How do you restore the glory to a once proud NFL franchise? Especially one that has struggled to find its identity since its equally proud President of Football Operations, John Elway, called it a career way back in 1997?
If you’re newly minted General Manager George Paton, you do it by scouring the NCAA for talent. Paton got his start in the Chicago Bears scouting department and before the decade was out had worked his way to the Vikings assistant GM position. A stop in Miami uncovered guys like Randy McMichael and Vernon Carey. The Leroy Guitons and Percy Harvins would follow in Minnesota. Paton has had a hand in building playoff teams for each of the organizations for which he’s worked, and now he’s turned his attention towards ending the Broncos’ current five-year playoff drought.
After a decade of making all the relevant decisions regarding personnel, John Elway and team brass decided it was time to place a new set of eyes on the ultimate prize. Paton was hired on January 12 of this year, given complete autonomy, and he went straight to work. His first order of business was to franchise tag Justin Simmons before making him the highest paid safety in the league. Simmons is a high character guy who’s great in the locker room and active in the community. The type of guy you want to build around.
Then he allowed the contract of safety Kareem Jackson to expire. Despite the veteran enjoying his best season in Denver. Jackson subsequently tested free agency and elected to return at a more team-friendly number. But it was the acquisition of Kyle Fuller that turned heads. This is an extremely low risk, high reward deal for the Broncos. Fuller just turned 29 and has never missed a game in his pro career. He also enjoyed his greatest success under current Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. The two will look to rekindle their magic in the Mile High city.
Paton wasn’t done throwing money at the defensive backfield. In order for the Broncos to get where they want to go, they must deal with that Big Red Machine in Kansas City. So they gave Ronald Darby $30 million and need him to show that his durability concerns are a thing of the past.
The new GM wrapped free agency by picking up the option on Von Miller and letting fan favorite Phillip Lindsay walk. They also lost Jeremiah Attaochu and Elijah Wilkinson – both to the Chicago Bears.
With the draft on the horizon, Paton reached to his past to shore up the Broncos future. The assistant general manager in Minnesota when the Vikings made Teddy Bridgewater a first round pick, Paton plucked the QB from the Carolina Panthers just one year after signing him to a 3-year $63 million dollar contract.
This move effectively ended the quarterback pursuit for the Broncos in 2021. It provided competition for incumbent Drew Lock while also giving their young signal-caller another opportunity for the light to come on. So it was no surprise when the Broncos passed on Ohio State’s Justin Fields to select Patrick Surtain II from Alabama. This was clearly a selection with the division in mind. Welcome to the Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert led AFC West. With Fuller and Darby already in the fold adding Surtain allows the Broncos the flexibility in their nickel and dime packages to compete with the Chiefs and Chargers.
Surtain II was a fantastic pick, but it was day two where the Broncos began turning heads. With reports rampant that the Miami Dolphins would select RB Javonte Williams from North Carolina, Denver traded up to the 35th pick one spot ahead of Miami to snag the explosive running back. Williams ranked second in the NCAA on rushes of 10 or more yards and led the nation in avoided tackles. He was considered by many to be the last elite back in the draft after Alabama’s Najee Harris, & Travis Etienne both went in the first round.
Paton then traded back twice before selecting Quinn Meinerz out of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Meinerz sat out the 2020 season and with extensive recorded workouts and improved conditioning earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where his performance catapulted him up draft boards. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah rated him the 45th overall prospect in the draft and it was a surprise a player of his caliber was still available so late in round four.
It’s been quite an eventful offseason to this point but the organization is far from done. They have six picks from rounds five through seven. Then they must get everyone signed and on the field for OTA’s. He’ll need Drew Lock (currently ranked as the QB35 according to this fantasy football cheat sheet) to take the next step in his development and O-Line coach Mike Munchak to start earning his paycheck but Paton has placed the Broncos squarely on the path for the playoffs.
