Report: Broncos Agree to Terms With ex-Lions C Graham Glasgow on Four-Year Deal

The Broncos made a splash late on Monday afternoon, agreeing to terms with Graham Glasgow on a four-year deal.

Just when everyone expects Denver Broncos' GM John Elway to zig, he zags. With all eyes on the Broncos' smoke signals around free-agent defensive linemen like Houston's D.J. Reader, Elway instead prioritized the offensive line. 

Graham Glasgow is a 27-year-old interior offensive lineman who spent his first four years with the Detroit Lions. He arrived in the NFL as Detroit's third-round pick back in 2016 out of Michigan. 

Glasgow has been an entrenched starter since his rookie season, and brings a wealth of experience to the table. Starting 15 games at center for the Lions last season, he finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 74.1, which was good for 12th-best among interior O-linemen. 

This move doesn't portend well for Connor McGovern, who started all 16 games at center for the Broncos last year. McGovern is an unrestricted free agent himself and with Glasgow going off the market, he might end up being the next interior player to get paid. 

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According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Broncos are giving Glasgow $44 million over four years with $26 million guaranteed. It averages out to $11M per year, which would rank him in the top-5 highest-paid centers in the NFL. 

We can only assume that the Glasgow deal was rubber-stamped by Broncos' O-line Coach Mike Munchak. With Elijah Wilkinson returning on a second-round restricted free-agent tender, the Broncos' O-line has taken shape. Give this a ganders: 

LT Garett Bolles, LG Dalton Risner, C Glasgow, RG Wilkinson, RT Ja'Wuan James.

Glasgow has missed just two games in four seasons (62 appearances, 58 starts). #Broncos not investing in an injury risk like they did with Ja'Wuan James. https://t.co/AlF66p4Gyh

— Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) March 16, 2020

The Broncos were rumored to be out for 'buying' a defense in free agency and drafting an offense. However, the Glasgow deal, in the wake of the Broncos saying goodbye to Ronald Leary, signals Elway's commitment to first focus on building around second-year QB Drew Lock. 

Glasgow will turn 28 in August, which means he's still in his prime, though he is a bit on the older side for a fifth-year player. This is the first real instance of Elway paying a center, if indeed, the Broncos plan on playing Glasgow at center. There's no reason to believe they won't. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.