The Minnesota Vikings have plenty of decisions to make in the 2025 offseason. Everything begins at the vital quarterback spot, as starter Sam Darnold will be an unrestricted free agent in March if the Vikings don’t hand him a new deal via contract extension or the franchise tag.
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But there’s more stuff on the to-do list, with half the 2024 roster set to enter free agency and numerous holes on the roster that need to be filled if the club wants to repeat its success from the past campaign.
Those holes include the secondary that has been holding the Vikings back for years, as well as the trenches. The Vikes haven’t built a strong offensive or defensive line in years, and it cost them in the final two contests of the season when the Rams and Lions exploited those issues.
The common belief is that the front office will attempt to assemble a superior interior offensive line. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell thinks center Garrett Bradbury could be on the chopping block if the Vikings want to chase an upgrade.
The veterans the Vikings have under contract are generally locked in or playing well enough to alleviate any concerns about being released. The one exception might be Bradbury, who has settled in as a low-end starter at center. At the same time, his $5.3 million compensation for 2025 isn’t outlandish for a veteran in that range. If the Vikings want to upgrade, his unguaranteed contract could be vulnerable, but it’s more likely he’s back as the Week 1 starter.
Bradbury was selected in 2019. The Vikings, as usual, needed some reinforcements along the offensive line following Pat Elflein’s underwhelming sophomore season. Rick Spielman, former general manager, decided to replace his former third-rounder by drafting North Carolina State’s Bradbury in the first round.
First-round centers are quite rare, and they need to be Pro Bowlers to deserve such an investment. Bradbury had some positive features, such as his extraordinary athleticism, but he also entered the draft as an undersized player.
Throughout the years, both of those elements continued to be evident on tape. Few centers have his range and quickness, but a couple of times a year, he is no match for a strong defensive lineman. Divisional rivals Akiem Hicks and Kenny Clark are feared in the Twin Cities, and Bradbury is a big reason why.
However, to his defense, Bradbury has been a fairly average player at the center position, especially his run blocking in the zone scheme has been adequate.
His Pro Football Focus resume is consistent but could certainly be better.
- 2019: 57.8 grade (28th of 35 eligible 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 pass-blocking grade has been deficient in five of the six seasons, and his run-blocking grade has been fine in all six. That’s the trade-off the Vikings accepted when they extended his deal in the 2023 offseason.
At some point, though, it’s fair to wonder whether the decision-makers want to pivot toward a better solution.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said after the disappointing playoff loss that he wants to fix the interior of the offensive line, “There’s no question we’ve got to find a way to be able to give a quarterback, especially with players like Justin (Jefferson), Jordan (Addison), T.J. (Hockenson), we’ve got to find a way to solidify just the interior of the pocket. There can be a thousand excuses made, whether it’s losing [Christian Darrisaw], or even midway through the game losing [Brian O’Neill] tonight, but for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at.”
For the first time in years, the Vikings actually have some cap space entering the offseason, and Bradbury’s release would free even more ($3.622 million if released at any point and $5.25 million if released with a June 1st designation, which would push some cap hit into 2026).
Atlanta’s center, Drew Dalman, and Indianapolis’s Ryan Kelly are the two options on the market if the Vikings want to spend big. Spending draft capital on a replacement is risky because it doesn’t guarantee an upgrade, and the front office doesn’t quite have a ton of draft picks in this year’s event.
Both another season of Bradbury snapping the ball and another player taking over at the point of attack are realistic scenarios.
He will turn 30 in June and has played 88 regular season games for the Vikings through six seasons.
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