Vikings assistant GM George Paton has garnered interest from multiple NFL teams this offseason.
Paton, who just finished up his 14th season with Minnesota, has drawn attention from other NFL teams in the past and has ended up staying with the Vikings. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano report that this offseason, things may go differently. Here’s what they wrote about Paton:
“This might finally be the year George Paton takes a GM job. The Vikings’ VP of player personnel/assistant GM has bowed out of several GM jobs in the past, most recently turning down an offer from the Browns. But there’s a belief he’s more ready to make the move than in the past, and his interview with the Lions was in person, in Detroit.
Paton has a strong connection there, too — Chris Spielman, special adviser on the Lions search, is the brother of Vikings GM Rick Spielman, who has worked with Paton for the better part of two decades. Paton also is interviewing with the Broncos, where his nephew, Rob Paton, is a scout.”
Paton has been part of a Vikings front office known for finding talent in the back half of drafts. They’ve been criticized by fans for their first-round busts, but I’m sure Justin Jefferson is helping people forget about that.