Bell: Even after landing Vernon Davis, Broncos' John Elway may not be done dealing
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Maybe John Elway isn’t done yet.
The architect of the Denver Broncos added a new weapon for his suddenly prolific offense Monday afternoon, acquiring former Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis from the San Francisco 49ers. But with the NFL’s trade deadline not expiring until Tuesday afternoon, there's still time for Elway to double down.
“There are still other things going on,” he said. “So who knows what’s going to happen.”
Go ahead, strike while you’re hot.
The Broncos could sure use an experienced left tackle about now, with rookie Ty Sambrailo gone for the year with a torn labrum and a platoon operating in his place.
“Sure, I’m always open,” Elway said. “We’re always listening.”
If this sounds like a man determined to cash in as the window gets tighter on aging stars Peyton Manning and DeMarcus Ware, there’s undoubtedly some of that urgent mentality at work. Elway was in a win-now mode when he lured Manning here in 2012, and again when adding Ware in 2014. The same applied last offseason when coach John Fox was dumped, replaced by Gary Kubiak. Win-now is still the mission. The team may be 7-0, but more importantly, Manning is 39.
A day after making a resounding statement with a thorough beat-down of the Green Bay Packers, who are projected by many as the NFC’s Super Bowl frontrunner, the Broncos sent another strong message in dealing for fast and athletic Davis. These are the type of moves teams make when they are trying to make a serious run.
“I know that everyone looks at it as we’re trying to win it now, and we’re all in for now,” said Elway. “Vernon is definitely going to come in and help us. The compensation, we thought, was fair and we’ll go from there. We’re trying to win from now on, but this will be a big step for us to win this season.”
By swapping sixth- and seventh-round picks in next year’s draft and sending San Francisco a sixth-round pick for 2017, Elway made a low-risk maneuver to land Davis, who is in the final year of his contract. As he pointed out, Elway did not mortgage the future. The Broncos would even be in line to get a compensatory pick if Davis ultimately departs as a free agent.
That’s some smooth moving. In the end, Elway essentially might not even lose a pick, just draft slots.
And how lucky is Davis? He leaves a rebuilding team that is going nowhere for a chance to win a championship. Denver has been trying to bolster its tight end corps for some time, which would allow Kubiak to incorporate the three-tight end sets he favors. Davis will be a threat to do damage running the seam routes and in the red zone, replacing what was lost when Julius Thomas departed for the Jacksonville Jaguars last spring as a free agent.
“The addition was not a subtraction, or (that) we’re worried because of the performance of the tight ends,” Elway insisted. “We just thought ... to be able to add him to our roster as a weapon was an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up.”
Yet beyond formations, the big upside should be a motivated player looking to prove that he can still be a difference-maker — energized while suddenly teamed with Manning. In 2013, Davis caught 13 TD passes from Colin Kaepernick. But he hasn’t seen the end zone since Week 1 of the 2014 season, a span coinciding with the sinking of the 49ers offense.
Now, in a contract year, comes a chance for a revival with a team that has a ticking clock of its own — from the trade deadline and into the playoffs.
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Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell