Vikings Say Goodbye to Seasoned Starter
The Minnesota Vikings have spent a ton of money to secure numerous free agents that can help the club pursue the elusive Super Bowl trophy as soon as in the upcoming season. One seemingly endless area of need for the franchise has been the offensive line, but the decision-makers have taken action.
Vikings Say Goodbye to Seasoned Starter
The big-time signing is former Colts guard Will Fries, who signed a five-year deal with the purple team. Funny but true, the organization also hired the man who played on his left in Indianapolis, Ryan Kelly.
A four-time Pro Bowler arrived in the Twin Cities, and the writing was on the wall for the incumbent starting center, Garrett Bradbury.
Last week, reports surfaced suggesting the front office would try to move him via trade and if no destination can be found, well, he’d be cut.
On Monday, that idea became reality as the organization officially moved on from their 2019 first-round pick. The official social media account wrote, “We have released C Garrett Bradbury. We’re appreciative of everything Garrett did in his six seasons in Minnesota.”
Tom Pelissero reported, “The Vikings are releasing veteran center Garrett Bradbury with a post-June 1 designation, per me and Ian Rapoport. After trying to trade him, Minnesota now officially moves on from Bradbury, their former first-round pick.”
That little post-June 1 designation nugget is notable because it changes the cap savings. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah won’t get any extra cap space right now. On June 1st, however, savings of $5.25 million will hit their books.
Bradbury simply had no future with the franchise once Kelly entered the picture. He doesn’t possess guard flexibility, and teams don’t have backup centers for $5 million sitting on their bench. Therefore, the cut was expected.
Bradbury joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2019 as a first-round draft pick. Centers are expected to be exceptional players to justify that selection, and it’s fair to say he hasn’t met that expectation. Nevertheless, he has managed the center position in the middle of Minnesota’s offensive line for six years, which is still quite valuable.
He has played in 88 career games (all starts). His PFF resume is a little concerning, but it reflects the feelings of Skol Nation quite well.
- 2019: 57.8 (28th of 35 centers)
- 2020: 61.4 (25th/36)
- 2021: 60.2 (29th/39)
- 2022: 67.5 (11th/36)
- 2023: 60.9 (23rd/36)
- 2024: 62.8 (27th/40)
His grades indicate starting-caliber play but on the low end. The Vikings now made the move from one veteran center to another. Throughout the years, Bradbury became synonymous with the undersized offensive line that struggled against power but was athletic in the running game. His pass protection was shaky at best.
Perhaps the most likely destination for Bradbury is the Atlanta Falcons, a franchise that employs his former offensive line coach at North Carolina State, Dwayne Ledford. They just lost their starting center Drew Dalman to the Bears. That would reunite him with Kirk Cousins.
Another possible employer is the New England Patriots following their goodbye to center David Andrews. Drake Maye undoubtedly needs better protection.
Bradbury will turn 30 in June.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt