The Denver Broncos have brought back starting center Matt Paradis after one of his best seasons in the NFL. Paradis signed his exclusive rights free-agent tender, making him a member of the Broncos for at least the 2016 NFL season.
He was the most consistent member of this offensive line and was always on the field. Paradis only had one penalty in 1,125 plays and was the only offensive lineman to play every single offensive snap.
The Broncos have been the team most affected by the NFL free agent period, as they saw four starters leave their franchise. Denver's free agency period was doomed from the start, as they barely had enough money to retain any of their players, let alone offer attractive deals to big name playmakers.
Denver lost starting defensive end Malik Jackson to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which was a monumental loss that not only changes the landscape of their defensive unit, but also creates a hole in the roster that they will need to fill by drafting a young and productive defensive lineman.
Starting quarterback Brock Osweiler decided to take his career to Houston to become the Texans' starting quarterback. This might be Denver's most devastating loss in free agency. They already traded for Mark Sanchez, who is working out with the Broncos wide receivers in the offseason. But does that make Broncos fans feel any better?
Sanchez stated that he just wants a clean slate, but that is hard to do when you're replacing one of the most legendary quarterbacks in NFL history, Peyton Manning, with the man famous for the butt fumble. Osweiler leaving was relatively unexpected, as it was assumed he was the heir to Peyton's starting job.
Osweiler probably saw the benefit of entering his first season as a starter with fewer expectations than in Denver. Fans had just won a Super Bowl and expected Osweiler to be an effective and productive quarterback physically to lead this unit to another title. Instead, he stepped out of the shadow of Manning and into the void that is the Texans quarterback corps.
The Broncos also lost inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to the Chicago Bears, as John Fox continues to pilfer players from his former team, and offensive guard Evan Mathis, who went to the Arizona Cardinals. Re-signing Paradis will be a huge boon for this offensive line and whoever steps under center come September.
