GM George Paton on Broncos' No. 9 Overall Pick: 'Quarterback is in Play'

Did George Paton just telegraph his intentions with the No. 9 overall draft pick?

In the year-round business of the NFL, general managers are constantly in the limelight. Thursday was a tough day at the office for new Denver Broncos GM George Paton, who conducted an introductory press conference for Ronald Darby and Mike Boone with many fans still stinging from the shocking decision to move on from local hero Phillip Lindsay.

Making the difficult decisions are a fundamental part of Paton's job, and with the slide into mediocrity in recent years taken into consideration, seeing him make some big changes should come as no surprise.

Lindsay's departure certainly highlighted the ruthless and uncompromising side of Paton. By stark contrast, when he was asked about the Broncos' quarterback situation — the subject of much hand-wringing and speculation — Paton put on the velvet gloves of a polished deal-maker.

“We’re monitoring it. We’ve evaluated all the quarterbacks," Paton said on Thursday. "We like Drew Lock. We have a plan in place and there’s free agency, there’s the draft, there’s trades, there’s a lot of ways to acquire a quarterback. Fortunately, we have a quarterback here and we have a nice quarterback room."

What's next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our FREE newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

The NFL quarterback market has all but dried up so there is a danger the cupboard will be empty if the Broncos opt to wait any longer. Having a "nice" QB room won't do much to drag the Broncos out of the doldrums. 

"We do want to bring in competition," Paton said. "We are not going to force it. We are monitoring the market right now.”

Perhaps investing the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft to make a substantial upgrade might be what is intriguing the Broncos' new GM.

“It is in play for quarterback," Paton said of the Broncos' first-round pick. "Yes, I'll be out a lot looking at all positions, but definitely quarterback.”

Paton has said that the Broncos will take the "best player available" at pick 9 — a nod to the old-school GMs who have gone before him. Having the full command of his front office toolbox will be indispensable to Paton’s moving forward, even if his tough decisions are sometimes hard for Broncos Country to stomach.

---

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!