George Paton signaled the direction his franchise was heading well before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Speaking to reporters at the league’s annual meetings last March, the Broncos’ general manager laid out the plan — albeit in somewhat coded language. “I think (head coach) Sean (Payton) said ‘retool,’” Paton said at the time. In this context, the Broncos’ decision to stay up at the trade deadline while in the middle of the playoff race at 5-4 makes sense.
