The four moves that will ultimately cost Broncos GM George Paton his job
- Trading for QB has proven to be a bad move
- The Aaron Rodgers chase led the Broncos down some bad roads
- Randy Gregory... was just bad
The Russell Wilson trade
Broncos fans were so desperate to get a quality quarterback in Denver that it seemed like many of them were dancing in the streets when this deal was made. But as with any major decision, time will be the biggest tell.
Wilson was disastrous in his first season with the team, but in year two, he is undeniably better. One has to wonder where the team would be if he would have played this way last year. But he didn't, and it forced a major coaching change.
That move, coupled with what the Broncos had to part with to get Wilson, set the team back. Sure, they got a future Hall-of-Fame head coach and quarterback that will also be in Canton, but the chain reaction of events that has followed these two decisions, which also go hand in hand, have been less than ideal and have greatly set this franchise back.
The bottom line question one would have to ask is how has this franchise improved from the time Paton took over? And the answer would be that it hasn't, in fact it has gotten considerably worse. There has been one bad decision after another and it is quite difficult to be optimistic about the future.
Paton has put together a very subpar roster and he has handcuffed himself by trading away too many precious assets while also not hitting on free-agent signings and draft picks. Unless the Broncos go on an asbolute tear the rest of the way in 2023, there will be some housecleaning this offseason and Greg Penner will likely be interviewing candidates for an open GM position.