Center Position Should be Mason Cole’s to Lose
With the 2019 first-round pick of Garrett Bradbury hurtling towards bust status, there has been speculation of when the Minnesota Vikings should move on from him and try something different at center.
Some people got excited by the idea of a third-round rookie from this year, Wyatt Davis, taking some snaps at center in training camp. If there were to be a change at the position, it would always be Mason Cole to step in.
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The Michigan alumnus started 32 games in three years playing for Arizona. He didn’t perform to an exceptionally high standard during that time, hence why he was available to come to Minnesota. Pro Football Focus gave him overall grades in the 50s for all three years — similar to how Bradbury scored playing in Minnesota. There is a difference in pass-blocking grade, where Bradbury consistently scores in the 30s, which is abysmal. Cole has had two seasons graded in the 40s, which isn’t great, but he also got a grade of 63.3 in 2019. However, he wasn’t a regular starter that season and only played 211 snaps, primarily at guard.
Rather than the Vikings hierarchy deciding it was time for a change, it was the unfortunate situation of Garret Bradbury ending up on the Reserve/Covid-19 list. That gave Cole his chance, and he took it with both hands.
PFF graded him as the third-best center last Sunday, with an overall grade of 73.9. It was a better performance than Bradbury has managed this season. It is worth noting that the Ravens nose tackle Brandon Williams missed the game due to injury.
Bradbury has managed individual good games, where he has graded in the 70s. So crowning Mason Cole as the permanent answer at center would be extremely premature.
Has he impressed coach Zimmer and offensive coordinator enough to retain his place? It’s not clear if Bradbury will be available for this week’s game. Whether he is or not, it is my opinion that Mason Cole performed well enough to retain his place. Will that happen? I’m not so sure. We will have to wait and see.
Of course, unlike the other positions across the offensive line, the center must do more than just block. He has the responsibility of reading and calling protections and snapping the ball. The Vikings process is for the center to call protections, and Kirk Cousins has veto power — something he has admitted he rarely uses and said this week he’d use it more if he didn’t trust the center, but he trusts Cole.
Trust between quarterback and center is essential, and it appears to be there for Cousins and Cole for now.
Cousins probably enjoyed the improved protection. Cole has had issues with snapping in the past, but he did just fine in his debut in purple. Should that continue, and his protection calls are up to scratch, I see no reason for him to lose his place.
Is Mason Cole the long-term answer at center? It’s way too early to declare that, but he should get the chance to prove himself. A consistent run of games like his debut, then we can start to think that way.
Hopefully, he is lining up in Los Angeles on Sunday.
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