6 Minnesota Vikings players that will not be back in 2022

Garrett Bradbury – C

When the Vikings used the No. 18 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on former North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury, they thought they were getting someone who would stabilize the middle of their offensive line for the next decade.

Instead, Minnesota got a center in Bradbury who has been the opposite of stable more often than not when he goes up against opposing defensive linemen. The Vikings’ current starting center has been consistently pushed back into his quarterback by the opposition during the majority of his career.

There seems to be a constant hope that Bradbury will eventually turn the corner and live up to the expectations that come with being a first-round draft pick. But each additional game with him out on the field just continues to add to the disappointment that he has provided since he first joined Minnesota’s roster in 2019.

The Vikings won’t lose any salary cap space if they cut Bradbury in 2022, but they would be handed a little over $4 million in dead money. Trading the 26-year-old center would only result in $1.8 million dead cap for Minnesota. So a trade might be a route they attempt to take first if they’re hoping to avoid the amount of dead money that would come with a release.

It’s disappointing that there’s a good chance the Vikings could part ways with a player they drafted in the first round less than four years ago. But Minnesota has to do what’s best for their team and keeping Bradbury as their starting center hasn’t really helped anyone for the last two-and-a-half seasons.