Broncos' Biggest Remaining Offseason Priority Explained by NFL.com

The inherently time-consuming job of being an NFL general manager means burning the midnight oil and making the big decisions. Denver Broncos GM George Paton knows that rust never sleeps.

Diligently building the core pillars of success is a process that Paton recently worked through, as evidenced by the Broncos' record-breaking extension for reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II.

However, this year, there are many Broncos in line for a new contract. The futures of veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton, key defensive end Zach Allen, and emerging edge rusher Nik Bonitto loom large, and something has to give. 

On that front, NFL.com's Kevin Patra recently listed Bonitto's extension as the Broncos' top remaining offseason priority.

"The Broncos did yeoman's work filling holes on the roster this offseason. If they can keep everyone healthy, this is a team that can threaten the big dogs in the AFC. Now GM George Paton can turn to locking down Bonitto long-term," Patra wrote. "The Pro Bowler is coming off a career year with 13.5 sacks, 48 tackles and a pick-six. The former second-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Bonitto has improved each season, and he's an underrated dynamo off the edge. Extending him now could save Denver money next year, with the franchise tag projected to be worth more than $28 million."

For as tricky as multi-million dollar extensions can get, Paton has done much to build the Broncos roster up to an extent that he can attack things from a position of strength. Bonitto's emergence as a 13.5-sack All-Pro is something the team hopes will continue bearing fruit.

Despite his one year of explosive production, some confidence in extending Bonitto comes from how young and athletically gifted he is, which implies he has room to add many more tricks to his arsenal moving forward. 

Dealing with the vagaries of the ever-increasing franchise tag costs is especially risky these days for any general manager. That's why Paton might deploy the same strategy that worked with Surtain, and by similarly extending Bonitto early enough in the process, it should get the Broncos ahead of the salary-cap curve. 

As emerging quarterback Bo Nix continues to be a selling point for the Broncos' pursuit of high-profile free agents, the same now applies to young players who might be much more willing to stick around and play for a winner for a slightly lesser contract. 

It should all help nourish a fertile environment where both sides can hash out the finer points of a deal to extend Bonitto's stay in Denver, and make him an extremely rich young man in the process. 

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