When the Denver Broncos signed Peyton Manning three years ago, expectations instantly jumped to being Super Bowl or bust. They’ve reached the big game once, but have been one and done the other two seasons.

In order for Denver to take the next step, they’ll need to make some difficult decisions this off-season. Will Manning retire? Can they afford to keep the Thomases?

Elway is still awaiting Manning’s decision.

“With where Peyton is — and as I told him in our meeting — I said, ‘You don’t need to throw for another yard, and you don’t need to throw for another touchdown pass, because your legacy is going to be as one of the all-time greats as it is as we sit here now.’ But where he could really add to his legacy is to win a Super Bowl,” Elway said.

For a ‘down year’, Manning still threw for 4, 727 yards, while tossing 39 touchdowns to only 15 interceptions. If he returns, expectations will remain Super Bowl or bust, but will he have his full compliment of weapons at his disposal?

If Denver is unable to reach a long-term deal with Demaryius Thomas, they will most likely franchise tag him, which leads us to Julius Thomas.

The 26-year old tight end has a history of ankle problems, but when he’s on the field, the production has been there. Thomas has grabbed twelve touchdown passes each of the past two seasons.

When Elway evaluates his free-agents, he must ask himself is Julius worth it?

We all know Peyton is known for making his teammates better, but this isn’t the same Peyton. The soon to be 39-year old clearly doesn’t have the arm strength to make certain throws anymore, which leads one to believe Julius is more than just a product of Peyton.

After Denver’s disappointing 43-21 loss to New England this past November, Peyton acknowledged how big of a factor Julius can be.

“He’s a playmaker, so I probably should have gotten the ball to him more with some different things. Whatever plays were called, if I could just get him involved, that’s something that I could have done better. I feel like we’re at our best when I’m getting him involved,” the future Hall of Fame quarterback said of his tight end.

Most consider Rob Gronkowski to be the best tight end in the game right now and he’s listed at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds. Julius isn’t too far behind at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds.

When you combine that size with more than adequate speed and athleticism, it’s safe to say Julius should prove to be legitimately good without Peyton.

Also, Julius has something in common with future hall of fame tight ends Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. They all played college basketball, which speaks to their unique athleticism and coordination.

During his senior year at Portland State, Thomas averaged 10.8 points and 5.9 rebounds a game.

In today’s game, it’s vital to have one of these ‘hybrid’ type of tight ends, who are virtually used as another receiver.

Julius Thomas will be a hot commodity as free agency opens and there will be plenty of suitors for his talents, even without Peyton Manning attached to him.