Garrett Bradbury – C
After another season littered with inconsistencies, it was no surprise to see the Vikings take a cautious approach with Garrett Bradbury this offseason. The new regime didn’t pick up his fifth-year option, which was the right call to make and raises the stakes further for the former first-round pick in 2022.
Bradbury came into the Vikings with a big reputation out of North Carolina State. He might not have much competition for the starting center job heading into camp, but that does not detract from what a vital few weeks it is for the player before Week 1.
Everything around Bradbury should be better next season. Ezra Cleveland performed well last time around and either Jesse Davis, Chris Reed, or rookie Ed Ingram represents an upgrade on anything Minnesota churned out at the right guard spot previously.
If Bradbury becomes the weak link, then the Vikings will look elsewhere and certainly remove him from the equation next spring. There’s a lot of hard work ahead, but an increased sense of urgency could be exactly what the player needs.
Watching Bradbury closely during training camp will be worth doing. There is also a brand new coaching staff to impress to further complicate matters.