Denver Broncos: 10 biggest mistakes in the George Paton era

5. Signing Randy Gregory

Signing Randy Gregory has proven to be a monumental mistake from George Paton. Gregory got a five-year, $70 million deal from the Broncos last offseason, but fortunately, the deal is practically just a two-year deal, so if Gregory again struggles in 2023, the Broncos can easily cut ties with Gregory, saving $14 million starting in 2024.

Randy Gregory played in just six games for the Denver Broncos in 2022, starting three of them. He put up two sacks, 12 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and seven QB hits. If we averaged these out for a full 17-game season, this is what the Broncos would have gotten from Gregory in 2022:

Six sacks, 34 total tackles, six tackles for loss, 20 QB hits. Eh.

I mean, it's not awful production, right? I'm not sure he'd be making enough of a difference to live up to his contract, but I guess it's fine production. Randy Gregory is entering the most important year of his career in the NFL. If he does play well in 2023, the Broncos could keep him beyond this year.

They might already be planning for his exit, but I do think Gregory has the potential to be one of the better pass rushers in the NFL. I think playing a full season could see Gregory hit the double-digit sack mark and perhaps even surpass 20 QB hits. His career highs are six sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 17 QB hits.

The pressure is very much on for Randy Gregory in 2023.