5 most significant free-agent losses for Broncos since Super Bowl 50

Broncos’ biggest free-agent losses: Matt Paradis

A sixth-round pick out of Boise State in 2014, the Broncos likely never expected Matt Paradis to be as good as he was for the team. It would have been even better if the team could have found a way to keep him around.

Paradis had five productive seasons in Denver and at times, was the most effective offensive lineman on the team. But when his contract ran out following the 2018 season, the Carolina Panthers came calling with a bigger offer than the Broncos were able to put up.

The Panthers signed Paradis to a three-year, $27 million deal with Carolina and he has been the team’s starting center ever since. However, he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins.

In the final year of his contract with the Broncos, Paradis suffered a fractured fibula midway through the season and never played for the team again. This past season, he went on injured reserve with a torn ACL, so he could see the same scenario with the Panthers.

Since his departure, the Broncos have used both Connor McGovern and Lloyd Cushenberry, a third-round pick at the center spot. The jury is still out on Cushenberry but to this point, neither of those players were as effective as Paradis as the team’s center.