Broncos should consider major front office move after pathetic Week 2 loss
The Denver Broncos suffered a pathetic loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, so they should consider making this major front office move. One of the first draft picks that General Manager George Paton made was trading up in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft to take Javonte Williams, a running back from North Carolina.
It was a puzzling move at the time, as taking a RB that high is just not good practice in today's NFL, and trading up for one is an even more silly decision to make. Now yes, Paton should get a ton of credit for this 2021 class, as it featured players like Patrick Surtain II, Quinn Meinerz, and Jonathon Cooper, who are three building blocks for this team.
But through the first chunk of Williams' career, it's clear that the Broncos have not gotten nearly the production that they hoped from Williams who has rushed for 40 yards through two games and is averaging just 2.1 yards per tote. I mean, he's been awful thus far and averaged less than four yards per carry in 2023 as well.
This just is not sustainable, and Williams is rapidly moving into "bust" territory for the Denver Broncos. He was drafted to be an every-down bell-cow back, but is almost unplayable at this point. Speaking of almost unplayable, Paton's 2022 draft pick, tight end Greg Dulcich, is just turning into a lost cause at the position.
He's not playable as a blocker and has not been the receiving threat that most of us thought he could be. Dulcich is another Paton draft pick rapidly approaching "bust" territory, and at this point, we need to have a conversation about the Broncos needing to make a major move in the front office.
To me, it's time to let Paton go and perhaps try to reset at the GM spot. If the Broncos part ways with Paton early enough in the season, it may give the new GM enough time to get up to speed. It's not like GMs haven't been fired in-season before.
This may seem like an odd person to criticize at the moment, but some of his draft picks have just not nearly lived up to their billing, and it's hurting the team greatly. Paton also has not done anything special at WR since arriving with the team, and his overall incompetence in trying to build an offense with play-makers has been on full display thus far.
Is it time for the Broncos to move on from George Paton?