The Denver Broncos needed a center to get the ball to Peyton Manning in the 2015 season, the first season of Gary Kubiak’s time as head coach of the team.
Kubiak and John Elway decided a veteran player was needed to come in and compete with only an untested former sixth-round draft pick on the roster, so they traded for Gino Gradkowski of the Baltimore Ravens.
Elway ended up giving the Ravens a fourth-round pick for Gradkowski, in what would prove to be one of his worst moves as general manager of the team.
The starting center position that year was won by the untested former sixth-round draft pick — Matt Paradis — who had spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad.