The improvement was a big deal for Bradbury and the Vikings as the franchise had a vested interest in the former 1st-Round pick succeeding.
The 1st Hint on Garrett Bradbury’s Future
Well, now the North Carolina State alumnus is a free agent and can sign anywhere in the league two weeks from now. And through the first month and a half of the offseason, nobody was too certain whether the Vikings wanted to re-sign the center.
Nov 13, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury (56) on the sidelines during a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports.
Last week, the Bradbury mystery became a bit clearer, as KSTP’s Darren Wolfson affirmed the Vikings initial interest in welcoming the incumbent center back in 2023. Wolfson said on the SKOR North’s Mackey & Judd Show Friday, “There is interest in re-signing Garrett Bradbury.”
Wolfson then clarified the statement on Twitter that the Vikings probably won’t spend total top dollar on Bradbury, “Will be fascinating to see if he can get more than what they’re willing to do. I can’t see them breaking the bank here.”
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) and center Garrett Bradbury (56) celebrate Thielen’s touchdown in the second half. © Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com, North Jersey Record via Imagn Content Services, LLC.
Thankfully for Bradbury’s sake, the Vikings alleged interest matches his desires. Bradbury told reporters about remaining in Minnesota after the Vikings lost to the New York Giants in the postseason, “I’d love to. I love it here. I love this locker room — the coaches, the culture that’s been put in place. We’ll cross that bridge in the coming months. I’ve never been through this before, so I don’t really know how it works.”
Moreover, Minnesota’s QB1 Kirk Cousins name-dropped Bradbury as a personality he’d like to see again in 2023. After the aforementioned playoff loss, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted, “[Kirk] Cousins mentioned two pending free agents that he feels close to: center Garrett Bradbury and tailback Alexander Mattison.”
Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) prepares for the snap from center Garrett Bradbury (56) against the New York Giants during the second quarter of a wild card game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
With Wolfson’s hint, Bradbury’s intentions, and the team’s foremost leader calling for a reunion, Bradbury should be poised to return in purple next year. Now, the issue is price.
Vikings fans view Bradbury through a lens of comparison. He wasn’t terrible anymore in 2022, therefore — thank heavens. Former general manager Rick Spielman may have “got it right” after all with Bradbury. Yet, there’s a small caveat — Bradbury still isn’t a 1st-Round caliber center. There’s a reason general managers rarely spend 1st-Round draft capital on centers. They can be found in draft’s later rounds. If a team chooses a center in Round 1, that player better be outstanding.
What does this mean? Well, Bradbury’s asking price must be fair. He was decent in 2022. Spotrac lists Bradbury’s estimated market value at $11.9 million. And that’s about as big of a non-starter as possibly imaginable for Bradbury’s next contract. Other credible entities value Bradbury around $7 million, which is significantly more reasonable.
You should prepare for Bradbury to be back with the Vikings on his next contract, so long as he doesn’t expect to be compensated like an elite center. Everyone in the Vikings orbit — including Bradbury — apparently wants Year Five in purple. But the price must align.