Another Free Agent Center Wiped Off Board for Vikings
If you wanted Lloyd Cushenberry III to become the Minnesota Vikings’ new center after Ryan Kelly’s retirement, you’ll have to pivot to a Plan B. The Buffalo Bills grabbed Cushenberry III off the free-agent wire late last week.
Buffalo’s move narrowed the Vikings’ center options by one more name.
It’s down to Ethan Pocic in free agency for starting-caliber centers on the open market.
Minnesota’s Remaining Paths at Center Get Even Thinner
He probably wasn’t on the Vikings’ radar at all.
Cushenberry III to BUF
Buffalo squared away center depth, as ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg wrote Thursday, “The Bills added some veteran depth to the roster with a series of one-year deals announced by the team Thursday. The team signed two interior offensive linemen in guard/center Austin Corbett and center Lloyd Cushenberry III, in addition to bringing back wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr.“
“Cushenberry had played in 23 games for Tennessee over the past two seasons. He was entering the third year of a four-year, $50 million deal he signed with the team in 2024 after spending the first four years of his career with the Denver Broncos. The deal made him one of the highest-paid centers in the NFL.”
Not long ago, the veteran center was the hottest center commodity on the free-agent market. His stock has fallen after a lousy stop in Tennessee.
The Bills’ Center Depth
Cushenberry III certainly won’t start in Buffalo at center; that’s Connor McGovern’s job. Here’s the Bills’ center depth chart as of late March:
- Connor McGovern
- Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
- Lloyd Cushenberry III
Cushenberry III’s career is a tale of two acts: early struggles in Denver, followed by a breakout performance in his final season of his rookie contract. He parleyed his strong 2023 into a four-year, $50 million contract two offseasons ago. After two seasons, he hit the open market because the Titans had seen enough.
His strengths and weaknesses are clearly established. Cushenberry is a more effective pass protector than run blocker. While his pass-blocking grade of 65.2 last season is adequate for a starting center, his run-blocking grade of 51.2 detracts from his overall performance and limits his fit in run-oriented offenses.
This is Cushenberry III’s Pro Football Focus resume:
- 2025: 55.2
- 2024: 55.4
- 2023: 73.2
- 2022: 56.2
- 2021: 64.3
Who Else for the Vikings at Center?
Over a half dozen starting centers have joined new teams in free agency, leaving the Vikings out in the cold. Minnesota has three paths remaining at center:
- Promote Blake Brandel or Michael Jurgens to the starting job in 2026. Brandel improved at center each week when he filled in for the aforementioned Kelly last season. For Jurgens, well, he’s a late-rounder from the 2024 NFL Draft. Perhaps the coaching staff values his upside.
- Draft a center next month; there may be about five or six rookies with starting upside when it’s all said and done.
- Sign free-agent Ethan Pocic, who has consistently started for the Cleveland Browns.
Pocic, a 30-year-old center with considerable experience, is projected to earn $6-8 million annually. However, the figure could continue to decline if his free-agent market remains quiet. His consistent play is reflected in his 2023 PFF grades: 62.2 in pass protection, 63.2 in run blocking, and an overall grade of 63.8, suggesting he is a dependable player rather than a game-changer.
After being drafted in the 2nd Round in 2017, he finished his first contract with Seattle before moving to Cleveland in 2022, where he earned a starting position.
The main concern surrounding Pocic is his durability, as he typically misses 3–4 games each season. Fortunately, Minnesota appears well-equipped to handle this, with the aforementioned Brandel and Jurgens ready to step in as competent backups.
For veteran centers, Pocic is the last man standing if the Vikings want a starting center from the free-agent wire.
Our Janik Eckardt on Pocic as a free-agent option: “The Vikings lost center Kelly to retirement and the in-house replacements — versatile guard and tackle backup Blake Brandel and 2024 draftee Michael Jurgens — lack experience. Pocic has plenty of reps at center under his belt, having played over 5,000 of those for the Seahawks and Browns.”
“He’s not a great center by any means, but he can provide average play for the season if the Vikings strike out in the draft and aren’t happy with their current option, providing a reliable veteran presence in the middle of their offensive line.”
The Draft Options
If it’s the draft that Minnesota prefers for a Kelly replacement, the board looks like this, with the caveat that the rounds are approximate:
- R3 — Connor Lew (Auburn)
- R3 — Sam Hecht (Kansas State)
- R3 — Jake Slaughter (Florida)
- R3/4 — Logan Jones (Iowa)
- R5 — Parker Brailsford (Alabama)
- R6 — Pat Coogan (Indiana)
There is no single stud center in this draft, but it offers 6-7 possible starting options down the road. Minnesota also has nine draft picks, two more than usual.
The Vikings have just over $4 million in remaining cap space at the time of this article’s publication.
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