One player the Vikings can't afford to lose in free agency
Excitement continues to build for the NFL’s free agency period starting on March 15. New faces will be taking their talents to new teams but, for the Vikings, there is one in-house free agent the team must prioritize. Vikings center Garrett Bradbury boosted his stock in the 2022 season. Minnesota declined to pick up his […]
Excitement continues to build for the NFL’s free agency period starting on March 15. New faces will be taking their talents to new teams but, for the Vikings, there is one in-house free agent the team must prioritize.
Vikings center Garrett Bradbury boosted his stock in the 2022 season. Minnesota declined to pick up his fifth-year option last offseason, which means Bradbury can test the waters in free agency.
NFL.com recently released an article detailing why the Vikings cannot let Bradbury hit the open market.
"Last offseason, the Vikings declined Bradbury's fifth-year option for 2023. After seeing what their lineup looked like without Bradbury over their last five regular-season games of 2022, they might want to reconsider his value to the team. During that stretch, when Bradbury was absent with a back injury, opposing defensive tackles terrorized Minnesota. It began with the Lions' Isaiah Buggs setting a career high with five pressures in Week 14, and it only got worse from there. In three consecutive games, a pair of defensive tackles combined for double-digit pressures against Minnesota: the Colts' DeForest Buckner (nine) and Grover Stewart (five) in Week 15; the Giants' Dexter Lawrence (seven) and Leonard Williams (five) in Week 16; and the Packers' Kenny Clark (seven) and Jarran Reed (four) in Week 17."
Bring Back Bradbury
Minnesota’s offensive line was a mess without Bradbury available. However his true value became evident when opposing defenses were able to dominate the Vikes in his absence.
Spotrac projects Bradbury’s market value to hover around the $12-million mark. According to Over The Cap, the Vikings are currently $24.4 million under the salary cap, so the team must move some money around in order to retain Bradbury’s services.
Bradbury has logged 57 starts in his four seasons in Minnesota and has only improved over time. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should explore all options to keep one of the most important pieces of the offense in place.
Featured image via Jeffrey Becker – USA TODAY Sports
