Are the Rob Walton-Led Broncos About to Become Big Spenders?

The richest owner in the NFL? Here's what it means for the Broncos.

It's a new era for the Denver Broncos in many ways. We are into the second year of George Paton's tenure as general manager and the first for head coach Nathaniel Hackett with Russell Wilson at quarterback.

And this week, the Broncos officially have new owners, with Rob Walton part of a six-member Walton/Penner ownership group.

The Broncos sold for a record $4.65 billion, and Walton has the highest net worth of any NFL owner. That may lead some Broncos fans to believe that the team is about to become a big spender.

However, that's not necessarily the case — and more importantly, being a big spender doesn't guarantee success.

When you look at the teams that spend the most cash (as opposed to cap space utilized) for 2022, you see a mixture in terms of success. The Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills lead the way, but the former is coming off a Super Bowl win, and the latter is making that final push to the Super Bowl.

But then comes the New Orleans Saints, a team that saw Drew Brees retire and Sean Payton step aside over the last couple of years and is now scraping by to be a contender for the No. 7 playoff seed.

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Then comes the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have been big spenders for a long time and have just one AFC title game trip to show for it. And then there's the New York Jets, who haven't made the playoffs since 2010.

It's not hard to see that spending money alone isn't the solution to a successful team. The keys to success always have been finding the right general manager, the right head coach, and finding the right quarterback. Without those factors in place, it's hard to maintain your status as a playoff contender.

As for the arguments about fully guaranteed contracts, it's true the escrow rule comes into play, but owners who don't have a lot of money aren't the only ones refusing to guarantee every penny of a contract. The Rams have an owner who isn't shy to spend money, and even that team's front office doesn't guarantee every penny.

Before people bring up the Cleveland Browns, that situation is due to an owner and front office being so desperate to keep the team relevant that they were willing to give Deshaun Watson anything he wanted. While the Broncos will need to pay Wilson well when the time comes, don't bet on things unfolding as they did with Watson.

An owner with more money to spend may put more money into a signing bonus, but that comes with the problem of making it more difficult to move a player if things don't work out.

Also, trading away draft picks is something you must watch doing too often because every team needs to draft and develop players to be part of the core. Keep in mind that the Rams have two such players, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp, both of whom they drafted and developed.

That doesn't mean you must always have a pick in every round. Rather, it means you need some draft capital each year and a good eye for talent.

The correct approach to building a team remains to identify the core players on your team and to keep them for as long as possible. Obviously, you do this with the quarterback if he proves to be the guy. The rest depends on who stands out.

From there, you utilize free agency and possibly trades to fill holes, then you make sure you have enough draft capital to find players that you can develop. And developing those players requires the head coach and staff who can do that well.

In all likelihood, you may see the Broncos spend more money, but Paton and company will continue to evaluate players and determine who is truly worth keeping or pursuing.

That means money will likely be committed to Wilson, but it may not happen until after the season. It also means that the Broncos will keep an eye on the likes of Bradley Chubb, Dalton Risner, and Dre'Mont Jones to determine whether they're part of the core moving forward.

Furthermore, it's not likely you see the Broncos trade more draft capital now. Denver might consider it at midseason if it believes it can push for a division title. However, it's more likely the Broncos trade away a player at a position in which they have a lot of depth so they will have more picks in 2023, even if they are late-round picks.

Bottom Line

It's true there are plenty of reasons for excitement in 2022, but let's not assume everything is in place just yet. The Broncos still have to prove themselves on the field.

Should the Broncos get back to the playoffs, they'll have a better idea of what are the next steps to take. And at that point, it might mean you see the Broncos up their spending.

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