Former Cleveland Browns center J.C Tretter could be the answer the Minnesota Vikings have been searching for to finally shore up their offensive line.
On Tuesday morning, the Cleveland Browns released center J.C. Tretter to help the team clear some cap space. It is no secret that the Minnesota Vikings have been trying to build strong interior protection for quarterback Kirk Cousins, and a gift may have just been presented to them with the release of Tretter.
Tretter has not missed a start in five seasons and he excels in an area that other Minnesota offensive linemen don’t, which is pass blocking. Apart from right tackle Brian O’Neill, the rest of the Vikings’ pass-blocking grades have been among the worst in the league. Since 2015, Tretter has consistently been ranked by PFF as one of the best pass-blocking centers in the NFL.
Since Minnesota selected him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Garrett Bradbury has been among the worst centers in the league. Bradbury has shown some promise in the run game, however, he has been arguably the worst center in the NFL in pass protection.
During each of the last three seasons, Bradbury has graded as one of the worst pass-blocking centers in the entire league by PFF
J.C. Tretter could be a game-changer for the Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings clearly need to move on from Bradbury and what could be better than going after one of the best pass-blocking centers in the NFL in Tretter?
Tretter has played at a consistently high level for the Browns during the last few years and it remains a mystery as to why they decided to let him go on Tuesday.
Switching from Bradbury to Tretter as their starting center would be a significant upgrade for Minnesota and it’s a move that would probably allow Kirk Cousins to have a clean pocket much more frequently.
Cousins was the top quarterback in the NFL last year from a clean pocket, so signing Tretter would go a long way in the Vikings being able to achieve a consistent clean pocket next season.