ESPN’s lead league insider, Adam Schefter, appeared on 92.5 FM – Denver’s Altitude Sports Radio and was asked about Denver Broncos General Manager George Paton’s future with the team. There have been rumors of the Minnesota Vikings having interest in Paton, but Schefter replied by saying that George Paton is “pretty content” and that Denver is intent on keeping him in Denver.
Broncos GM George Paton is in the final year of his contract with the team, and there are some questions about his future. He took over for former GM John Elway and immediately made a huge impact on the team. In the 2021 NFL Draft, many people wanted him to draft a quarterback, potentially even Justin Fields, but he did not and selected cornerback Pat Surtain II.
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He made the right decision. Surtain has gone on to become the best corner in the NFL and won the AP Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024. Meanwhile, Fields has bounced around the league and has not developed into a starting quarterback.
The following year, Paton made another big swing and hired Nathaniel Hackett to be the head coach and swung a massive trade with the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Russell Wilson. Well, this did not work out for the Broncos at all. Hackett would be fired before he could finish out the year, and Wilson and his bloated contract put the team in a really bad spot.
Those two moves are obvious blemishes to his record, but things would turn positive once again moving forward. The Walton-Penner Ownership Group had a larger say in the happenings with the team, and they went out and acquired/hired Sean Payton to be their new head coach. Many believed Paton would not survive this hiring because Payton is very hands-on and was bringing in a lot of his people. However, the two bonded fairly quickly, and their working relationship is a big reason why this team went from rock bottom to being a Super Bowl contender so quickly.
Paton has taken a larger role in scouting, and the results speak for themselves. He has drafted All-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz, All-Pro edge rusher Nik Bonitto, and All-Pro returner Marvin Mims. While Sean Payton had a big say in Bo Nix, the two were able to select Nix, which sparked this quick turnaround. He has also drafted Jonathon Cooper, RJ Harvey, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, Riley Moss, Jahdae Barron, Que Robinson, and multiple other contributors to this roster. There have been some misses, like with all teams, but he has drafted many more hits than misses.
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Then you look at free agency. Zach Allen, Mike McGlinchey, Ben Powers, Brandon Jones, JK Dobbins, Talanoa Hufanga, traded for John Franklin-Myers, and so on. The Broncos’ front office has been on a heater lately, and a lot of their draft picks, free agent signings, and trades have paid off for this team. Hell, they swung Devaughn Vele for an early 4th round pick.
Paton has earned a second contract from the Broncos. Yes, the Russell Wilson trade/contract and Nathaniel Hackett hiring happened. Huge misses, but shit happens. He bounced back from that, likely learned from some mistakes, and has thrived in a better situation. It starts at the top with the owners who are willing to spend and want to win, and continues with his working relationship with Sean Payton and the rest of the front office.
It’s working, and the two sides want to stay together. Let’s get a deal done and keep this core together.
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