Matt Paradis is another option at center for the Cardinals
By Jim Koch
The former Super Bowl champion could be acquired to replace Rodney Hudson as the starting center of the Arizona Cardinals.
This year’s training camp is just around the corner, and Rodney Hudson appears to have left the Arizona Cardinals in limbo.
Fans of the Cardinals found out last month that Hudson, the squad’s starting center, could be mulling retirement. Unfortunately, Kliff Kingsbury’s “Air Raid” offense is woefully unprepared to deal with such a catastrophic loss.
On the positive side, there are a group of free-agent centers that are still searching for work. If Steve Keim was smart, the Cards general manager could acquire one of several talented pivots before Hudson leaves the front office holding an empty bag.
Arizona Cardinals could sign Matt Paradis as insurance for the center position.
One such individual who’d be a fine replacement for Hudson is Matt Paradis, a 32-year-old with 98 starts on his NFL resume. There’s a very good chance that the Arizona scoring attack would not miss a beat with the 6 foot 3, 300-pound Paradis anchoring the offensive line.
Paradis entered the league back in 2014 as a sixth-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos. The former Boise State University product was the starting center for the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50 back in February of 2016.
In March of 2019, Paradis left Denver to sign a free-agent contract with the Carolina Panthers. The Idaho native inked a three-year, $27 million deal and went on to start 41 games in two and a half seasons for the Panthers.
The one drawback is that Paradis is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered last November during a Panthers loss to the New England Patriots. However, the veteran offensive lineman is expected to be fully healthy when the 2022 campaign kicks off in September.
Hudson has had more than enough time to decide if he’ll be playing for the Cardinals this coming fall. However, the three-time Pro Bowler needs to inform Keim of his plans before a capable free agent like Paradis finds a new home and is no longer an option for the Redbirds.
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