Evaluation of George Peyton’s first year as General Manager of the Broncos

Just over a year ago, Denver Broncos hired George Peyton as the team’s new general manager.

It was a big step for the Broncos to hire George Peyton after John Elway’s decision to step down as the team’s general manager. Although Elvey will remain in the role of president of football operations, it signaled a change in the direction of the team.

Peyton was selected as the man for the job, and he was given the right to work in rebuilding an organization that was starving for a return to the postseason. But he inherited a small mess, with an incomplete lineup, mostly due to so many issues in the defender’s position, and also with the head coach that he didn’t choose himself.

However, Paton demonstrated high football savvy with many of his steps in 2021 when he began shaping the Broncos list in his vision. This included brave trading on the day of the draft, as well as moving one of the greatest players in team history.

So how was Paton’s first year in Denver? And how does that set him up for success during the signing of free agents in 2022, which is just over a month away?

Here is the year of the Broncos general manager’s review.

Early Broncos moves

Denver Broncas D.L. Jurel Casey. Mandatory credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s start with Paton coming in and starting to cut some fat off the list to make room for capable replacements.

Most of them were minor, but he decided to part with two of the most disappointing players of the 2020 season, both of whom Broncos acquired as a result of the trade, Jurel Casey and AJ Bue.

Both players missed most of the 2020 season with injuries, despite each with high expectations.

Buyer played only seven games for the Broncos and was pretty quiet when he did. Casey’s appearance was even more rare as he appeared in just three games. It was a pity for Denver since they caught him on the tail of a stellar career for nine seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

Paton was right when he walked away from both of these guys, and it’s good that he didn’t see if there was any meat left on one of those bones. Both players had productive careers, but they were mostly busts for the Broncos.

Class: A