ORLANDO, Fla. — The Broncos have been losing for seven consecutive seasons, missing the playoffs the past eight years.
George Paton has been the team’s general manager the past three.
What has been the primary cause behind the extended slump for a team that for the better part of 4.5 decades had been one of the NFL’s most successful franchises?
“I think it starts with stability at the head coach,’’ Paton said in an interview with 9NEWS at the NFL owners meetings here. “We’ve had three coaches, really four coaches in three years. You’re not going to win many games doing that.
“I think it starts with the head coach and we have the right head coach, Sean Payton, and you could see that last year. We were a team that was 1-5 and everyone gave up on us. And yet this team stood together. We got back in the mix, we were relevant in December and that’s a credit to Sean and his coaching staff.’’
Yes, there were gains last year. But the recent release of Russell Wilson just two years after the team poured an enormous amount of resources into him both in draft and financial capital has left the feeling the Broncos are starting all over again in their quest to find an elite quarterback.
Sources tell 9NEWS the Broncos had interest in free agent Sam Darnold and were in on the trade for Washington quarterback Sam Howell. But the price got steep on both, and Darnold wound up signing with Minnesota for a $10 million, one-year deal and Howell was dealt to Seattle in a double swap of draft picks that resulted in late-third-round value.
In all, 24 quarterbacks were plucked off the market this month either by trade or free agency. None went to the Broncos, who do have Jarrett Stidham as a backup/potential starter, and Ben DiNucci as an experienced backup.
“We looked at all the quarterbacks,’’ Paton said. “Trades, free agents, and it just didn’t work out. We didn’t want to force it with someone who’s not an ideal fit or we have a clear vision for, so the worst thing you can do is force it. We didn’t. We’re not panicked. We don’t play a game until September. We’re still talking to some quarterbacks in free agency and obviously the draft, we’ll look at that.”
The Broncos had a contingent scheduled to attend the Pro Days this week of LSU’s Jayden Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. The Broncos also have done deep dives on Caleb Williams, J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, Spencer Rattler and Michael Pratt. And head coach Sean Payton may have a mid- to late-round type QB prospect he likes. Joe Milton, Jordan Travis, Austin Reed, Sam Hartman and Devin Leary should be studied, too.
Remember, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy wasn’t selected until the very last pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
“We do like the group,’’ George Paton said about the 2024 quarterback draft class. "I think it's seven deep, six, seven deep. It's been fun scouting them. It's ongoing. We're still going to some Pro Days this week, and we'll get in our meetings Monday. But it's a fun group to evaluate. All different strengths and weaknesses, but it is a talented group."
The release of Wilson left the Broncos with a two-year dead cap hit of $85 million. The team had an option of splitting that $85 million two ways: One, take $35.4 million this year and $49.6 million in 2025. Or two, absorb $53 million this year and $32 million next year.
The Broncos decided to get $53 million out of the way this year, which puts them in better position to really make a push next year and beyond. That doesn’t mean the Broncos are giving up on this year, as evidenced by their intended signing Wednesday of receiver Josh Reynolds.
But $53 million means 21% of the $255 million team payroll is wasted on dead-cap Wilson, who will play for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year.
To compensate, the Broncos have taken on the more difficult approach of shedding proven starters who were making, or will make, big money (Justin Simmons, Josey Jewell, Jerry Jeudy, Lloyd Cushenberry III) and replacing them with players who have been fringe starters but less expensive with the hopes they will develop into proven starters (Brandon Jones, Malcolm Roach, Cody Barton, Reynolds).
“We embrace the challenge,’’ Paton said. “We want to build and we want to build the right way for sustainable success. Other teams have been through this and won. We’ve studied those teams and we plan on following suit.”
So much so that Paton, like team owner Greg Penner, is counting on the Broncos finishing better than last season’s 8-9.
"We want to take that next step,’’ Paton said. “We had a taste of December [playoff contention], our players did. We won five in a row, six out of seven, obviously not good enough – we need to take that next step to get in the playoffs and make a push.''
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