Former Denver Broncos center Matt Paradis intends to sign a three-year, $27 million deal with the Carolina Panthers when NFL free agency begins Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday. The news has since been confirmed by multiple media outlets.
Paradis (6-3, 300 pounds) entered the league as a sixth-round pick out of Boise State with the Broncos in 2014. He has been the team’s starting center since 2015 and anchored the team’s offensive line in a 24-10 win over the Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
Paradis’ new deal with Carolina will average $9 million per year. Denver offered him a one-year deal, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. With Paradis leaving the team, the Broncos may now move guard Connor McGovern to center.
McGovern, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Missouri, has split time at guard and center over the last two years. He will earn $2.025 million in 2019, making him a much cheaper option than Paradis.
McGovern is set to become a free agent in 2020 so the Broncos will have to either develop a future replacement or give him an extension.
