Broncos GM George Paton on not trading for a receiver: 'I don't regret that' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has piled up wins in just his second NFL season, though the team’s postseason run ended early after he suffered an ankle injury in the divisional round.
Despite that setback, general manager George Paton expressed strong confidence in Nix heading into next season, noting that the young quarterback also plays a key role in drawing interest from potential free agents.
“I think you evaluate a quarterback by how much he wins. And there’s been no quarterback in his first two years to win more than Bo,” Paton told reporters at the end-of-year news conference Tuesday. “He has that ‘it factor.’ I don’t think you can teach that. Either you have it or you don’t. He’s best in the big moments. Does he have areas to improve? Yes, like all quarterbacks.”
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Paton added that Nix’s presence could be a selling point during the offseason. “Quarterback makes a big difference,” he said. “Players wanting to come to the quarterback.”
The Broncos’ general manager also fielded questions about the team’s young receiving corps, which failed to produce eye-popping numbers this season but remains well-regarded internally.
“We’ll do a deep dive on this team, like we do every year and we’ll determine our needs,” he said. “We’ll be aggressive filling those needs.
“I like our young receivers. But we’re always looking to add, we’re always looking to add at every position.”
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When asked whether he regretted not acquiring another wide receiver before the trade deadline, Paton dismissed the idea.
“I don’t regret that,” he said. “We like our receiving group. I don’t think our receiving group held us back. I don’t think that’s the reason we didn’t make the Super Bowl.”
At running back, Paton labeled J.K. Dobbins a “hit” before the veteran’s season was cut short by a midseason foot injury. Dobbins indicated this week that he hopes to re-sign with Denver, and Paton said Tuesday that the interest is mutual.
