Broncos GM search: Two candidates getting second interviews

Broncos GM search: Two candidates getting second interviews.

The Denver Broncos are narrowing their general manager search.

What started out with five candidates now appears to be down to three, perhaps even just two, as the Broncos will have second interviews with two of the initial wave of candidates.

The two candidates receiving second interviews are Vikings executive George Paton (pronounced like Peyton) and Saints executive Terry Fontenot.

The second interviews for these candidates were first reported by Mike Klis of 9News in Denver.

This is great news from the perspective that the Broncos are inching closer to hiring a new general manager to replace John Elway, who is going to cede control of the team to the new leader of the front office.

Elway will still have some say in bigger decisions, but ultimately, he’s going to let the new general manager do their job. That was apparently a topic of discussion that came up in meetings, and whatever Elway said was convincing enough to get the presumed top candidate in the building for a second interview.

Since the Vikings are not in the playoffs, Paton is available to interview in-person and will be in Denver to do so on Tuesday.

Since the Saints are still in the playoffs, Fontenot is subject to COVID-19 restrictions and therefore is unable to interview in person. Obviously the Broncos would not necessarily require an in-person interview for the candidate they choose, but with how much Fontenot impressed in the first wave of interviews, it would be a real shame if the restrictions put on at this time would prevent him from getting a general manager position.

Even if it doesn’t work out in Denver, Fontenot has other options elsewhere in the league and potentially with teams that are willing to be more patient, but the Broncos could certainly wait for Fontenot as well if his second interview (which will be over Zoom) goes as well as the first.

So what about Champ Kelly of the Bears?

Prior to the initial interviews, it sounded like Kelly was the candidate to beat. As the days went on, the front-runner became the Vikings’ Paton who has the most experience and highest credentials.

After the initial interviews, Klis reported that Fontenot had “leap-frogged” the field after Paton, and the fact that he’s getting a second interview with the Broncos’ search committee is pretty telling.

If the team was all-in on George Paton, they could easily just bring him in (and him alone) for a second interview and forsake the other candidates.

Although Paton may wind up being the man for the job, it’s clear that Fontenot has made an impression.

Denver Broncos: 4 most critical decisions facing new GM

The Denver Broncos will have a new general manager in 2021. That new GM is going to have to make some critical decisions right away.

We will know more as the day goes along, but for now, it looks like the Broncos’ general manager search has gone from five to three to two, though Champ Kelly may make his way to Denver one way or another.