John Beake, the Broncos executive who helped land John Elway, dies at 87

John Beake, a key figure in one of the biggest trades in NFL history, has died. He was 87.

The Denver Broncos announced his death Saturday and said his family confirmed it. No cause was given.

The Elway trade

Beake joined the Broncos in 1979 and worked in several personnel jobs before he became general manager in 1983. That same year he helped pull off the trade with the Baltimore Colts that brought John Elway to Denver.

Elway became a Hall of Fame quarterback and led the Broncos to Super Bowl titles after the 1997 and 1998 seasons. He won another as the team's general manager after the 2015 season.

More than two decades in Denver

The Broncos said Beake helped guide the team to five Super Bowl appearances, including its back-to-back championships. The team called him "a respected leader throughout one of the most successful eras in franchise history."

Beake moved into a new role in 2000 as the team's vice president of administration. He later joined the NFL league office as vice president of player development. He also ran football operations for NFL Europe.

His coaching roots

Before Denver, Beake was an offensive assistant under Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1968 to 1974. He worked for Stram again with the New Orleans Saints in 1976 and 1977.