The Denver Broncos have placed a second-round tender on center Matt Paradis, NFL Network’s James Palmer reported on Monday. He joins Shaquil Barrett who also received the designation from the Broncos. Teams who wish to extend an offer sheet to Paradis will have to give up a pick in round two of the 2018 NFL Draft should Denver choose not to match it.
Per source, #Broncos placed a 2nd round tender on restricted free agent center Matt Paradis. A key part of this offense. Didn’t miss a snap last season.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) March 12, 2018
Denver Broncos Place Second-Round Tender on Matt Paradis
Paradis entered the NFL as a projected backup center after being selected in the sixth round in the 2014 NFL draft but has far surpassed those expectations. After being waived and then getting picked up again by the Broncos, he entered the 2015 season as their starting center. He exceeded all expectations in his first year as a starter and was the main cog in an offensive line that was essential in the Broncos quest to win the Super Bowl. He finished 2015 as Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) top rated center and cemented himself as one of the premier centers in the league.
The Broncos then re-signed Paradis to a one-year contract and he once again had another outstanding campaign in the 2016 season. He was the lone bright spot on a very poor Broncos offensive line, starting all 16 games and once again was the top-rated center by PFF.
Heading into the 2017 season, the Broncos signed Paradis to his exclusive rights tender for a one-year deal, meaning he would become a free-agent after 2017. He entered the season hampered after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. He did not maintain his top-tier center form but he was still very effective.
Part of his “off year’ in 2017 could be attributed to a new system under Vance Joseph and the many moving parts at both quarterback and the rest of the offensive line. Still, he was the one consistent piece in the Broncos offensive line over the past few years. He is deceptively quick and very strong in pass and run blocking. Overall, Paradis is one of the premier centers in the league, proving to be able to play in both zone blocking and man blocking schemes.
