the Broncos will have the opportunity to find another replacement for Manning if necessary.

Sure, this is a luxury pick and Denver could have benefited from a receiver or a running back at the No. 57 spot. (They traded up to take San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman in the third round.) But if this is a guy the Broncos think can be special, why not take him?

Like all 2012 quarterback prospects not named Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III, Osweiler was deeply dissected and opinions varied on him. Some scouts thought he deserved to be a first-round pick, while others thought he should be taken in the fourth round.

The Broncos long have followed Osweiler. Their pursuit of him heightened after Manning signed. I think he moved up Denver’s draft board based on the combination of Osweiler being a similar type of quarterback as Manning and the fact that he can be groomed for years.

Had Manning not signed, I don’t think Osweiler would have been the pick. Had Manning gone elsewhere, I am convinced Denver would have traded up from No. 25 to take Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden and make him an instant starter. Weeden went to Cleveland at No. 22 and he is expected to start.

Osweiler, like Weeden, can drop jaws with the long pass. In fact, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen wrote that many scouts think Osweiler can make every throw. While McShay and others are high on the former basketball player, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. worries about Osweiler’s accuracy and Kiper doesn’t think Osweiler plays with the command of a player his size. However, fellow ESPN analyst Jon Gruden likes Osweiler and likes the fit in Denver.

“He can cut it loose … he is a pocket passer and he moves around better than people think,” Gruden said. “It’s a good pick by Elway.”

There is no doubt that this was an Elway pick. After enduring a forced relationship with Tebow, Elway has made sure he is now equipped with his type of passers for the present and the future.

John Elway loves prototypical quarterbacks.

A month after signing Peyton Manning, Elway hopes he has added his eventual replacement by drafting Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler with the No. 57 pick.

At 6-foot-7 Osweiler has a rocket arm and he has ability. But he is raw.

This is a total pick for the future. I will have more on this later as well as a wrap up of the third round among other things.

Derek Wolfe might not have been the sexist name among available defensive tackles, but he might have been the safest pick at No. 36.

The Denver Broncos frustrated some fans Thursday night when they twice traded down, going from No. 25 to No. 31, then No. 36.

After the first round, Denver czar John Elway basically said the team's top targets at defensive tackle were not available, so the Broncos went down to a spot where they thought they could good value for a player they wanted.

Bypassing the better-known Jerel Worthy of Michigan State and Kendall Reyes of Connecticut, Denver went with Wolfe out of Cincinnati.

I think the pick works. Defensive tackle was Denver’s greatest need and he should step right into the rotation.

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper has been beating the drum for Wolfe to Denver for weeks; Friday he said he thought Wolfe is one of the more underrated players in the draft. He is a high-motor player who has outstanding pass-rushing skills as an interior player. He can also stop the run. Kiper called him the most productive defensive tackle in the draft.

He will be well coached in Denver by John Fox and Jack Del Rio; I expect him to be a nice player. The Broncos have another pick in the second round and a pick in the third. They have three picks in the fourth round and I could see them trying to get another third-rounder.

After reading the transcript from John Elway’s press briefing Thursday night, it is clear to see why the Broncos traded down twice and eventually out of the first round.

They didn’t think anybody was worthy of a first-round pick where they were picking and they wanted to add picks. Denver now has the No. 36 pick in the second round and added No. 101, in the fourth round. Denver has two picks in the second round, one in the third round and three in the fourth round. I would be surprised if the Broncos don’t try to add another third-round pick and get four picks on Friday.

I think Denver decided to trade down once defensive tackles Dontari Poe, Fletcher Cox and Michael Brockers were off the board by the 14th pick. Denver originally had the No. 25 pick, then traded to No. 31 before going to No. 36.

“Everyone else saw the talent that we saw too,” said Elway, Denver’s top decision-maker. “When those guys started going like that, they went in a hurry. We thought we were going to have to get a little bit lucky for them to fall to us anyways. They’re good football players and when they didn’t get to us that gave us the opportunity to start moving back a little bit.”

Elway made it clear that the Broncos would rather stockpile picks than make a reach, thus the trades with the Patriots and the Buccaneers.

