No. 3 – Matt Paradis
Welcome to your first year on the active roster, Matt Paradis. All the Broncos are going to ask you to do is center the line on a revamped offensive scheme led by the NFL’s all-time greatest passer and winningest quarterback. And oh by the way, the last few guys who held the job haven’t lasted more than a season and a half. Also, please don’t snap the ball over Peyton Manning’s head. He doesn’t like that.
Head coach Gary Kubiak put an immense amount of faith in a player who spent his first season in Denver on the practice squad, and Paradis has rewarded him by being Denver’s most durable offensive lineman. At 831 snaps, Paradis leads the team and is a full 84 snaps ahead of the next closest player, Evan Mathis. For context, the Broncos are averaging 65 plays per game in 2015 according to Sporting Charts. That’s more than five full quarters worth of load Paradis has carried compared to the rest of the offensive line.
Pro Football Focus hasn’t been kind to the first-year player, rating him at a -8.5 overall on the year. But there’s something to say for consistency and durability at this point – especially on this carousel of a line.
His backup, James Ferentz, has played just six snaps on the year. How little do the Broncos think of Ferentz? They didn’t even bother to fill out his “Bio” on his player page on the team website.
Any more instability on this line and it could come crashing down. Paradis is the glue that’s holding it together.
