George Paton's Bold Broncos Turnaround

0:00On March 14th, the Denver Broncos General Manager George Payton has earned high praise for steering the team out of tough times. After a shaky start with some bad hires and free agent misses, he's made bold resets that have rebuilt the roster into one of the league's strongest. Fans and analysts now see him as a key to escaping years of mediocrity. Early on, Payton struggled with personnel choices like signing edge rusher Randy Gregory and hiring coach Nathaniel Hackett. Those moves didn't pan out, but he owned the errors quickly. He fired Hackett after just 15 games and cut Gregory without hesitation. Those tough calls showed real leadership. The biggest was releasing quarterback Russell Wilson, just two years after trading two first-round picks for him and giving a huge extension. Payton and the front office ate an $88 million cap hit to clear the deck. Now the Broncos boast depth across the board, jumping from 31st ranked roster out of 32 teams to a top contender. Payton's strong drafting pairs perfectly with his great partnership with head coach Sean Payton.

1:02With success building, questions swirl about extending Payton's contract soon. The Broncos looked primed for bigger wins ahead.