DENVER (AP) – John Elway bolstered both his offensive line and his already strong reputation as one of the NFL’s best general managers Thursday by luring former Seattle Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung to the Denver Broncos.
Okung, who represented himself in negotiations, drew heavy interest in the free agent market. His choice of Denver shows Elway can still attract a marquee free agent even without Peyton Manning as a selling point.
“Honestly, it’s a great organization and I think there are only a few top organizations in the NFL,” said Okung, who had anchored the Seahawks’ line for the last six seasons. “Denver is obviously one of those. The class and integrity, it goes with the organization and speaks volumes. I wanted to be a part of a place that did that.”
Selected by Seattle with the sixth pick in the 2010 draft out of Oklahoma State, Okung started 72 regular-season games and a dozen playoff contests for the Seahawks. He was a Pro Bowler in 2012.
Okung’s 20 sacks allowed in his career rank as the fewest in the league among tackles who have started at least half of their team’s games in each season since 2010.