The Denver Broncos have found their man to replace John Elway as the team's new general manager.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the Broncos are finalizing a six-year deal with Minnesota Vikings personnel figure George Paton.

Paton had been with the Vikings for 14 seasons, serving as Assistant General Manager and working directly with GM Rick Spielman. He will now have the opportunity to steer the Broncos forward after Elway announced he was moving into a new role.

Elway served as Denver's GM from 2012 through this past season, guiding the Broncos to a pair of AFC Championships and a Super Bowl title in 2015. But Denver has accumulated a 23-41 record in the last four seasons, and Elway announced he would be delegating responsibilities to a new GM.

George Paton will have serious decisions to make in his first year at the helm.

The Broncos must decide if Drew Lock is their quarterback for the future after the 24-year-old struggled in his sophomore campaign. Lock went 4-9 in 13 starts, completing 57.3 percent of his passes and throwing 15 interceptions.

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Denver has the No. 9 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and there are a number of directions they could go with the selection. Perhaps the Broncos trade up for the opportunity to select a Justin Fields, or try to leverage the pick an effort to acquire a Deshaun Watson or Matthew Stafford, should they become available.

Paton will also face big decisions on the defensive side of the ball, notably how to proceed with respect to Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons.

In any case, George Paton will have an opportunity to build something sustainable over the course of his six-year deal.