Tag: GM

Broncos have lost 9 staff members in 2025 following Rob Paton’s departure

Rob Paton has left the Broncos’ scouting department to join the Jets. He is the ninth employee to leave Denver this offseason.

Yet another Denver Broncos employee has left the club.

Broncos scout Rob “Robbie” Paton is leaving the team to become a co-director of player personnel for the New York Jets, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Paton will now reunite with Jets general manager Darren Mougey, who left Denver this offseason for a promotion in New York.

Paton played safety at UCLA before coaching defensive backs at Loyola High School and then returning to the Bruins as a scouting analyst. He was hired by the Broncos in 2017, four years before his uncle, George Paton, became the team’s general manager.

The younger Paton is the ninth staff member to leave Denver this offseason.

Broncos staff departures

  1. Ben Kotwica (fired)
  2. Greg Manusky (fired)
  3. Darren Mougey (joined Jets)
  4. Rob Paton (joined Jets)
  5. Chris Banjo (joined Jets)
  6. John Morton (joined Lions)
  7. David Shaw (joined Lions)
  8. Mark Thewes (joined Raiders)
  9. Declan Doyle (joined Bears)

Now in addition to identifying players to bring in this offseason, George Paton and Broncos coach Sean Payton will also have to fill several key staff positions. Get ready for a busy offseason in Denver.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Darren Mougey had quite a football journey before leaving Broncos for Jets

Darren Mougey went from QB to WR to scouting intern to GM. Quite a football journey!

Darren Mougey’s football journey is quite a story.

He played quarterback in high school and then attended San Diego State. After two years at the college level as a QB, Mougey converted to wide receiver. He went on to catch 66 passes for 805 yards and six touchdowns in his final two seasons with the Aztecs.

Mougey then went undrafted in 2009 and signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a college free agent. After failing to make Atlanta’s active roster, Mougey went to training camp with the Arizona Cardinals in 2010, but he didn’t make their 53-man roster, either.

Mougey was then out of football for a year before joining the Denver Broncos as a scouting intern in 2012. He quickly worked his way up from there, going from intern to personnel/scouting assistant to college/pro personnel scout to area scout to assistant director of college scouting to director of player personnel to assistant general manager, a role he held from 2022-2024.

Mougey has now received yet another promotion, this time with the New York Jets as their newly-appointed general manager. Only 39 years old, Mougey is still relatively early in his football career, but his resume is already an impressive account of a scout working his way to the top.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Report: Broncos will lose a top executive to Jets

The Broncos are expected to lose executive Darren Mougey to the Jets this offseason, according to Josina Anderson.

The Denver Broncos are on the verge of losing the righthand man of general manager George Paton.

Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey is set to be hired by the New York Jets as their new GM, according to a report from NFL insider Josina Anderson.

“A high-level league source tells me Denver #Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey is getting the #Jets GM job,” Anderson tweeted on Friday.

Mougey, 39, joined the Broncos as a scouting intern in 2012 and he worked his way up to assistant GM. This is what Paton had to say about Mougey during a pre-draft press conference in 2022:

I didn’t know Darren when I took the job, but he quickly impressed, and he shined. His attention to detail, his work ethic, his knowledge of the league and his knowledge of the pro and college [levels]. He has a great pulse of what’s going on out there. The best thing he does is he is a great manager of people, and he has a great demeanor throughout the building while dealing with the coaches, players, and agents out there.

This offseason, I was pulled in a lot of different directions with the coaching search and the trade. There’s a lot of stuff that comes up. Darren picked up the slack and we didn’t miss a beat. He’s really vital to our organization, and we’re lucky to have him. He’s had a number of teams come after him the past year and he’s stayed. I can’t thank Darren enough for that. I think he’s a rising star in the NFL, and again, we’re lucky to have him. 

Mougey served as director of player personnel in 2021 before being promoted to assistant GM in 2022. Over the last four years, Denver’s draft classes have been highlighted by quarterback Bo Nix, pass rusher Jonah Elliss, wide receiver Marvin Mims, cornerback Riley Moss, pass rusher Nik Bonitto, cornerback Pat Surtain, guard Quinn Meinerz and pass rusher Jonathon Cooper.

Mougey’s departure will be a big loss for Denver’s front office. The Jets might not stop there, either, as New York also wants to poach Broncos assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo. Denver could soon have two staff positions to fill ahead of 2025 NFL free agency.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos coaching staff buzz: Thursday brings good and bad news

Bad news for Broncos: Darren Mougey is a finalist for the Jets’ general manager job. Good news: Bears aren’t expected to hire Darren Rizzi.

There’s good news and bad news on the personnel front for the Denver Broncos today.

