Peyton Manning certainly didn't waste any time taking over the show with the Denver Broncos.
“He’s literally leading everything. He’s setting us up, putting us in the right positions," wide receiver Andre Caldwell said of Denver's voluntary workouts, according to ESPN.com. "He’s not running the drills -- definitely he and (Eric) Decker go hand-in-hand with that -- but he’s pretty much the leader in everything else.”
This is hardly surprising given Manning's well-known lean toward the Type A side of things. But it does put into focus just how special a player Manning is. How many guys can join a new team and be the unquestionable leader the moment they walk into the room?
Caldwell, who spent last season with the Cincinnati Bengals, discussed the difference between working with Manning after going through growing pains with rookie Andy Dalton.
“It’s a big difference,” Caldwell said. “The quarterback had to get adjusted to us (last year), but instead, Peyton is leading us. He’s showing us all the drills we need to do. He’s ahead of everybody, and he’s just our leader. Being with a rookie last year, our leader was on the O-line. This year it’s the quarterback. He’s leading everything that he does.”
It's easy to imagine the gleam in Caldwell's eyes as he discusses the situation he's landed in. Dalton was a success as a rookie last season, but getting to play with Peyton Manning is the wide receiver holy grail.