“When we looked at where we were, obviously we had some guys targeted that didn’t quite make it to us in 25, so we had some opportunities to move back with New England to pick up a fourth. We liked that, thought that was great,” Elway said. "Then, when we had a chance to move back from 31 to 36 with Tampa again, our board looked the same. We thought we’d be able to get the same people at 36 that we could at 31 -- or have the same pool of players there at 36 as we did at 31. By doing that we moved up 25 spots to the top of the fourth, which we really believe this is a deep draft. It’s not real thick at the top, but it’s pretty deep through the middle rounds. We thought by adding another good pick it gives us more options going into tomorrow. Plus, we’ll still be able to get the same people that we had targeted that made it to us at 25 at 36. We’re excited about the day. Obviously it’s a little bit of a downer when you don’t have a new player. But, we’re excited about where we sit and the next two days are going to be exciting.”

Among the players Denver could target at No. 36 with their top pick Friday are Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, Connecticut defensive tackle Kendall Reyes, Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill, LSU receiver Rueben Randle, North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins, Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe and Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David. I think we could see Denver try to get a quarterback Friday as well.

"Monday Night Football" analyst Jon Gruden did a conference call Wednesday to discuss the quarterback prospects with which he's had a chance to work for his "Gruden's QB Camp" series in advance of the draft. He discussed them all, but the one of greatest concern to Washington Redskins fans is of course Robert Griffin III, whom the Redskins are expected to draft with the No. 2 pick two weeks from Thursday night. As reported fom Rich Campbell at the Washington Times:

"He can revive the Redskins as long as he stays healthy and he buys in and really takes to this new system and he continues to work. But this is a special young man whether the camera is on or off."

Griffin

Gruden believes Griffin will succeed under Redskins coach Mike Shanahan because of Shanahan's track record with mobile quarterbacks.

"Some of the best tape that I've ever studied was Mike Shanahan and John Elway in Denver," Gruden said. "The back-to-back Super Bowl championship teams, they took advantage of John Elway’s mobility. A lot of people forget just how extraordinary Elway was handing the ball off to Terrell Davis, and those naked bootlegs off of those stretch plays were devastating.

"What Mike did in San Francisco with Steve Young, another mobile quarterback, those were as good of offensive tapes as I've ever seen. I think when you get Robert Griffin, one of the most explosive quarterbacks to ever play the position, in a Mike Shanahan-type system, the possibilities are very exciting, I think, with Mike Shanahan's imagination."

Gruden and Shanahan are friends, it should be noted. And it's also worth noting that Elway and Young are two of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the sport. Griffin could surely have a long and successful career without ever being nearly as good as either of those two players. But that word "revive" is a good one, since that will be the young man's task. (Unless the Colts surprise everyone and take him No. 1, in which case it will be Andrew Luck's task.)

The Redskins and their fan base are yearning for something about which to feel good. Excitement about the Redskins has been dormant for a long time. Just imagining Griffin in a Redskins uniform has begun to "revive" that excitement, but Griffin must deliver on his considerable promise in order to create a real "revival" for the Redskins and their fans. It's hard to find an expert anywhere who doesn't think he is capable of doing that.

It was midday on the Saturday of the NFL combine in February. The cavernous media room was bustling with activity when a trendy, middle-aged man walked briskly through.

Wearing designer jeans, a leather jacket and looking like he just walked out of a Beverly Hills hair salon, John Elway smiled winningly, shaking hands and offering quick quips as he breezed through.

In the often stodgy world of the NFL, Elway was working the combine his own way. NFL front-office leaders are usually not the leather-jacket-and-$100-dollar-haircut types. Neither are they Super Bowl winning, Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

“John is a very confident, calm, poised executive,” Denver president Joe Ellis said. “There’s no question, he is a qualified leader who is the right man for this franchise.”

Back-to-back Super Bowl wins capped Elway's 16-year playing career with the Broncos. Now 15 months into his newest role, he is showing he has the chance to be successful in his second life in Denver. Since he became the team's primary decision maker in January 2011, the Broncos have begun the process of becoming a front-line franchise -- as they were for much of Elway’s tenure as a player.