First, the bad news: Darren Mougey has advanced as a finalists for the New York Jets’ general manager position. Mougey, currently an assistant GM in Denver, is one of two candidates getting a second interview in New York. The Jets could make their hire as early as Thursday evening.

New York’s new head coach, Aaron Glenn, already wants to poach Broncos assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo. Denver might also be in danger of losing Mouge to the Jets.

Now, the good news: Darren Rizzi is not expected to join the Chicago Bears, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. The Bears were expected to pursue Rizzi as a special teams coordinator candidate after hiring Ben Johnson, but it now sounds like Chicago could keep in-house ST coach Richard Hightower instead.

That’s good news for the Broncos because Rizzi is believed to be Denver’s top choice to replace recently-fired ST coach Ben Kotwica. Rizzi is also a candidate for the head coach job with the New Orleans Saints, but he is not viewed as a top candidate for that role.

With the Bears seemingly no longer pursuing him, Rizzi could be a strong candidate to land with the Broncos this offseason.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

George Paton seeking ‘secret sauce’ to help Broncos close the gap

“We need to have another really good offseason, another really good plan,” Broncos GM George Paton said. “I know we will.”

The Denver Broncos made the NFL playoffs in 2024 with a 10-7 record, a sign that the team is trending in the right direction.

Denver still hasn’t reached the level of 2025’s presumed contenders, though. The Broncos got blown out by the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9, lost to the Kansas City Chiefs’ starters in Week 10, lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 and got knocked out of the playoffs by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round.

So while progress has been made, Denver’s roster has not arrived yet. Broncos general manager George Paton knows that, and he aims to find the secret sauce to help the team turn a corner in 2025.

“I think the beauty of — I kind of mentioned it — of going to the playoffs and seeing what it looks like is seeing how close we are or how far we are,” Paton said on Jan. 15. “The players —I  know felt after the game — that this has to be our standard moving forward. We have to go to the playoffs. You’re going to play teams like the Bills, like the Ravens, like the Chiefs. So how do we get there? Really that’s our goal this whole offseason — try to find that secret sauce. We need to have another really good offseason, another really good plan. I know we will. 

“Sean [Payton], myself, Greg [Penner], the coaches, the scouts, we’ll all get together and it starts with evaluating your own team. The determining your needs, your musts, your wants, as Sean talked about. Then you’re chasing. You’re trying to fill those all offseason. That’s how you close the gap.

“Have another good offseason. Keep developing these young players. We’re a young team. We have a rookie quarterback… We have a lot going our way. We have $52 million in cap room. We have a great coaching staff. We have I think the best ownership group in the NFL. We have a lot going in our favor.”

With a full selection of draft picks and salary cap space to spare, Denver is well-equipped to make substantial improvements to the roster this offseason. Now it’s up to Paton and Co. to identify and bring in the right players to help the Broncos go from playoff fodder to a true AFC contender next season.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

2 Broncos begin interviewing for NFL head coach openings

Vance Joseph (Jets, Raiders) and David Shaw (Bears) are interviewing for head coach openings. Two more Broncos are also drawing interest.

The Denver Broncos have two candidates to leave the team for a head coach job this offseason.

The first candidate is defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who is set to interview for the open New York Jets job today, according to multiple reports. After the NY interview, Joseph will have a HC interview with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

If Joseph leaves the Broncos for a HC job with another NFL team, Denver will receive a pair of third-round compensatory draft picks (one in 2025 and one in 2026).

Another candidate to leave the Broncos in 2025 is senior personnel executive David Shaw, who interviewed for the Chicago Bears’ head coach position on Tuesday.

Because Shaw has only been in Denver for one season, the Broncos will not receive comp picks if he gets a head coach job in 2025.

Meanwhile, Denver’s assistant special teams coach, Chris Banjo, is a candidate for the San Francisco 49ers’ special teams coordinator role, and Broncos assistant general manager Darren Mougey is a candidate for the Jets’ GM position.

Denver might have to find some replacement coaches and executives in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos might lose an executive to Jets this offseason

Broncos assistant general manager Darren Mougey interviewed for the Jets’ open GM position on Saturday.

The Denver Broncos have several coaches who are candidates to leave the team for promotions this offseason, and now an executive has been added to the list.

Broncos assistant general manager Darren Mougey has interviewed for the New York Jets‘ general manager position, the Jets announced Saturday.

Mougey, 39, played quarterback at San Diego State before switching to wide receiver. He spent time with the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals from 2009-2010 before hanging up his cleats to transition to scouting.

Mougey joined the Broncos in 2012 as a scouting intern and he’s had an impressive rise since then. Mougey went from an intern to a personnel and scouting assistant (2013) to a college and pro personnel scout (2014) to an area scout (2015-2019) to assistant director of college scouting (2020) to director of player personnel (2021) to assistant GM (2022-present).

