When Denver Broncos president of football operations John Elway stepped down from general manager duties in January, he said the team’s next GM would have control of the roster. Elway made it clear that he wouldn’t interfere in the GM’s decisions.
“[He will] report to me, but the GM is going to have the control of the draft, he’s going to have control of the 53-[man roster] and free agency,” Elway said on Jan. 4. “He’s going to have that control.”
Less than two weeks later, the Broncos hired George Paton as their new GM. Paton has made seven roster cuts so far this offseason and Elway hasn’t had a role in them, not even the decision to release veteran cornerback A.J. Bouye.
“My understanding is Elway didn’t even know Bouye was getting cut, George Paton did that entirely on his own,” NFL Network’s James Palmer said during a recent appearance on DNVR’s Broncos podcast. “George is making his own decisions.”
Judging from that remark from Palmer, it seems safe to say Elway is keeping his word about being a hands-off boss to Paton. The roster is entirely under the new GM’s control, marking the start of a new era.
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