If the Denver Broncos want to snag Kirk Cousins, John Elway and the Denver Broncos are going to have to come up with a great sales pitch.

Good morning, Broncos Country.

In 2012, John Elway and the Denver Broncos shocked the NFL when they were able to acquire Peyton Manning. His acquisition, along with a handful of others, helped propel the Broncos to four straight AFC West titles, two Super Bowl appearances and ultimately the franchise’s third Lombardi Trophy. After two consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, there is no doubt that Elway and the Broncos are going to make a big time play to acquire free agency’s biggest prize — quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Even though the Broncos are considered the favorites to land him, it’s time for John Elway to work on a Hell of a sales pitch to ensure the highly-coveted signal caller lands in Denver. In my eyes, that would mean keeping key players like Aqib Talib and Demaryius Thomas on the squad for the next two seasons, which undoubtedly will help the franchise’s aspirations to compete for world championships. It has been reported that Cousins cares more about winning than he does money, so it would be hard to convince him that’s what they intend on doing if they end up getting rid of two of their best players to create some cap space to aid in a free agency spending spree for his services.

On top of keeping the best players on the roster, Elway would be wise to emphasize that he and his staff would be willing to do whatever it takes to surround Cousins with more talent on the offensive side of the ball. It’s essential that they let him know they will rebuild the offense around him. The Broncos have nine picks in their arsenal for the 2018 NFL Draft and have the opportunity to snag some top-tier talent with five of those selections being in the Top 125 overall.

Get him some offensive lineman, add another running back, sprinkle in another receiver and find another tight end to pair with Jake Butt for the future. Those moves would likely have Cousins salivating at the opportunity to play in the Mile High City, and help create a better picture that demonstrates Elway and the Broncos are willing to do whatever it takes to get back in the saddle again.

If the Broncos can come up with a great sales pitch, the ability to acquire Kirk Cousins will be a lot easier. Here is to hoping that happens, because without a franchise quarterback who can make an impact immediately — it could be a while before the franchise gets back to their winning ways.

As always, thank you for reading and here is today’s offering of Horse Tracks.

Horse Tracks

Broncos focused on finding corporate sponsor for stadium name, former mayor has different idea
Former Mayor Wellington Webb thinks fans, businesses and the marijuana industry can pay the maintenance costs at Mile High Stadium.

John Elway: Broncos have picks to trade for, draft QB - NFL.com
Fresh off a 5-11 campaign, John Elway is entering a pivotal offseason for his Denver Broncos. How will the executive and former on-field hero address his team's biggest need?

The Broncos need a tackle. A good one from New England could soon be a free agent.
Nate Solder, the former Colorado standout and Tom Brady's blindside protector, will be a free agent in March. Is a return to Denver in the cards?

Report: Broncos to offer Cousins 'very high' guaranteed contract
The Broncos could sign Cousins to a lucrative deal that doesn't torpedo their salary cap.

Broncos special-teams' woes also an indication of roster weaknesses
The Broncos' consistent problems on special teams showed fundamental flaws that new coordinator Tom McMahon vows to fix.

Tom Brady of New England Patriots hopes Chris Long of Philadelphia Eagles goes easy on him Sunday
Tom Brady said Tuesday that he hopes former teammate Chris Long "respects his elders a bit" and doesn't hit Brady too hard if he gets a shot in Super Bowl LII.

One-handed LB Shaquem Griffin gets invite to combine
Shaquem Griffin said Tuesday in a video posted on Twitter that he has received a long-awaited invite to the NFL scouting combine.

Rob Gronkowski of New England Patriots says he thinks he'll play in Super Bowl
Rob Gronkowski answered simply, "Yes," when asked if he thinks he'll play in Sunday's Super Bowl, but said he's still awaiting official word on when he'll be out of concussion protocol.