Long-Time Viking Could Be Traded to Patriots
The Minnesota Vikings have fired off two trades in the last week, dealing guard Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans and adding running back Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers.
Long-Time Viking Could Be Traded to Patriots
And that may not be all for the purple team’s trades.
Long-time center Garrett Bradbury could be next, says ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
The ESPN Skinny on Garrett Bradbury
The New England Patriots surprisingly cut ties with center David Andrews last week, meaning — you guessed it — Mike Vrabel’s team needs a replacement.
Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, that could evidently be Bradbury, whose career in Minnesota has spanned six seasons.
Reiss wrote Sunday, “Eyes on Bradbury: With the Patriots releasing center David Andrews with a failed physical designation, and having explored the possibility of signing center Drew Dalman (who ended up in Chicago) in free agency, the status of Vikings center Garrett Bradbury as a potential option bears watching for them.”
“The Vikings plan to release Bradbury if a trade can’t be worked out, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and it seems unlikely a team will want to take on his $4.9 million base salary. So should Bradbury become a free agent in the coming days, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Patriots sign him.”
Therefore, this one could boil down to Minnesota’s leverage — or lack thereof — in trading Bradbury. The Patriots could merely sit and wait until Bradbury became a free man in free agency.
Bradbury’s Arc in Minnesota
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted last Thursday, “Minnesota is planning to release its 2019 first-round pick Garrett Bradbury unless a trade can be worked out, per sources. Bradbury’s standing was altered after the Vikings signed former Colts Pro-Bowl center Ryan Kelly.”
Normally, when tweets are phrased in this matter, the player is released a day or so later. Fans will hold out hope that Minnesota can snag a late-round draft pick for Bradbury’s services, but the reality might be a roster release before too long.
Grabbing a late-round pick for Bradbury is obviously the preferred route.
Cutting Bradbury would save Minnesota up to $5.2 million. Bradbury has played in Minnesota since 2019, drafted from Round 1 by former general manager Rick Spielman. He’s not the best pass-blocking center imaginable, but he’s a decent commodity on the whole.
The Falcons, too, have bubbled to the surface as a trade candidate because Bradbury’s college coach, Dwayne Ledford, now works in Atlanta as the offensive line boss. The Falcons lost center Drew Dalman to the Chicago Bears on Monday.
The Vikings unexpectedly signed center Kelly from the Indianapolis Colts last Tuesday, and the move represents the Vikings’ most significant investment in the offensive line’s interior … in years. For weeks, fans hoped the purple team would take the plunge with the aforementioned Dalman in free agency, but the Chicago Bears wiped Dalman off the board right away on Monday.
It’s Kelly in and Bradbury out.
The Patriots Offense
New England’s offense ranked 30th in the NFL last year per DVOA. Yes, that’s the third-worst.
The Patriots didn’t invest in wide receivers last offseason, so rookie quarterback Drake Maye was forced to utilize the single-worst WR corps in the NFL during his maiden voyage. And so far this offseason, New England has added just one notable wideout — Mack Hollins, who is closer to a WR3 or WR4.
New England may select Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan at wide receiver in the draft. Stay tuned.
The Patriots’ offensive line ranked 30th per Sharp Analysis last season, which mirrored the overall DVOA.
Here’s what New England would get from Bradbury if Reiss is correct.
Bradbury’s Pro Football Focus resume since 2019:
2024: 62.8
2023: 60.9
2022: 67.5
2021: 60.2
2020: 61.4
2019: 57.8
Other Vikings Trade Candidates
While Minnesota hasn’t been shy about trades with the aforementioned Ingram and Mason, the club may not be finished trading players.
Other candidates to monitor between now and the summer might include linebacker Brian Asamoah, running back Ty Chandler, and possibly Blake Brandel if the Vikings make one more guard splash with a free agent guard like Shaq Mason, Brandon Scherff, Teven Jenkins, or Will Hernandez.
A Bradbury verdict — trade or release — should emerge in the coming days or weeks.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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