Examining the Broncos most in limbo under new general manager George Paton

There’s a new boss in town for the Denver Broncos. It only took the Broncos’ search committee one week to hire George Paton to fill John Elway’s shoes as the team’s next general manager.

With final say on the team’s roster, the former Vikings’ assistant general manager could end up being the first of many changes coming to Denver.

Here are the Broncos in the most limbo by Elway stepping away and giving final say of the roster to Paton.

This list does not include unrestricted free agents as UDFAs are naturally in limbo.

Drew Lock

Elway’s decision to step away from having final say in the team’s roster construction was without a doubt unsettling news for Denver’s quarterback. Elway not only drafted Lock, but John is also one of Drew’s biggest supporters.

After Lock finished as a bottom-tier quarterback in 2020, Paton could easily make his most important priority of the offseason to upgrading the most important position in sports. If a move is made, whether that’s via free agency, a trade or the draft—all avenues Paton has experience in acquiring quarterbacks—that will significantly hurt Lock’s future as the guy in Denver.

Phillip Lindsay

Broncos fans have every reason to love Phillip Lindsay—he’s the Colorado athlete. The South High School grad dominated at the University of Colorado then chose to play for the Denver Broncos. In his first two years in the NFL, No. 30 became the first undrafted rookie to rush for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to start his career.

However, Paton doesn’t have any of that same emotional attachment to Lindsay. Instead, the new general manager could see an undersized back who missed five games in 2020 due to injury coming off the worst year of his career by far.

As a restricted free agent, no matter how Lindsay is viewed, he should be worth a second-round tender. What could change that, and thus put his future with the Broncos in jeopardy, is if Paton wants to upgrade the position this year.

On the other hand, Denver’s new GM could do the opposite and sign Lindsay to a long-term contract, putting the kibosh on any uncertainly surrounding his future with the team.

Von Miller

Much like Lindsay, Paton won’t have any emotional attachment to the former No. 2-overall pick and Super Bowl 50 MVP.

Instead, the former Vikings executive could view Miller as a 32-year old coming off a year in which he missed the entire season due to injury who is set to have a team-high $22.225 million cap hit. If that’s the case, it’s hard to envision Von coming back to Denver on his current contract.

Additionally, Miller is under criminal investigation by the Parker Police Department. The outcome of that investigation could have a big impact on Von’s future as well.

Jurrell Casey

Elway got a steal when he acquired the five-time Pro Bowler from Tennessee for just a seventh-round pick. However, less than one year later, Casey’s $12.28 million cap hit in 2021 is anything but a steal.

After a season in which Casey was only able to play in three games due to a torn bicep, Paton will likely be looking for Casey to restructure his deal as he enters his 11th season in the NFL.

A.J. Bouye

Much like Casey, Bouye’s steep $11.9 million cap hit in 2021 could be far too big for the new man in charge. Denver’s starting corner missed six games due to injury and wasn’t able to display his full talents until near the end of the season, according to Vic Fangio.

Bouye was suspended the final three games of the season due to violating the NFL’s performing enhancing drug policy and he’ll miss the first three games of the 2021 season as well.

If the Broncos go cornerback with one of their first picks in the draft—which the Vikings did many times in Paton’s 14-year tenure with the team—Bouye could be the odd man out.

Nick Vannett

The former third-round pick out of Ohio State was a natural replacement last offseason for Denver’s former third-round pick out of Ohio State Jeff Heuerman. John Elway clearly liked him some Ohio State tight ends.

But with Elway no longer having the final say on the Broncos’ roster, Paton could save nearly $3 million in cap space—almost enough for a second-round tender—by moving on from Vannett. With the emergence of Albert Okwuegbunam and, of course, Noah Fant, Vannett’s $3.575 million cap hit in 2021 could be too much to be a No. 3 tight end on the team.