Miles
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- Mar 18, 2019
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos' first-of-its-kind behind-the-scenes docuseries "Behind the Broncos: No Shortcuts" debuted on Tuesday night on the team's official YouTube page, and the nine-minute episode is chock full of great moments.
As General Manager George Paton settles into his role in Denver, "Behind the Broncos: No Shortcuts" treats Denver's fans to a look at his morning routine, his evaluation of the team's roster and a whole lot more.
Read on to discover our favorite moments from the premiere episode, and click on the video above to check out the full episode.
FIRST ONE IN
The episode begins with a look at Paton's commute from a local hotel to UCHealth Training Center in the hours before sunrise.
Paton, who was hired in January, jokes that he hopes he doesn't need his GPS to get to the facility and is proud of himself when he remembers the code to the UCHealth Training Center gate.
The early morning drive, though, is also a reminder of Paton's quick transition to Denver from Minneapolis after more than a decade.
"I had to do this one other time, but it wasn't this long," Paton says of his stay in the hotel. "As fulfilling as it's been going to work every day, meeting new people, learning the process, it's been tough just being away from the family and my kids and wife. You don't really think about it too much during the day because you're so busy, but when you get home at night, you talk to them. Obviously you miss them and hopefully we'll get them out here soon for a visit."
SELF-SCOUTING
Perhaps the most informative scene of the debut episode comes as Paton breaks down game tape of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Bradley Chubb.
"What you notice with Jerry is first the competitiveness, the way he plays the game and then his elite route running," Paton says. "He can separate vs. any corner. You can see it. He's got unique quickness getting in and out of his breaks, and his run after catch.
"… When we played against Courtland two years ago, he was our number one priority. He's hard to handle for a number of reasons. He's big, he's athletic, he can run — and highly competitive and a really smart football player.
"… I think in today's game, you saw in the Super Bowl what a pass rush can do. … The thing that sticks out with Bradley is the passion he plays with. It's contagious how hard he plays. He's certainly serious about winning, and he has all the leadership qualities that it takes."
Paton says the Broncos look good "on paper" when fully healthy, but he acknowledged the team will need to prove their talent on the field. His assessment of the 2020 Broncos suggests he thinks the Broncos have the right foundation in place.
"You have some really good players, and the thing I like, no matter what their record was, is this team plays hard," Paton says. "They're passionate, they're competitive. I think that's what you want when you're building a culture, when you're building a football team."
This scene gives Broncos fans a good look at what Paton says is one of the important elements of his first offseason.
"Since I've gotten here, that's been my number one priority: to determine where we are as a team and where we need to go," Paton says.
SHOPPING SPREE
After a look at the nitty-gritty elements of Paton's job, the next scene shows Paton interacting with his two kids, Bella and Beau, over a video call in the Broncos' team store.
Bella waves hello to the camera and selects some Broncos gear before Beau picks out a Courtland Sutton jersey. In the process, Paton and his son provide the funniest moment of the episode.
Paton: "Do you like the jersey?"
Beau: "Yeah!"
Paton: "Is it better than your Justin Jefferson jersey?"
Beau: "Uh." *extended silence* "Equal."
Paton: "OK, equal. That's a good answer. Next time, say yes."
INSIDE THE WAR ROOM
Late in the episode, we get our first look inside the Broncos' war room as the scouting staff breaks down players to add to the roster.
Paton and the staff debate where to rank a certain player, how a backup compares to other available options and where other players would fit in Denver. Intentionally, there's not enough information to get a sense for which players are being talked about, but it's as close as we'll get to a look at these private discussions about building the roster.
"The last week, I've been able to get together with the scouts, and we've spent days just watching our guys, watching free agents, talking football, talking what we're looking for, talking about our needs," Paton says. "It's been really good."
AT THE TOP
The final scene features Paton and Head Coach Vic Fangio speaking about their working relationship and their priorities as the offseason continues.
"George, since the day he got here, has hit the ground running, threw himself into free agency, threw himself into learning our team, forming his opinions on our team," Fangio says.
Paton calls the relationship between himself and Fangio a "vital" one and that without "a lot of collaboration," the team won't have a chance to win.
Both men spoke about finding players whose contributions extend beyond talent — and with that, the episode turns its focus to the coming weeks and months. If Episode 1 sets the scene for the start of Paton's tenure, it's clear there's more work to be done.
"You can't move forward until you know your team," Paton said. "I think I know our team, I know our staff knows our team. We have our needs in place, and now we just need to execute the plan. It's good. I feel real confident we're going to have a good offseason."
Stay tuned for Episode 2 of "Behind the Broncos: No Shortcuts"