Nalen: "Matt Paradis. I'm actually pissed about that! I just spent the last hour watching week 17 Broncos - Chargers tape.
So, I'm thinking, 'what are they seeing?' Because John Elway said that they're comfortable with Connor McGovern playing center. I'm not sure what he's watching. I gave the benefit of the doubt to Connor McGovern. I didn't want to watch the TExans game because that's the game Matt Paradis got hurt, and I knew McGovern wouldn't be ready. Give me week 17, when guys are trying to make the team, they know the coach is getting fired, San Diego isn't really playing hard either.
But, he doesn't look like a center. Six week later he still doesn't move like a center. And we've got the general manager saying 'we're comfortable with Connor McGovern playing center.'
So, now you're creating two weaknesses. Connor McGovern is a right guard. So, 'let's move a guard to center and find someone else to play guard.' So, why not pay Paradis to play center?
You're just shifting chairs on the Titanic here!
Q: "You know they low-balled Paradis, big-time?"
Nalen: "Yeah! And they used the injury as the reason for it. They offered him a similar deal in July and he rejected it.
And then we learn they were looking at Morris, the Chiefs center. Why the hell would you be looking at a Chiefs guy instead of paying your own guy? You should be dealing with him first!
Q: "Devil's advocate here: He's been injured, with double hip surgery, and the broken leg, they don't think he'll be the same player any more."
Nalen: "I didn't see any drop-off from the hip surgery. And the broken leg? Meh. You come back from that. Sometimes, like Chris Kuper not. But, you were still offering him $9m dollars! So, which is it?
Q: "So your problem is really with Connor McGovern?"
Nalen: "Plus, I watched week 17 Garrett Bolles. And I'm kinda anti-Bolles. I saw a sequence of three plays in a row. One - holding got a running TD called back. And you can see him after the play chirping at someone on the Chargers. Next play, Joey Bosa gives him the business. And for some reason Bolles, with the umpire 3 feet away just throws Bosa to the ground. Another holding penalty. On the third play, he did not get called for holding out of pity. I swear to God, the umpire is like 'I cannot do this to the kid. I don't want to see him cry.' But, he held SOO bad on the third play in a row. Man, what can I saw. He's just terrible.
He's got a clock on him. He's got a 3 second clock. He's good for 3 seconds and then he just stops. It's hard to question OL effort because they're usually just trying to hang on for dear life. But, that dude? He's soft, doesn't play hard, holds, his hands [use of hands] are terrible.
Connor McGovern is terrible up on the second level too, getting on LBs. He's a guard. He should be the guard. Paradis should be the center - for $9m a year. They offered him 1 year at $9m a year. Carolina is giving him $9m a year for 3 years - $27m.
I don't understand it! 'We're comfortable with Connor McGovern?'"
Q: "They were trying to get Billy Turner done first. That was the plan, and then get to Paradis done. [But, they didn't get either done, and both are gone.] Some guys they don't even make an offer at all. Brandon Marshall gone, Bradley Roby done. NO offer."
Nalen: "So Billy Turner was the domino. Once he decided to cut off negotiations, because they were low-balling him, that ended the negotiations for Paradis? But, they treat outsiders better than their own players!"
Q: "That's what happens when you screw up your own negotiations for your players, you end up overpaying [for other teams' players]."
Nalen: "Did you see Jawan James' contract? It's big! $31m guaranteed? It is a big 4 year commitment. It's a marriage. It's a 4 year commitment. Lane Johnson is below him in salary right now and Lane Johnson is a damn good RT."
Q: "OK, not to be too negative here, Bolles is. . . .?"
Nalen: "Terrible."
Q: "Ron Leary is. . . .?"
Nalen: "Good, as a football player. He's a good G, I'm not saying he's great. But, we don't know what he is after the Achilles. We'll find out that in October or whenever he comes back. But, he's a good player if he's healthy."
Q: "McGovern. . . .? "
Nalen: "Put him back at guard! Find a center now! Go draft a rookie, second round. Find some dude."
Q: "Do you think McGovern is a better G than Elijah WIlkinson?"
Nalen: "Yes. He's a tackle. He could be that swing tackle who Billy Turner was. And there's value in that with how the roster is constructed."