Vikings GM Rick Spielman talks about George Paton’s departure

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman will have to undergo the usual offseason proceedings without one of his top staff members.

Minnesota assistant general manager George Paton will be the Broncos’ next GM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Denver also announced the move on Twitter.

Paton, who just finished up his 14th season with the Vikings, has had interest from multiple NFL teams in the past. Now, this is the year he’s finally leaving. Asked about how he will fill the void caused by Paton’s departure, Spielman said he has spoken with ownership and they will assess things with staff after the draft, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

“We’re going to stay status quo. I know I have a lot of very talented people in this building,” Spielman said, via Matthew Coller of Purple Insider. “It’s a hard void to fill. … It’ll give me an opportunity to see some of our people fill that void.”

Spielman also said that he is hopeful that Paton won’t take anyone with him to Denver, saying there are a “lot of rules in place,” per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.