Mougey is currently just below Denver GM George Paton. It would be a notable loss for the Broncos if Mougey becomes New York’s GM in 2025.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos coach interest tracker: Will Sean Payton lose anyone in 2025?

Vance Joseph and Davis Webb are names to watch as NFL teams consider poaching members of the Broncos’ coaching staff.

The NFL’s regular season has wrapped up and the 18 teams who did not reach the playoffs are now in offseason mode.

The Denver Broncos are focused on their upcoming Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills, but offseason buzz has impacted nearly every team in the league.

The Broncos are not making changes to their coaching staff — at least not yet — but several clubs are considering poaching members of Sean Payton’s staff. We will be tracking coach interviews and rumors for Denver coaches in the coming days on this page.

Broncos DC Vance Joseph: The New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders are setting up interviews with Joseph. The Chicago Bears are also said to be interested, as are the Jacksonville Jaguars. Denver would receive three compensatory draft picks if Joseph leaves to join another NFL team in 2025.

Broncos exec David Shaw: The Bears have asked for permission to interview Shaw for their open HC position.

Broncos asst. GM Darren Mougey: George Paton’s right-hand man interviewed for the Jets’ GM opening. Mougey has been with Denver since 2012, working his way up from a scouting intern to assistant GM.

Broncos asst. special teams coach Chris Banjo: The San Francisco 49ers have interviewed Banjo for their open special teams coordinator position.

Broncos QBs coach Davis Webb: There have been conflicting reports on whether or not the New Orleans Saints have asked to interview Webb for their HC opening. Even if the Saints aren’t interested, Davis could be a hot name this offseason.

Broncos DBs coach Jim Leonhard: No reported interviews thus far, but Leonhard is a name to watch. If Joseph leaves, Leonhard would likely be a top in-house candidate to replace him as Denver’s next DC.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos have a surprising NFL head coach candidate in their front office [Updated]

Vance Joseph isn’t the only Broncos employee drawing head coach interest — executive David Shaw is a HC candidate as well.

Story update: The Saints “do not have plans” to interview David Shaw, according to NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. It remains to be seen if Jane Slater’s initial report was inaccurate or if New Orleans simply hasn’t set up an interview yet. We will provide updates when they become available.

Second story update: The Chicago Bears have requested an interview with David Shaw for their head coach opening, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. So even if the Saints report was inaccurate, it appears that Shaw is indeed a head coach candidate in 2025. See our original post below.

It’s not surprising that Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is drawing head coach interest after his unit ranked as one of the best defenses in the NFL this season.

But Joseph is not the only Broncos employee drawing head coach interest as, surprisingly, a member of the front office is a candidate as well.

David Shaw, who Sean Payton hired as a senior personnel executive last summer, will interview for the New Orleans Saints’ head coach position, according to a report from NFL Network’s Jane Slater.

Shaw, 52, transitioned to a front office role in Denver last year, but he has plenty of coaching experience. He started coaching at the college level in 1995 and later spent time as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens. Broncos head coach Sean Payton overlapped with Shaw while coaching Eagles quarterbacks in 1997.

Shaw coached at Stanford from 2007-2022, serving as head coach starting with the 2011 season. He went 96-54 with the Cardinal and won five bowl games before stepping away from coaching following the 2022 season.

After a year in Denver’s front office, Shaw is now a candidate to return to coaching, this time at the NFL level. Because Shaw has only been with the Broncos for one season, they would not receive a compensatory draft pick if he joins another NFL team in 2025.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Commanders’ executive named a ‘potential future NFL GM’

Adam Peters’ top assistant could soon become a GM.

Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris knocked it out of the park last January when he convinced San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters to become his new general manager.

For years, Peters’ name was at the top of all future GM lists, but he remained loyal to the 49ers. Once hired, Peters went to work, hiring Dan Quinn and an impressive coaching staff. Harris spared no expense on Peters’ front office, allowing him to build a large, talented group of front-office executives.

One of those hires was Lance Newmark. Newmark had spent the previous 26 years with the Detroit Lions, most recently as their senior director of player personnel. Newmark played a key role in Detroit’s resurgence in recent years.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently revealed his list of potential future NFL general managers and included Newmark on his list.

Newmark is another guy who’s very highly thought of in the scouting community, and is drawing notice now with more and more wins attached to his reputation. Newmark spent 26 seasons in Detroit—he even overlapped with Barry Sanders there for a year—and was most recently a part of the Dan Campbell/Brad Holmes renaissance. Last year, Adam Peters plucked him to make him his No. 2, and the turnaround in Washington speaks for itself. I could see Johnson taking Newmark with him if he landed in a place like Jacksonville.

Peters doesn’t want to lose Newmark, but when you have success, these things result from that success. Peters and Quinn are also the types of leaders who encourage those who work for them to always pursue better opportunities for themselves.