In the wake of dealing star linebacker Von Miller to the Rams earlier this week, Broncos general manager George Paton said Tuesday that the franchise is not rebuilding.
"We're not approaching a rebuild," Paton said. "We're just trying to do it the right way. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions. We want to build a foundation here. We have a lot of good players here. That's not fair to Justin Simmons; that's not fair to Teddy Bridgewater; that's not fair to some of our core guys to rebuild. I think we have enough players here. Now, do we need to continue to build the foundation to get where we need to go? Certainly. We will continue to do that, and that's what we've done with some of these trades."
Paton said he met with his team's captains and told them that he "believed in them," adding that he believes they have enough talent on defense to replace Miller.
The Rams were able to net the eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro pass rusher for a second- and third-round pick. As Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr noted earlier this week, "Over roughly 350 snaps this year, Miller remains an elite edge rushing presence and won’t need to stretch himself schematically to make it work."
The Broncos are 4—4 heading into Week 9 and set to face the Cowboys, who have not lost since Week 1, on Sunday.
"This is not a fire sale," Paton said. "We traded one player. He's a great player, but we believe in the guys behind him. We believe in this roster. We do need to play better. Everyone needs to know that. There is an urgency. We haven't played great. We need to play better, but the fact of the matter is [that] we're 4-4 and we're still in it."
Kickoff for Sunday's contest vs. the Cowboys is set for 1 p.m. ET.
