Wednesday was the NFL’s equivalent of New Year’s Day—the first day of the new league year and the official green light for trades and free agent signings.

So, with that in mind, the Broncos’ front office was undoubtedly huddled together in a boardroom in Denver, taking care of business, right?

Not so much.

The brains of the Broncos operation, led by John Elway, were in Norman, Oklahoma, watching Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield sling a football around the Sooners’ indoor practice facility.

.@BakerMayfield throwing at @OU_Football's Pro Day!

?: Live NOW on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/OCVWsY4Rsy

— NFL (@NFL) March 14, 2018

The latest field trip comes on the heels of Denver's coaches requesting for Mayfield to be placed on their roster at the Senior Bowl and then the Broncos making it clear to anyone who cared to listen that they would also meet with Mayfield at the NFL Combine and separately in Denver.

In the meantime, the team is in the process of finalizing a two-year deal with former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Case Keenum—an acquisition that signals two things: 1.) Denver's front office is conceding defeat on the Paxton Lynch experiment, and 2.) its intent in free agency was only to obtain a short-term mentor at the position.

In so many ways, Keenum is the perfect player for Mayfield to study under. Now 30, Keenum was discounted by the vast majority of the league because he was "undersized" for the position and came from a pass-heavy spread offense at the University of Houston.

Sound familiar?

John Elway giving Baker Mayfield the ? pic.twitter.com/htzb9wzgKM

— Andrew Ites (@sportswithjim) March 14, 2018

What's more, Keenum's success in the NFL has come, almost entirely, thanks to maximizing the value of his pinpoint passing accuracy. Mayfield is the most accurate quarterback in the draft and can succeed with the same blueprint. 

Elway is angling toward selecting Mayfield with the fifth pick in next month’s draft, and he’s being about as subtle as a gun.

Mayfield, for his part, is super down to ride with the Broncos.

Mayfield described it as “surreal” to see Elway at his Pro Day.

“It’s an honor,” he said. “If John Elway asks you to be on his team, you don’t say no.”

As for reservations regarding Mayfield’s in-game, um, displays of emotion, we’ll call it, Elway is undeterred, saying he “like[s] to see a guy with that kind of passion.” For the record, the Hall of Fame quarterback has also dismissed concerns about Mayfield’s height.

“I think [the mold has] been broken,” Elway said. “I mean, you’ve got Drew Brees and [others] have proven that you can do it. He’s obviously very much a competitor, has had a great college career and won the Heisman Trophy, so he’s proven he can play.”

So, there you have it. Baker loves John. John loves Baker. And they don’t care who knows it.