Peyton Manning and Brandon Stokley have a long history together, first in Indianapolis and last season in Denver. Still, the addition of Wes Welker seemed to close the door on Brandon Stokley returning to the Broncos for another season with Manning.
Even so, Peyton Manning is not ready to concede that Stokley won't be back later in the offseason. "I think it’s well documented how I feel about Brandon as a player and a friend, and with the kind of season he had last year, I would still like to play with him," Manning said at the Broncos' voluntary offseason workouts. "In a perfect world I would love for both of them to be on the team this year. . . . Stokley is a great friend of mine, and as I’ve said all along, he’s always been one of my favorite teammates ever to play with."
In all reality, Manning's hope that there will be a place for Brandon Stokley isn't all the crazy. While Stokley's role has been filled by Welker, there's no harm in having a guy to give Welker a breather from time to time. In addition, if Welker were to get injured, and that's a distinct possibility considering the routes he has to run, having Stokley on the roster would mean that the Broncos' offense wouldn't miss a beat.
Right now, it seems as if Brandon Stokley won't be on the Broncos' roster in the immediate future, but Peyton Manning does have some pull over personnel decision, at least he should in regard to his wide receiving corp. Don't be surprised if Stokley and the Broncos come together for another season.