Broncos Provide Update on GM Search After Four Interviews
The Denver Broncos are now four days into the post-John Elway era at general manager. Elway relinquished GM duties on Monday, opting to take an 'elevated' role in the Broncos front office in what is the final year of his contract as an executive.
Change is in the air. Elway, with the short- and long-term viability of the club in mind, has adopted the adapt-or-die philosophy after the Broncos missed the playoffs for the fifth-straight year.
The critical question now is, who will lead the Broncos into the next era? Elway, along with CEO Joe Ellis, head coach Vic Fangio, and chief communications director Patrick Smyth, are working to answer that question now.
The GM hiring committee cast a wide net in its search for the next front-office leader and has since narrowed its list of candidates down to five. Another candidate or two could enter the conversation at some point, but it's looking like the five personnel execs the Broncos have lined up interviews with represents the complete list of finalists.
On Friday, the Broncos began their first interviews via Zoom, starting with Minnesota Vikings' VP of player personnel/assistant GM George Paton.
The Broncos provided a nice little bio synopsis of the highlights on Paton's resume.
Notable previous positions: Director of Pro Personnel, Miami Dolphins (2001-06), Assistant Director of Pro Personnel, Chicago Bears (2000)
After more than a decade with the Vikings, Paton could be an option for the Broncos. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Broncos had requested permission to interview Paton, who has made an impact on both the Vikings' college and pro scouting efforts. The Vikings found a gem in the 2020 NFL Draft when they selected Justin Jefferson with the 22nd-overall pick. Jefferson's 1,400 yards rank first among rookie receivers in the Super Bowl era. Paton interviewed for Cleveland's general manager role a season ago before ultimately returning to Minnesota.
Following the interview, the Broncos tweeted, "Minnesota has acquired or re-signed 26 players since 2007 that have combined for 55 Pro Bowl appearances with the team."
Paton was in the running for the Carolina Panthers GM opening but after accepting an interview with the club, he relinquished it in order to focus fully on his opportunity to woo the Broncos. The move signaled his commitment to Denver and a single-minded drive to land the job.
Following the 2.5-hour interview with Paton, the Broncos then turned their attention to the next candidate: Chicago Bears' assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly.
Notable previous positions: Director of Pro Scouting, Chicago Bears (2015-16); Assistant Director of Pro Personnel, Denver Broncos (2010-14); Assistant Coordinator of Pro and College Scouting, Broncos (2008-09); Northeast Region College Scout, Broncos (2007)
Kelly, who has spent the last six seasons with the Bears, previously was employed by the Broncos for nearly a decade. Aside from that connection, he also has worked with Head Coach Vic Fangio before, when Fangio was the Bears' defensive coordinator from 2015-18.
From the outside looking in, Kelly would seem to have an advantage over all comers. He has a history with the Broncos, getting his start in Denver as an area scout in 2007 and working his way up to assistant director of pro personnel from 2010-14.
Kelly left the Broncos to join the Bears at the same time Fangio arrived to serve as the team's defensive coordinator under head coach John Fox. Kelly not only has a past working relationship with Fangio but also with Elway for four years.
Notable previous positions: Director of Pro Personnel, Patriots (2016-19); Assistant Director of Pro Scouting, Patriots (2013-15); Pro Scout, Broncos (2012); Player Personnel Assistant/Area Scout, Broncos (2011)
After a few years with the Broncos, Ziegler has spent the last eight seasons in New England and has consistently risen in the ranks. In 2016, he took over as the Patriots' director of pro personnel after Bob Quinn became the Lions' GM, and now he may have his opportunity to be a general manager, too. ESPN's Mike Reiss said in 2016 that Ziegler is described as "an attention-to-detail-type grinder with a knack for understanding a player's strengths and weaknesses while not sitting on the fence in his evaluations."
Ziegler is very experienced and has ties to the Broncos as an ex-scout. His hire would make many fans still suffering from Josh McDaniels PTSD uncomfortable but Ziegler is a quality candidate and is likely staring down the barrel of a promotion in New England if he doesn't get the Broncos job after Nick Caserio left to become Houston's GM.
Current position: VP/Assistant General Manager - Pro Personnel, New Orleans Saints (2015-Pres.)
Notable previous positions: Pro Scout, New Orleans Saints (2008-14)
Fontenot is in the midst of his 18th season in the Saints' front office and in the first year of his new role. Prior to the promotion, he was the team's director of pro scouting for seven seasons. His evaluations of pro players have helped the Saints win the NFC South in each of the last four seasons, and after interviewing with the Jets last year, perhaps Fontenot is ready for a GM job of his own.
The Broncos will conclude their first wave of interviews on Saturday by holding additional Zoom meetings with New Orleans Saints’ director of pro scouting/assistant GM Terry Fontenot and the one internal consideration Brian Stark, who has spent the last nine seasons in Denver's scouting department, serving the last four years as director of college scouting.
Don't sleep on Stark. But insider reports point to the leaders in the clubhouse being Kelly and Fontenot. My gut tells me Paton could be the guy who swooped in, kind of like Fangio did with this head-coaching interview back in 2019, and to blow Elway's hair back so much that it reorders the priority totem pole for the second and final wave of interviews.
The Broncos seemed to be leaning toward hiring Mike Munchak as head coach two years ago before taking a flyer interview with Fangio after the Bears had been bounced from the playoffs. Fangio connected with Elway, won him over, and that was all she wrote. The Broncos were fortunate that Munchak agreed to still come to Denver and serve as O-line coach.
Word on the street is that the Broncos hope to hold their final "one or two" interviews in-person with the candidates early next week. By Wednesday, there could be a new GM of the Broncos announced.
The GM hiring committee is moving quickly as Senior Bowl week is little more than a fortnight out and the Broncos will want to have their scouting ducks in a row.
Which candidate are you pining for? Sound off in the comment section below!
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