Broncos General Manager George Paton’s focus is solely on this week’s draft at the moment, but he has an idea of what will be on the agenda once things wrap up in Cleveland.
Defensive end and 2018 first-round pick Bradley Chubb is heading into his fourth season, which means the team will need to make a decision about his fifth-year option by May 3. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton was drafted in the second round that year, so he’ll be a free agent if the team doesn’t sign him to an extension.
Paton said last Thursday that the plan is for both players to remain in Denver.
“They’re two of our core guys, and we want them here a long time,” Paton said, via Zack Kelberman of SI.com. “We’re not going to address that until after the draft. We’re strictly focused on the draft, but those are two of our guys.”
Exercising Chubb’s option would guarantee him $12.716 million for the 2022 season and it seems a likely course of action given his 20.5 sacks in 34 career games. Any decision on Sutton is complicated by last year’s torn ACL and the team may prefer to see how he looks on the field before moving forward on an extension.