John Elway’s reign as Denver Broncos general manager was a tale of two halves. But one of the best things he did for the franchise was helping hire George Paton to replace him.
When leaders transition, in my opinion, the best metric for success is how set up the team left behind is for future success. Hiring Paton is right up there with fellow GM Ozzie Newsome drafting Lamar Jackson in his last draft. In this exercise, we’ll examine Paton’s five best moves thus far.
1
Acquiring Russell Wilson
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
This feels like cheating, but can’t bury the lede. Like with Elway, Paton’s legacy as Broncos GM is attached to an already-Hall-of-Fame-worthy quarterback looking to close out the second act of his career with a Super Bowl ring.
Russell Wilson and Peyton Manning’s careers before joining the Broncos are eerily similar. Both played for at least a decade with another franchise. Both split their Super Bowl appearances 1-1. Both could’ve retired instead of joining a second team and still gotten inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Hopefully the Broncos’ seventh-best Super Bowl odds actualize, so Broncos Country can hear Paton exclaim “this one’s for Pat!” I get goosebumps typing the confetti-filled scene into existence.
2
Drafting Pat Surtain over force picking a QB
(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
During the 2020 NFL draft, then-first-year Denver Broncos GM George Paton had the ninth overall pick in the first round. Like with signing cornerback Blessuan Austin days before this year’s NFL draft, Paton acquired quarterback Teddy Bridgewater days before his first career NFL draft.
The optionality led to Paton drafting the best player available in Patrick Surtain. That’s backed by the fact the GM already had newly-signed Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller in tow. Michael Ojemudia, meanwhile, was a third-round pick entering…
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