3 mistakes George Paton has made during Broncos tenure
The Denver Broncos have made a complete 180 since George Paton took over as the general manager, but there have been a few mistakes he’s made so far. Paton’s tenure has been nothing short of excellent so far, but I think there have been a few missteps.
No matter how talented a coach, player, or executive is, there have been mistakes and regrets they’ve made during their careers. It’s simply human nature. I love being a teacher, for example, and I think I’m good at it, but I make mistakes every day in my classroom.
This article isn’t meant to bash Paton or the work he and other Broncos’ front office members have done, but I think it’s an article of reflection so far. Denver is set to enter their second season under Paton’s leadership, so it might be worth looking back at all the moves he’s made so far since he’s had two full offseasons under his belt.
Mistakes made during George Paton’s tenure so far as Broncos GM
1. Not establishing a clear plan at right tackle
In his two offseasons as general manager, George Paton has failed to establish much of a plan at right tackle. When Ja’Wuan James tore his Achilles, he went out and signed Bobby Massie and Cameron Fleming to compete for the right tackle position, along with Calvin Anderson.
Massie won the job for 2021 and played decently, but he wasn’t retained. The 2022 right tackle adventure seems to be nearly identical to last year’s. The team signed Billy Turner, who was with the Packers before that, but he missed most of the offseason activities with a knee injury.
Calvin Anderson was also retained, and the team brought back Cameron Fleming late in the 2022 offseason as well. Anderson seemed to be the starter, but now it appears that Turner was the plan all along, and will likely be inserted into the starting lineup when healthy.
While Billy Turner is a fine right tackle solution, there’s little reason to believe he could be a long-term solution, and Paton didn’t draft a tackle in either of his drafts with the Denver Broncos.
I think he could have established a clearer plan here.