ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – With the contracts for tight end Virgil Green and tight end Owen Daniels signed, Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway spent a few moments Wednesday to outline the team’s plan for the remainder of free agency and where he thinks things stand on the roster.

Elway also touched on the recent negotiations to trim quarterback Peyton Manning’s base salary from $19 million for the upcoming season to $15 million. The talks with Manning were on the front burner, as well as the Broncos' use of the franchise-player tag on wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, before the Broncos could really get down to the business of free agency this week.

Manning’s base salary for the season was guaranteed Monday and free agency opened Tuesday, so the timetable was tight as it negotiated with Manning's representatives.

“That’s always a hard part; those discussions are always hard," Elway said of the talks. “It went fine and Peyton was good through the whole thing. It’s just not an easy thing to do. It’s just the business part. We got through that and everything’s fine. I talked to Peyton and he’s ready to go."

Elway also addressed the idea that while most of the high-profile free agents had already agreed to deals in the opening hours of free agency, he believes there are still available players who can contribute. He said the Broncos are paying particular attention to safeties and defensive linemen, especially players who could play nose tackle in the team’s new 3-4 defense.

“Everybody thinks it just opened yesterday and that’s the last day of free agency," Elway said. “This is a process that goes all the way through [when] the training deadline stops. You get out of the frenzy of everything and you can get back to the reality and try to find some good football players."

With Orlando Franklin’s departure in free agency and the fact center Will Montgomery is a free agent, the Broncos are also on the hunt for as many as three new starters on a revamped offensive line. It is also a position the Broncos assured would be improved during the talks with Manning about his new deal, and the Broncos have bigger designs on filling the jobs from within than perhaps many expected.

Elway said Michael Schofield, a third-round pick in the 2014 draft who was a game-day inactive in every week of the season, including the playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts, is expected to get the first look at right tackle. The Broncos see him as a future starter.

“We actually went back and looked at what he did in the preseason," Elway said. “We’re excited about what he did in the preseason. He’s just a young guy. He’s a talented kid and we have expectations."

Center Matt Paradis, a sixth-round pick in last year’s draft, will also compete for a job and Elway said Ben Garland would get a look at left guard, before adding that the position group as a whole will likely could get some attention in the coming days and weeks in free agency and the draft.

The Broncos have six draft picks right now, and Elway said Wednesday he believed the team would be awarded as many as four compensatory picks as well. Compensatory picks will be announced at the league meetings in Phoenix later this month.

“We do have some young guys that we think highly of," Elway said. “It’s time to put the pressure on them, step up, grow up and get in there. We’re not done either. … We’re not done. We've got 10 picks."

Wide receiver Cody Latimer, a second-round pick in 2014 who played just 37 snaps on offense last season, will also be in the mix far more, Elway said. He is expected to join Manning at workouts at Duke in the coming weeks.

“You get through that rookie year, he’s going to have his feet under him this year and feel a lot more comfortable with where he is," Elway said. “And I think the system is going to be easier, too."