He took over a team that had gone 4-12 in 2010 and had lost 22 of its past 28 games. Elway spearheaded an effort that turned the Broncos into a surprise AFC West champion that upset Pittsburgh in the first round of the AFC playoffs -- the Broncos' first postseason win in six years.

Elway made the right choice in hiring John Fox and made the right call last April when the Broncos drafted linebacker Von Miller with the No. 2 pick. Miller notched 11.5 sacks and 64 tackles in his first campaign and was named the NFL Defensive of Rookie of the Year. The quarterback known for late-game brilliance engineered his greatest scoring drive as an executive last month when he won the Peyton Manning sweepstakes.

When his kindred spirit picked up the phone on the morning of March 19 and told Elway that he had chosen the Broncos, Elway finally got the superstar quarterback he wanted. That let him end the Tim Tebow experiment. Tebow never fit what Elway wanted in his quarterback. Manning did.

Elway received much credit, inside and outside the organization, for outlasting Tennessee and San Francisco. Manning said at his introductory news conference in Denver that Elway played a major role in his decision to sign with the Broncos.

“Certainly, I have had a relationship with John and it goes back a long way, but I’ve seen John now in a different role,” Manning said. “I’ve always seen him as a quarterback, never had to play against him, but that’s always the role I saw him as. Now I’ve seen him as a leader of a franchise and I really like what he had to say. Everyone knows what kind of competitor he is as a player, and I can tell he is just as competitive in this new role. That got me excited, I know he’s going to do everything he can do to help this franchise win.”

Although the decision to move away from wildly popular Tebow could have been controversial, the decision to pursue Manning was considered a no-brainier around the league. Trading Tebow after a playoff win was a bold move by a decision maker bent on making a call he believed was in the best interest of his team -- the court of public opinion be damned.

Elway talked about the thrill he felt when he signed Manning in a video interview with ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Elway likened it to the joy of winning a Super Bowl as a player. Those comments jibe with what some friends have said about Elway in the past year. They said this new role has filled a void in his life and given him a chance to compete, something he dearly missed. When he was hired in Denver last year, Elway joked that he had played enough golf in his retired life.

At the combine, Elway said his role as an executive has reignited his competitive juices.

“To go to Mile High on Sunday and to get butterflies, that’s why I came back,” Elway said.

After his retirement as a player, Elway, 51, was involved in several businesses and ran the Denver franchise of the Arena League with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, whom he remained close to after his playing days ended. Elway often talked about joining the Broncos in a front-office role, but he wasn’t around the team much. However, near the end of the disastrous 23-month Josh McDaniels era, the Broncos believed the time was right to hand the franchise's keys to their greatest and most beloved player.

The combination of Elway’s experience as a Hall of Fame player, his Stanford education, his Arena League and business success -- and the fact that his late father, Jack, was a well respected Denver personnel man -- all made him an attractive leader. Still, everyone heard the whispers that Elway could be another in a long line of playing-field legends turned coaching or personnel failures.

“I think people underestimated how hungry John was and his love for the Broncos,” Ellis said. “He’s been waiting to do this. He brings a deep skill set, including a willingness to roll up his sleeves and work hard. … He has a terrific, deep base of football knowledge and he commands strong business skills. He is perfect for the big picture of our organization.”

Elway has been praised by people inside the organization for not having any ego and for his willingness to learn on the job. “He knows what he doesn’t know,” one team employee said. Agents around the league have been impressed with Elway’s professionalism and knowledge of players and contract situations. They have found him easy to deal with.

His first move may have been his most important. Elway and Fox have meshed beautifully, insiders say, and they have similar personalities and approaches.

“There’s no question, we needed a culture change, and together, John and John Fox have created it,” Ellis said. “We are very confident and happy about where we are with John as our leader.”

