ENGLEWOOD, Colorado – When it comes to the immediate future of Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock, newly hired general manager George Paton will be a judge and jury.
Paton, who was formally introduced on Tuesday in his new job, faces some important items on his immediate to-do list, with a decision on whether or not Lock is the holder in 2021 and beyond, at the very top. And it is a decision that Paton must, at least initially, dig on his own.
“The best way is for George to go and evaluate [Lock] yourself and not me, [offensive coordinator] Pat [Shurmur] or [quarterbacks coach] Mike [Shula] influence your thinking, “said Broncos coach Vic Fangio.” Let him take a sterile and unbiased look. We can get back together and he can express his opinions based on what he saw. We can answer some questions for him. … [But] it is better for him to form his own opinion without the influence of me or the other coaches. “
Lock, in his first full season as a starter, showed his potential at times, especially in the home stretch, including his four-day touchdown on December 13 against the Carolina Panthers and his 339-yard and two touchdown day at the end of the season. But he also finished last year among the full-backs in the league as a percentage of completion (57.3) and drew in most interceptions (15), as the Broncos had the worst turning margin in the league (minus-16).
The Broncos, who started with nine different defenders since the middle of the 2017 season and also started attacking Phillip Lindsay in the center against New Orleans this season because of problems with COVID-19, have lost the playoffs in each of the last five seasons. They have not finished above 19th in score since 2014 and have been 28th in each of the past two years.
“I liked Drew coming out of the draft – big, athletic, ace,” said Paton. “I didn’t study him. I didn’t get on many tapes. I’ve only been here for four days. I’ve watched enough tapes to know that he’s talented and can develop.”
Paton, who came to the Broncos after 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, the last nine as assistant general manager of the team, has the final decision on the composition of the Broncos’ squad, the draft and the free agency. He noted on Tuesday the importance of the defender’s “stability” for a team that has had little of that at the center since Peyton Manning retired.
He also said that the Broncos will explore all avenues to improve the position while assessing Lock.
“The quarterback is the most important position in sports. If you do not have stability in the quarterback, you will have difficulty sustaining the victory, ” said Paton.” I think we all want the franchise’s quarterback, and that’s goal # 1 is to try to sketch and develop or acquire in any way you can. ”
Broncos football operations president John Elway, who stepped down from the role of GM and was a key figure in hiring Paton, said he will offer his opinion on Lock to Paton, but that Paton really has the final decision. Elway said he continues to enjoy Lock’s potential, but that Lock has to work this off-season.
“I’m still excited about Drew; he has the physical capabilities to do so,” said Elway on Tuesday. “We will continue to look at that position – you always are – and look at the opportunities that you have. George will go through this whole process, and if there is a capacity for us to improve in that position and better than we think we have, George will make that decision. … I still think Drew is a young guy. He showed flashes this year, but he made mistakes. Young defenders always make mistakes. I made a million mistakes, first two or three years, but that’s how you can learn from them. . “