The Eagles May Need Some Help at Center
K. Joudry
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Much of the focus lately has been on Garrett Bradbury. A 2019 first-round pick, he has mostly been a disappointment since coming into the NFL. He struggles to handle powerful DTs, which is unfortunate given the position he plays. Is it at all plausible that Minnesota would consider a trade involving Garrett Bradbury?
Recently, we learned that Philadelphia will be without their All-Pro center for a little while. Jason Kelce will have surgery on his elbow. Since 2017, Kelce has finished 1st, 1st, 1st, 10th, and 3rd in the PFF rankings for centers. In other words, it’ll be nearly impossible to replace him if he misses regular season games.
Instead, the best decision may be to elevate someone who will allow Philadelphia to run the same offense. This is where the purple dot connecting is taking place, folks. The Eagles may feel like they need an athletic center to replace their starter. Bradbury is one of the game’s most athletically gifted centers.
If Minnesota feels like Chris Reed and/or Austin Schlottmann is the solution, then perhaps a Garrett Bradbury trade makes sense. Doing so would clear some cap space and bring in some draft capital. Oh, and let’s not forget that J.C. Tretter is still out there.
Now, a trade requires several things to happen before it can come to fruition. There needs to be interest from both teams and then an agreement on compensation. In the example we’re exploring, the Eagles would need to want Bradbury and the Vikings would need to be open to moving him out. They’d then need to agree to a fair price. The cost to bring Mason Cole – a backup center – to Minnesota was a sixth-round pick. The Dolphins and Ravens agreed to a center trade not too long afterward that involved a sixth and seventh. The precedent seems to suggest that something in the range of a fifth to seventh-round pick would be appropriate for a depth center.
The hope in Philadelphia is that their veteran center will be ready for Week 1. Even if that’s the case, the team could still be interested in solidifying their depth. Moreover, it’s at least somewhat notable that Kelce is almost 35. He’s still playing at a high level, but he won’t play forever. Apparently, there was at least some uncertainty this offseason about whether he’d return. Acquiring someone who can help secure the position in the immediate and potentially the future makes some sense.
The Eagles do a nice job with their offensive linemen. Jason Peters, Kelce, and Lane Johnson are just a few examples of excellent offensive linemen from recent years. Garrett Bradbury hasn’t lived up to his first-round status but it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect him to perform better after a trade to the Eagles. We’ll see if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah moves on from his veteran offensive lineman.
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