The Broncos' culture has already changed under George Paton

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Hardball. That was the name of the negotiations game during John Elway’s tenure as general manager.

But there’s a new general manager in town. With a new philosophy.

Within the first week of the NFL’s new league year, George Paton signed his own players to new deals. Shelby Harris received a three-year, $27 million contract, while Justin Simmons became the highest-paid safety in the NFL with a four-year, $61 million deal.

Harris — who Elway only signed to a one-year prove-it deal last offseason — said Paton’s commitment to his own players displays the culture shift happening under the team’s new general manager.

“It shows if you go out there and ball and the Broncos will take care of you,” Shelby stated on Friday. “And that’s the culture change that you know, that we’re talking about. This is family. There is no problem. Justin is the highest-paid safety. That’s what he deserves. You know what I mean. You go out there and play, they are going to give you what you deserve. And that’s just the right message you want to send to your players.”

In fact, the veteran defensive lineman was just talking to Courtland Sutton in the locker room about the culture change taking place.

“And I was like, this is a big thing for him, a big thing for [Bradley] Chubb, you know, all the young guys,” Harris said.

The list of young Bronco players hoping to follow in Harris and Simmons’ footsteps is long. Along with Chubb and Sutton, guys like Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant and Dre’Mont Jones could be in line for sizable second contracts if they continue to trend in the right direction.

While Elway may have played hardball with them in the past, Paton will give them what they deserve, according to Harris. The developments during the first week of free agency aren’t a surprise. Paton himself told the world he wanted to build this exact culture during his first press conference when he was hired in January.

“Drafting and developing players will be our foundation. It’s going to be the lifeblood of this football team,” Paton stated on Jan. 19. “We all believe that to draft and develop talent that you bring high character players into your organization, you develop them and hopefully get them second contracts, and that’s how you build your best culture… I think we all believe in drafting and developing and making them into your own. That’s the best way to build a football team.”

Elway and the former regime heavily relied on free agency to build their teams. During the Peyton Manning era, it worked impeccably well as the team signed impact players like Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, Darien Stewart and Emmanuel Sanders, to name a few. However, since, it hasn’t been nearly as fruitful.

Under Paton, free agency will be a tool, but not the main way he will build his team. Instead, he’ll look inward at his own players.

“The thing that really sticks out with Shelby is the perseverance he’s shown throughout his career. He’s been with four different teams, he’s been cut six different times, and now, to be here as one of the best defensive linemen in the league is truly special. You love to reward guys like that,” Paton said on Thursday, when discussing Harris’ new contract. “It’s a special feeling and we hope Shelby finishes a career off as a Denver Bronco and we’re really pleased to have him.”

The negotiating games of gaining leverage on one another appear over in Denver.

“Here’s the best part about it,” Shelby said on Friday full of emotion at his press conference. “We made it perfectly clear to the Broncos we wanted to be here. They made it perfectly clear that they wanted me here. And that’s all you want as a player is to feel wanted and feel appreciated.”

Play well and Paton will take care of the rest. It’s that simple now in Denver.