Garrett Bradbury: Stay or Go for the Vikings?

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This will be a hectic offseason for the Minnesota Vikings, to say the very least.

One of their biggest tasks this offseason is trying to upgrade their offensive line (yes, again). Could they make a change at center?

Garrett Bradbury: Stay or Go for the Vikings?

Garrett Bradbury has been the team’s starting center since they drafted him 18th in 2019. He certainly has not lived up to expectations. He was decent in 2022, which made Minnesota re-sign him. In the other five seasons as a pro, he has struggled.

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Minnesota would save $3,622,000 via Over the Cap if they release him.

Maybe they will keep him around and sign two guards via free agency. If that is the route they take, it would not be a bad decision. If they only sign one guard, they absolutely should sign a center. Drew Dalman and Ryan Kelly are both available.

Both would certainly be upgrades over Bradbury. Dalman, though, may be too pricey. Kelly is not a slam-dunk signing; he will be 32 years old soon. Minnesota is reportedly interested in right guards Will Fries and Patrick Mekari, according to Darren Wolfson.

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Either would be a good signing and would help Bradbury if he returns for his seventh season with the team. What will they do at left guard, though? Blake Brandel did a decent job when Christian Darrisaw was in the lineup. Once he suffered the season-ending ACL injury, Brandel struggled.

A couple of left guards available are Aaron Banks and Teven Jenkins.

Jenkins would be especially intriguing. He has been in the NFC North with the Chicago Bears for four years. He certainly will not be back now that they traded for Joe Thuney. It would not be a shock if both sides are interested in one another.

If they sign a center and right guard, maybe they will stick with Brandel. If they release him, they save $2,583,332. Fries and Clark spent the past four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Could both continue playing together in 2025, but in Minnesota? That may not happen, but it would be huge if it did.

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Even if Bradbury is back in 2025, you have to imagine this will likely be his final season in Minnesota unless he has a career year. Even then, they may move on.

The bottom line is that the offensive line has struggled for too long. Whether Bradbury is back or not, changes need to be made. They need two new starters — both guards or one guard and a center. Something has to be done, and it will be very shocking if they do not make those changes, especially given they have over $60 million in cap space.