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Denver Broncos: What hiring of George Paton means for Drew Lock

By Graham Tiedtke

Jan 3, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (3) passes the ball in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (3) passes the ball in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Denver Broncos, George Paton
Dec 19, 2020; Denver, Colorado, USA; The Denver Broncos hired George Paton to be their general manager. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports /

What will the hiring of George Paton as GM mean for Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock?

The Denver Broncos came to terms with former Vikings assistant general manager George Paton to become the team’s full general manager on Wednesday.

This comes after John Elway gave up the general manager title, becoming only the President of Football Operations—a title he already had.

Paton spent 14 years with the Minnesota Vikings.

Other teams had pursued him in recent years (including the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017) but he ultimately chose to stay with the Vikings until today.

https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1349417580746964999

Now, all eyes are set on the futures of certain players. None will be more closely looked at than quarterback Drew Lock. With the general manager set, where will this leave the 2019 second-round pick?

Let’s take a dive into the quarterback situations the Vikings have gone through with Paton in his former role.

As far as the NFL Draft, the list of quarterbacks acquired is a pretty short one. The notable quarterbacks selected early are Teddy Bridgewater (2014) and Christian Ponder (2011). Both were drafted in the first round of their respective classes.

Not only did they draft Bridgewater, but they traded up to get him.

Paton was also part of the Vikings when the team traded for former first-overall pick Sam Bradford, and signed Case Keenum in free agency. Keenum ended up leading the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game in 2017.

Another player the team signed in free agency? Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre. Although Favre did not need extra motivation to go to Minnesota other than to play the Packers twice a year, it’s worth noting that Paton was on the staff at the time.

So what could his arrival in Denver mean for Drew Lock’s future?

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