If you saw Donovan McNabb on "First Take" today, you know what this is about. If you haven't, here's the clip. McNabb, the former Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins quarterback, was asked if he thinks Robert Griffin III is a good fit for the Redskins, who are likely to take him with the No. 2 pick in the draft four weeks from today. This was a perfectly teed-up Titleist of a question for McNabb, whose time in Washington was tumultuous to say the least, and he swung hard:

"No. I say that because a lot of times, ego gets too involved when it comes to being in Washington. Here's a guy coming out who's very talented, mobile, strong-armed. We've already heard he's intelligent. Football mind. Are you going to cater the offense around his talents and what he's able to do? Or are you going to bring the Houston offense with Matt Schaub over to him and have him kind of be embedded into that?"

The last part is a clear reference to Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and the idea that he tried to fit McNabb into the offensive system he brought with him from the Texans. But there's more:

"We talk so much about Mike Shanahan and the things that he was able to do in Denver. Well, I have a couple of names for you that Mike Shanahan, quarterbacks he's coached and the lack of success that he's had. We have John Beck, who as 0-4. Rex Grossman, 6-11. Jay Cutler, who was his prized possession, 17-20. Jake Plummer, a guy who had success, led them to the AFC Championship against Pittsburgh and then benched him the next year because he wouldn't do what he wanted him to do pretty much. Brian Griese, who was supposed to be the heir apparent to John Elway and hasn't had a lot of success."

To his credit, Skip Bayless asked McNabb if he had an ax to grind. And to his credit, the first two words of McNabb's response were accurate:

"I do but I don't. The whole deal about it is, we hear so much about players who move on somewhere, how the next year will be a lot better. Give him a chance to learn the offense and understand what we do. I never got that chance. And a lot of people haven't."

My inclination is to tread carefully here, since there's obviously a far greater chance that McNabb spends this next football season in those Bristol studios than on a football field. But the plain fact is, the guy needs a mirror.

McNabb makes some fair points about Mike Shanahan and the lack of success he's had as a head coach with quarterbacks other than Elway. He makes some fair points about egos, and I don't think there's anyone who doubts that Shanahan has a big one. He himself might even admit to that. He's a head football coach. The list of men who are those and don't have egos is a pretty short list.

But McNabb this morning was using a platform to grind his ax, plain and simple. My quickie evaluation of him on TV is that he'll be an excellent NFL analyst as long as he's talking about people he hates. His breakdown of the situation in Washington as it pertained to him ignores these elements:

• He was benched by Eagles coach Andy Reid in 2008 and traded by Reid after the 2009 season to a team that the Eagles play twice a year. Clearly, there were some issues with McNabb even before he got to Washington. You don't trade your starting quarterback to a division rival if you think the guy is still worth having.
• Three separate Redskins people who were with the team during McNabb's only season there have told me that the issue with McNabb was that he didn't want to put in the work during the week. Yes, the system in Washington was different from the one he was used to in Philadelphia, but that McNabb's response to that was to shut down and refuse to learn or practice it. One of those three people told me Shanahan was aware, before making the trade, that McNabb had developed the reputation over his final few seasons in Philadelphia of not wanting to put in the work during the week, but that Shanahan believed he could light a fire under McNabb.
• Shanahan was not able to light that fire, and McNabb lost his job to Rex Grossman during the 2010 season. Rex Grossman, folks. Didn't lose the job to Johnny Unitas or Joe Montana. Couldn't play or practice well enough to fend off a challenge from Rex Grossman.
• The Redskins traded McNabb prior to the 2011 season to the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth-round pick. McNabb must not have liked the egos or the system in Minnesota, either, since he played just six games there before losing the job to rookie Christian Ponder, then demanded his release later in the season after being demoted to the scout team.
• No one picked him up off waivers.
• No one has signed him so far this offseason.
• There has been not one report of any team being interested in signing him.

McNabb's career is almost certainly over, and he's clearly bitter about the way it ended. The Shanahans certainly made some mistakes in handling the McNabb situation and said some things that embarrassed a proud veteran and left him very angry. They are not blameless here. But neither is McNabb, and if he's going to sit there and say things like he said this morning on "First Take," he'd do himself and the rest of us a favor if he uttered maybe just one or two words about his own role in the way things turned out for him in Washington.

