Broncos poised (and trying) to be competitive in 2021 season
A new era is beginning in Broncos Country, and, as free agency swiftly approaches, new General Manager George Paton sat down with the media last week to answer some hot button questions. What I personally took away from this presser is that the Broncos are poised to be wildly competitive in 2021.
Among the typical questions that all of Broncos Country are wondering about, George Paton, on numerous occasions, indicated that he would and will do whatever it takes to make the Denver Broncos a competitive football team again.
The hiring of Paton seemed to garner league-wide praise, and for good reason. The depth at which he speaks about his players, the job so far, and even the players’ agents is a breath of fresh air.
This is by no means a knock on John Elway, but after 10 years at the helm, it is refreshing to hear a different and respected voice.
To start off, Paton offered some obvious praise for pending free agent Justin Simmons, saying things like “Justin is one of our core guys,” and “Our goal since I got here is to sign him to a long-term deal.”
Additionally, he also said, “We want to bring Von back.” With the recent news that Von Miller won’t be charged with anything, George Paton can now focus on ensuring Miller retires a Bronco.
He indicated that he wants to keep Bradley Chubb here long-term as well.
One thing that stood out to me is when Paton was asked about his working relationship with head coach Vic Fangio, indicating it’s, “been better than I anticipated.”
Usually, the GM of a team gets his say in who gets to be the head coach. It is a bit rare to see a general manager vacancy without a head coaching vacancy. Now, Fangio is probably on the hot seat for 2021, but for George Paton to mention that his working relationship with Fangio has been better than expected is huge.
Everyone from the positional coaches all the way up to the ownership surely have their opinions on how they think their team should be built, and the processes to get there. Reading the tea leaves from his answer about Vic indicates to me that both men have very similar visions on how a team should be built.
This, and I cannot stress this enough, is huge. We can argue all day about whether or not Vic Fangio is skilled enough to be a head coach in this league, but he is the head coach right now, and the fact that he and Paton seem to be on the same page already is a welcoming sign and a sign that points to the Broncos doing everything they can to return to the playoffs in 2021.
As for the top restricted free agents, Paton indicated he plans on tendering Tim Patrick, Alexander Johnson, and Philip Lindsay, all crucial players for this team.
The biggest bombshell that most of us have already heard from Paton was towards the end of his presser when he said, “We’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to be in every deal.”
Unless I forgot how to read, this quote directly proves to us in Broncos Country that the team will put a competitive product on the field in 2021.
We do know that the Broncos were in on Matthew Stafford, which is a big indicator as to how aggressive Paton will be. The Broncos allegedly offered Drew Lock and the 9th overall pick in the 2021 draft in the package for Stafford.
The idea that the Denver Broncos won’t be competitive, or that this will be a lost year is laughable at best. Since his hiring, Paton has been very clear on many occasions that the team will be aggressive in everything they do.
For those in Broncos Country who choose to have a negative outlook on the team, I must ask — why?
Sure, there are real issues with the team, but it is a simple, indisputable fact that the team has many talented players who can help bring the Broncos to the next level.
I am by nature an optimist, and after hearing George Paton address the media, I am even more optimistic. This man interviewed with roughly one-third of the league for general manager positions, but ultimately chose the Broncos because he believed the team is a “sleeping giant.”
As the free agency period gets set to begin soon, all eyes in Broncos Country will be on George Paton and what his plans are for the Denver Broncos.