GM George Paton dishes out thoughts on Broncos’ roster

Back in 2021, the Denver Broncos hired George Paton to be their general manager to replace longtime executive John Elway. After spending thirteen years with the Minnesota Vikings in various capacities, Paton finally got his chance to be the lead an NFL franchise and build it the way he wanted to.

Entering his fifth year as GM of the Broncos, Paton has endured his ups and downs. The Russell Wilson trade along with the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett are two large blemishes on his resume. However, many of his other endeavors deserve a lot of praise.

He has found great success in the draft. Whether it is early round, mid round or late round selections, Paton and the scouting staff have done a tremendous job finding players who can help the franchise immediately. In fact, it wouldn’t be out of line to say he has had more success the past several years via the draft than Elway did in a decade long run as the team’s top executive.

Denver’s free agency moves under Paton for the most part have also been positive. It’s impossible to be perfect on that avenue. Nevertheless, the additions there have certainly helped reforge a franchise that was lacking depth and talent. Additionally, a priority of his since arriving in Denver is to reward homegrown and developed players. That’s a strong divergence from the prior regime where few players selected ever earned second contracts from the team.

On the brink of the 2025 regular season, Paton took time to speak to the media via conference call about the state of the Broncos’ roster.

“We have a strong roster, and obviously that’s day-to-day, that’s week-to-week. We feel we’re strong in the trenches. We feel like we have a franchise quarterback. We like the weapons we have on offense, and we play really good defense. That’s a recipe to win a lot of games, so we feel good about this roster,” added Paton.

Indeed, of the primary strengths for the team come in the trenches. Both their offensive and defensive lines are loaded with talent. Every starter, as well as key depth players, are slated to return this season. A rare benefit of continuity that most franchises don’t have the luxury of.

History shows that having top-tier lines can make all the difference in the world when it comes to being competitive in the playoffs and having a shot at hoisting a Lombardi Trophy. I was surprised during the final roster cutdowns with the Broncos’ decision to keep seven defensive linemen. That’s unusual, especially when you sport a three-man front. However, Paton offered insight as to why that decision was made.

“We’re trying to keep the best 53. We’ve talked a lot about building through the trenches. We felt all seven were really good players. That’s how we won last year, and that’s how we want to win this year, offensive and defensive line. So, shame on us if we were to get rid of a really good defensive line player.”

While things haven’t been perfect for Paton in his time as GM, there is no doubt the positives far outweigh the negatives. As I wrote the other day, I feel the roster is in the best shape it has been in a decade. His leadership has played a big role in that. While it’s too early to know whether or not this team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender, I’m confident the 2025 Broncos have the ability to do better than last season.