Denver Broncos GM George Paton has helped build a juggernaut, but his job may only be getting harder.
Paton's tenure is really a debate within Broncos Country, as some people think that Sean Payton has been the primary voice with these roster decisions, but it's more likely that a collaborative effort is present. Payton and Paton seem to work quite well with each other, as they have hit on a ton of draft picks and have made countless top-tier free agency and trade moves.
On paper, this is the best Broncos roster since their Super Bowl season back in 2015, so you'd think that George Paton's job may only get easier, right?
Wrong...
A ton of work may need done along the DL next offseason
The Broncos did make some moves along the DL recently. Not only did they extend Jonathon Cooper and DJ Jones, but they also drafted Que Robinson and Sai'vion Jones. However, all of Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, Malcolm Roach, and John Franklin-Myers are set to be free agents next offseason.
This would be a majority of the DL production set to hit the open market, and there is just no way that Denver lets all four of those players walk. This team has put a huge emphasis on the trenches, but the main issue here is who George Paton plans on prioritizing for extensions.
You'd think that both Allen and Bonitto would get deals, but with both players surely wanting over $20 million per year, it might not be that easy. If the Broncos could bring back Bonitto, Roach, and Franklin-Myers in 2026 and beyond but let Allen hit the market, would that end up being a logical solution?
What if the team extended both Allen and Bonitto but let JFM and Roach enter free agency? As you can see, there are many combinations here that George Paton could execute. This isn't going to be an easy decision by any means. And it really only means that his job with the Denver Broncos is about to get a lot harder.