It's possible, after all, that Griffin will be excellent in Washington. There's nothing anyone's heard about the young man to indicate he's unwilling to work or learn anything new.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- As you may have heard, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been wandering around the NFL owners meetings saying his team is undecided on whether it will take Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III with the No. 1 pick in the draft. Irsay could be telling the truth, or he could be putting up a smokescreen, as everyone does about the draft this time of year.

One thing is certain, though. The Washington Redskins, who traded three first-round picks and a second-round pick to the Rams earlier this month to move up to the No. 2 pick, don't care. They know they're getting one of those premium quarterbacks, and that's all that matters.

"That's a decision, when you get to the second pick, you've got to feel great about both guys," Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said Wednesday morning. "There can't be any, 'Oh, I hope I get this guy, I hope I get that guy,' because you don't know what's going to happen. You know what's reported, but you just don't know, especially with this process. But when we did move up to that position, we had to feel great about both of them before we gave up what we gave up."

It's widely believed the Colts have been set on taking Luck for some time, and the likelihood is that the Redskins will end up with Griffin. And because of Griffin's exceptional speed and mobility, conventional wisdom has begun to coalesce that says Griffin "fits Shanahan's system" better than Luck would. But Shanahan disputes that notion, indicating that he believes it underrates Luck's athleticism.

"I say both of these guys, because they've both very athletic," Shanahan said. "When you take a guy (Luck), who's 6-4, that's 240 (pounds) and can run a 4.6 forty, that guy can move pretty good. And obviously with Robert, running a 4.4 or under, usually guys that are that fast can't throw. And he can do both."

The Redskins have not worried, since making the trade, that they paid too much. The franchise has been in need of a franchise quarterback for years -- decades, really. And Shanahan believes that it's an essential ingredient to a championship team.

"The Super Bowls that I've been involved with, with Steve Young, with John Elway, both were franchise quarterbacks," Shanahan said. "They can make plays when everything breaks down. And if somebody can do that, then you've got an opportunity, once you get to the playoffs, to do something special. Now, can you still win without one? Sure you can. But you'd better be pretty special."

Shanahan said he and his staff are spending 11 hours a day preparing for the rest of the draft, going over every possible player and trying to identify potential future stars they can find in the later rounds. But what the Redskins did when they made the deal with the Rams was buy themselves their biggest present a month before Christmas. And every day, they walk past it, wrapped and sitting under the tree. And as excited as they are, they're happy to wait to unwrap it, because they know it's going to be awesome.

Gary Kubiak has backed up and coached John Elway. He has been a long-time competitor of Peyton Manning.

Kubiak is worried about Elway and Manning combining forces in Denver, where the veteran quarterback signed last week. Here is what Kubiak, head coach of the Houston Texans, thinks of the pairing:

"That's a hell of a combination there,” Kubiak said the NFL owners meetings. “That's powerful. It's great for their organization. It's a big move by John and the organization on this guy, probably the greatest quarterback ever to play the game. He seems healthy, ready to go, so it's a big move by them. They've got a good football team already. They're sitting in the playoffs last year. Their defense played well over the course of the season.

“I think everybody had better worry about it. It's a very powerful combination."

Other AFC West news:

ESPN’s John Clayton reports that the Chargers are continuing to talk to their free-agent defensive tackle Antonio Garay.

Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel told the Kansas City Star that his team has no glaring holes and will wait until after the draft to see where it stands at nose tackle.

San Diego coach Norv Turner likes being under the radar in the AFC West chase.

Unless there is a dramatic change, it appears Cincinnati defensive end/linebacker Manny Lawson will not be signing with the Raiders. Oakland is looking for a starting strongside linebacker, and may wait for the draft to get one. Another player in whom Oakland has reportedly shown interest, Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson, reportedly will visit the Packers.

Adam Caplan reports that Cincinnati backup linebacker and special-teams player Dan Skuta visited the Chiefs. He is a restricted free agent, but Kansas City would not owe the Bengals any compensation if the Chiefs signed him to one because he was an undrafted free agent.

The Raiders will reportedly have a pre-draft visit with Alabama defensive tackle Josh Chapman, a good run-stuffer from a great defense. All teams typically conduct several pre-draft meetings, so a visit with a college player might not necessarily mean much.