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Broncos GM George Paton: Quarterback definitely in play at No. 9 in NFL Draft

Maybe the Broncos will have a rookie quarterback next season after all.

Broncos General Manager George Paton certainly isn’t ruling it out. And not only is he not ruling it out, he may also use a top 10 pick to secure Denver’s next QB.

“(The No. 9 pick) is in play for a quarterback,” Paton said Thursday during a press conference. “And yes, I’ll be out a lot looking at all positions, but definitely quarterback.” 

Paton has already attended North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance’s Pro Day and intends to attend more. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, as Paton is a true scout at heart. 

But if the Broncos don’t take a quarterback in the first round, their options to bring someone to compete with or backup Drew Lock is dwindling. Veteran free agent quarterbacks have been flying off the shelves, with Ryan Fitzpatrick going to Washington, Andy Dalton to Chicago, Tyrod Taylor to Houston and Mitchell Trubisky to Buffalo — all four that many believed the Broncos would consider bringing in. 

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Paton said he’s not quite done looking, as Alex Smith is still available, as well as Chicago’s Nick Foles and Jacksonville’s Gardner Minshew will likely be traded. And who could forget about Deshaun Watson who wants out of Houston and is certainly on Denver’s radar, along with nearly every other team in the league.

“We’re monitoring it,” Paton said. “We’ve elevated all the quarterbacks. We like Drew Lock. We have a plan in place. There’s free agency, there’s a draft, there’s trades, there’s a lot of way to acquire a quarterback. Fortunately, we have a quarterback here. We have a nice quarterback room. We do want to bring in competition, we’re not going to force it. And so we are monitoring the market right now.”

Paton has preached patience since arriving in Denver in January, saying things like “being aggressive, but not reckless” and the importance of staying “patient” in free agency. That’s how he’s approached everything so far, from being aggressive and signing Washington cornerback Ronald Darby and re-signing defensive tackle Shelby Harris, to waiting until the last minute to bring outside linebacker Von Miller back and giving himself more time to reach a long-term deal with safety Justin Simmons. 

But everyone in Broncos Country wants to know what his plan is at quarterback. And to that, Paton hasn’t given a definitive answer. Like everything, he’s likely going to take his time — similar to how he’s approached all of free agency thus far. 

“It’s a work in progress. We’re not there yet,” Paton said. “We have the rest of free agency, we have the draft to add good, young players that fit our culture and fit the scheme. We have a ways to go. I’m really happy with the additions we have, but we have time and we’re working the phones. When we go back, I’ll be on the phone.” 

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