Is John Elway the best at what he does now, as he was the best at what he did then?

Navigating through byzantine decisions that need to be made this month and next will require every bit of The Duke of Denver’s wisdom, acumen, shrewdness and experience gleaned from a Stanford economics degree, a 16-season Hall of Fame career, his years in private business as a successful automobile dealer and restaurateur, six years as co-owner and CEO of an Arena Football League team and five seasons as the boss of the Broncos’ football operations.

He also will need and heed advice from coach Gary Kubiak, assistant coaches, lieutenants Matt Russell and Tom Heckert, as well as salary-cap administrator Mike Sullivan and CEO Joe Ellis.

This is another drive for Elway, who can’t rest or relax in the reverberation of the Super Bowl victory.

Critical upcoming dates confronting Elway: Monday, Broncos begin contract negotiations with agents of other teams’ unrestricted free agents; Tuesday, Peyton Manning’s future is determined as his contract becomes guaranteed unless he retires or he and the Broncos part ways; and Wednesday, free agent signing period starts. April 22 is the deadline for restricted free agents to sign offers. The draft will be held April 28-30.

Elway did exceedingly well in previous offseasons.

Twenty-one of the Broncos’ 22 starters in the Super Bowl were acquired as draft choices, veteran free agents or undrafted college free agents. Demaryius Thomas was the only holdover (first-round pick in 2011) from the previous regime. Sixteen of the Broncos who played had been drafted by the Broncos. Five other draft picks on the roster were declared inactive for the game. Three others were on the injured reserve list.

Seven players in the Super Bowl signed with the Broncos as college free agents during the Elway reign.

Five unrestricted free agents who joined the Broncos in the past two years started the Super Bowl, and three more starters — Manning, DeMarcus Ware and Ryan Harris — had been released by their previous teams.

Yet, Elway still hasn’t been named by the Pro Football Writers Association as NFL executive of the year. He lost out to Trent Baalke (49ers, 2011), Ryan Grigson (Colts, 2012), John Dorsey (Chiefs, 2013), Jerry Jones (Cowboys, 2014) and Mike Maccagnan (New York Jets, 2015).

That’s a transgression.

Under Elway, the Broncos own a 55-22 record and five consecutive AFC West titles (including the Tim Tebowmania season). They’ve won six of 10 postseason games and two AFC Conference championships, and Super Bowl 50. The Patriots and the Packers have better regular-season records during that five-year span, but only the Broncos, the Patriots and the Seahawks have been in two Super Bowls. All three were 1-1.

Elway was the Arena League executive of the year when the Colorado Crush won the title. In his 21 years with the Broncos as a quarterback and the executive vice president of football operations, the Broncos have won three Super Bowls (and appeared in seven) and 12 division titles, and been in the playoffs 15 times (with just two losing seasons).

He is the only Hall of Fame quarterback to win a Super Bowl as an executive.

The CEO of a prominent Colorado company texted me the week of the Super Bowl and asked if Elway was the best general manager in the NFL over the past five seasons. I replied: “He has to win a Super Bowl.”

A day after the Broncos won, the CEO wrote: “Well?”

Well, there are four legitimate candidates: Bill Belichick (the de facto general manager of the Patriots), Ted Thompson of the Packers, John Schneider of the Seahawks and Elway.

Elway now must be No. 1. He took over the Broncos during tumultuous times and turned the franchise around. He lured Manning to Denver, drafted Von Miller second overall and made at least 15 other outstanding picks. He hired John Fox and made the difficult call to fire Fox, then bring back Kubiak and “washed-up” Wade Phillips to run the defense.

He carries on the Pat Bowlen tradition of winning.

When Bowlen hired Elway, cynics and experts ripped the choice.

Nobody does anymore.

The Elway is the best way.

Woody Paige: woody@woodypaige.com or @woodypaige