The Denver Broncos have yet to decide who will be the next general manager to lead this team in the next era. One week after John Elway resigned from GM duties to play an ‘increased’ role in the front office, the Broncos conducted five interviews for the job opportunity.
One candidate has already withdrawn after interviewing – Dave Ziegler of New England – who has the internal option of Brian Stark and the three outside contenders competing to start – with George Paton of Minnesota, Terry Fontenot of New Orleans and Champ Kelly of Chicago. None of the candidates interviewed have GM experience, although Paton sat closest to the ‘big chair’ to quote 9NEWS‘inner circle Mike Klis.
Klis has joined The ride at 104.3 The FAN Monday night to give an update on where things stand in the Broncos’ pursuit of Elway’s successor. Among the choice topics discussed in Klis’ conversation with hosts Darren McKee and Tyler Polumbus was the view each GM candidate had about Drew Lock during the interview process with Elway, Joe Ellis, CEO, Vic Fangio, head coach , and Patrick Smyth, head of communications.
It appears that each candidate had to take the direction the Broncos would take at the quarterback differently in the case of the post. Klis acquitted himself by saying that he was not ‘aware of everything’ and that he was not sure what exactly was being ‘discussed’, while dropping the button in the next ride.
“I’m not really aware of it all,” Klis told McKee and Polumbus. ‘I do know that it was discussed. There were opinions across the board from: ‘If you’re going to get a top quarter, you should try’, to ‘There’s nobody in free agencies or [via] trade that will be better than Drew Lock, [so] you have to get him out of the concept, ‘to give him more time, you’ve invested so much time. You’re better off and let’s get a good veteran backup if he slips. ‘And I’m not sure who was with whom about these opinions. ”
(Listen to the track at 35:00)
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In summary, there were three views, but two of them would hold Lock as an appetizer, just under different circumstances. One candidate will do anything to get a ‘top-level’ QB in the NFL draft. Another candidate would stay at Lock as The Guy in 2021, mostly because of the investment the team has already made in him and the lack of viable options on the free agent and trading market, while the last man would stick with Lock, but withdrew against him by signing a competent veteran backup.
We have no way of knowing which candidate envisaged, but the takeaway is that of the three options, but only one would explore the concept for an immediate upgrade / replacement of Lock. Fans will no doubt try to theorize and speculate about who said candidate, but for now, only a handful of people know the answers – the candidates themselves and the Broncos hiring committee. There’s a chance Klis knows which candidate said that, but he’s not about to waste the beans on the air.
Elway, as president of football operations, wants to be “consulted” on all the “big” decisions the next GM will make. What qualifies as ‘big’? Klis provides additional insight into his enlightening conversation with The ride.
“A quarterback decision would be ‘big’ if you gave up Drew Lock and brought in Matthew Stafford,” Klis told McKee and Polumbus. “And John will not make the final decision on that. He would just say, ‘Look, I understand you want Stafford. I personally think Drew Lock, if you give him a little more time, could benefit the Broncos. That’s why I like Drew Lock. He is two years old [in] but he actually only developed one year with the time he missed as a rookie due to an injury, and the time he missed in the second year due to no OTAs and preseason. “He can therefore make the argument. Otherwise he steps aside. I do not think he will be involved with Justin Simmons. I do not think he will be involved with Von Miller. ‘
According to Klis, another common theme among these GM candidates was the priority of getting Justin Simmons, the Pro Bowl safety, re-signed. And while Broncos Country may not want to hear it, it does not appear to be one of the candidates to bring Von Miller back for the final year of his contract at the current cost of $ 17.5 million, even though the first push would be to try to negotiate a restructuring – whatever it may seem.
“All these GMs, when interviewed, almost everyone tried to say, ‘Try to get Justin Simmons – Justin Simmons should be a priority to get him back. ‘Klis told how to get Justin Simmons back The ride. “And Von, the sentiment was, ‘Try to bring him back against some kind of deal – see if we can work out a new contract.’ You can not bring him back at $ 18 (million). But I think it was pretty much how all the GMs thought about the two players. ‘
These are the key decisions the Broncos’ new GM will be looking at in the run-up to their appointment; Lock, Simmons and Miller. For now, Paton seems to be the favorite to get the job, but as Klis stated Monday, he is very “picky” when it comes to the right fit for his first opportunity to be a GM.
Paton and Kelly could start immediately if an agreement is reached, while the Broncos will have to wait on Fontenot until the Saints jump from the playoffs or until after the Super Bowl, whichever comes first. Klis saw the possibility that the Broncos viewed Kelly as the ‘second in command’ ideally, not as the actual GM hire, opening up a whole new can of worms.
But remember, the Broncos not only fill Elway’s former job as GM; they also want to replace Matt Russell and appoint a new director of player staff. This would require two new jobs in the front office. If Paton turns out to be too expensive or picky, and the Saints still succeed in the playoffs, Klis could provide a “second wave” of GM interviews in Dove Valley.
‘If they do not get Paton and Fontenot is in the play-offs and they can not get them for a while, they may want Champ as the second in command, but maybe not the first man, that’s where I think they can. opening backup, ”Klis told McKee and Polumbus.
As a second wave unfolds, former Houston Texans GM Rick Smith and ex-Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff are watching. Both have GM experience and Smith has a working relationship with the Broncos in his NFL resume.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.