CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMOREAnd so, John Elway grabs another dart and again takes aim at the bull's-eye that is the Denver Broncos' quarterback position
Having reached an agreement to acquire Joe Flacco from the Baltimore Ravens, according to a person with knowledge of the deal who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity due to the fact the move had not been made official, the Hall of Fame quarterback-turned-GM is hoping that another aging, former Super Bowl MVP can restore the Denver Broncos to the ranks of contenders
It's the only trick that has worked during his eight-year stint as team president
The four-season foray with Peyton Manning produced the third Super Bowl title in franchise history
But the quest to find a long-term replacement for Manning remains ongoing. Elway missed on draft picks Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch
And he has now admitted failure on Case Keenum, last year's free agent signing who went 6-10 and recorded 19 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions while directing an offense that ranked in the bottom half of the league in most statistical categories
The deal will not become official until March 13, but in Flacco, Denver has secured a passer who's more accomplished than any Broncos quarterback of the last three decades not named Elway or Manning
Flacco most likely welcomes this fresh start. But it's hard to declare this a slam dunk because far too many questions loom over Flacco, the Broncos and Elway himself
TOP FREE AGENTS: Jadeveon Clowney leads list of players who could be availableNEWSLETTER: Sign up to get the best NFL content in your inboxSince the Manning-led Super Bowl victory in the 2015 season, little of what Elway has done suggests that he has the vision and decision-making skills to guide the organization back to such heights
His hand-picked replacement for Gary Kubiak, Vance Joseph, lasted just two seasons and became the fall guy for Denver's plunge to a double-digit loss team
But the roster he assembled does indeed possess holes at key positions. To start, the offense features few play-makers
A line that surrendered 34 sacks also needs upgrades.However, Elway has operated as if this team is one piece away from contention
He thought Keenum, who went 11-1 as a starter in Minnesota in 2017, was the answer, but the veteran was not
Elway has also started over at head coach, hiring long-time defensive coordinator Vic Fangio away from Chicago
But the acquisition of Flacco – who is set to earn $18.5 million in 2019, $20.25 million in 2020 and $24
25 in 2021, though none of those salaries are guaranteed – suggests that Elway still believes he has the roster equipped to make a quick turnaround and deep playoff run
Flacco, however, hasn't exactly delivered top-notch quarterback play as of late. There are multiple reasons why Lamar Jackson took over down the stretch of the season and prompted Ravens brass to end the Flacco era
Flacco ranked 10th in the league with 274 passing yards per game, but he was 4-5 at the time of his last start, and his passer rating (84
2) ranked 28th in the NFL. Jackson isn't yet as adept of a passer as the 34-year-old is, yet the Ravens stuck with him when making a playoff push and now will roll with him as the face of the franchise
Injuries (including back and hip ailments) have limited Flacco in recent years. So, while he must prove he can stay healthy and that he still possesses game-changing abilities, the Broncos can't make the mistake of plugging him in and expecting to mask their problems
They'll have to make upgrades to ensure they maximize whatever Flacco has left in the tank
Fangio is a masterful defensive strategist. But the offense surrounding Flacco is largely unproven
Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and running back Phillip Lindsay represent bright spots
But Denver has a first-year offensive coordinator in Rich Scangarello, who last served as quarterbacks coach in San Francisco
Scangarello and Elway share core offensive philosophies, however. Scangarello worked under Kyle Shanahan in both San Francisco and Atlanta
Shanahan, of course, learned NFL offensive design from his father, Mike Shanahan, who directed Elway to two Super Bowl wins
Kyle Shanahan also worked with Kubiak, who ran the same offense in Denver during Manning's Super Bowl run
Scangarello is expected to deploy a very similar attack, and Elway knows first-hand how such an offense can position an aging quarterback for success
In theory, it should benefit Flacco in many regards with a strong rushing game and plenty of play-action
Flacco is a pocket passer, so it will be interesting to see how he does with the elements of the offense that frequently roll the quarterback out to prevent him from being a stationary target for defenses
But at this stage in his career, Flacco should view anything that can be done to help limit the hits he takes as a positive
Now Elway must take additional measures to fortify this roster elsewhere. He needs this to work, because if this experiment also fails, the next quarterback leaving with a pink slip could be Elway himself
Follow Mike Jones on Twitter @ByMikeJones.FacebookTwitterGoogle+LinkedInTop potential NFL free agents of 2019 Fullscreen Posted!A link has been posted to your Facebook feed
1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE/OLB, Texans Troy Taormina, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen2. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Steelers Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen3
Nick Foles, QB, Eagles Eric Hartline, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen4. Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen6
Trey Flowers, DE, Patriots Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen7. Earl Thomas, S, Seahawks Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen8
Frank Clark, DE, Seahawks Kirby Lee, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen9. Dee Ford, OLB, Chiefs Jake Roth, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen10
C.J. Mosley, ILB, Ravens Tommy Gilligan, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen11. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Redskins Kim Klement, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen5
Grady Jarrett, DT, Falcons Brett Davis, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen12. Preston Smith, OLB, Redskins Brad Mills, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen13
Brandon Graham, DE, Eagles Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen14. Matt Paradis, C, Broncos Mark J
Rebilas, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen15. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Rams Robert Deutsch, Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY SportsFullscreen16
Landon Collins, S, Giants Brad Penner, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen17. Mark Ingram, RB, Saints Derick E
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Golden Tate, WR, Eagles Bill Streicher, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenNot ranked: Za'Darius Smith, OLB, Ravens Tommy Gilligan, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenNov 26, 2018; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans free safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) celebrates after a play during the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium
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Vasquez, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenNR: Donovan Smith, OT, Buccaneers Aaron Doster, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenNR: Randall Cobb, WR, Packers Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenNR: Jay Ajayi, RB, Eagles Jonathan Dyer, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenNR: Thomas Davis, LB, Panthers Jeremy Brevard, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenNR: John Brown, WR, Ravens Evan Habeeb, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenNR: Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons Kim Klement, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenNR: Cameron Wake, DE, Dolphins Rich Barnes, USA TODAY SportsFullscreen Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:Replay1 of 422 of 423 of 424 of 425 of 426 of 427 of 428 of 429 of 4210 of 4211 of 4212 of 4213 of 4214 of 4215 of 4216 of 4217 of 4218 of 4219 of 4220 of 4221 of 4222 of 4223 of 4224 of 4225 of 4226 of 4227 of 4228 of 4229 of 4230 of 4231 of 4232 of 4233 of 4234 of 4235 of 4236 of 4237 of 4238 of 4239 of 4240 of 4241 of 4242 of 42AutoplayShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext Slide CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE
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