Player Signing Patriots sign Center Garrett Bradbury

[yukon cornelius]

Football is a complex game and tough to grade. It's very difficult to truly isolate one player's hand in a particular play without an in depth knowledge of what the play call is and how their responsibility is dictated by the guys around them. There will never be any metric that you can one size fits all slap across players team to team. No statistical analysis of football is ever going to be "good info".

The reality is that none of us are going to be able to break down film of all 64 centers who played X number of snaps and talk to their coaches to get a detailed understanding of what their responsibilities are on different playcalls so we can grade each play and then compile a master list from team to team and rank them. That's the only way to really get "good info". PFF and sites like that have people who did the legwork on a lot of that for you. Not perfect because while they have time, they're still limited in how much in depth knowledge they can have.

Except they have zero knowledge of play calls, protecting calls, adjustments at the line, etc

They are great for objective stats.....beyond that, they guess.....

 

[Lagaffe_07]

And if it ends up that Brown wins the job then we have a serviceable backup, no real downside here

That’s not a good thing. That just mean that you have a backup level player that has to start because he sucks a little less than the other guy

 

[JohnJH]

Reported two-year deal worth up to $12 million.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

So he did really well in 2023 despite an early back injury:

Playing under the guidance of new offensive line coach Chris Kuper, Bradbury had the best season of his career. The center was rewarded when he signed a three-year, $15.7 million contract extension with the Vikings during the offseason.

Playing His Best Football​

On the back of his new contract and hoping to kick on even further, disaster struck for Bradbury as he went down injured in Week 1. The back injury suffered against the Buccaneers would keep him out of the following three games. Austin Schlottman deputized well enough that when the Vikings sat with a 1-4 record, Bradbury being on the trade block should the Vikings look to blow things up felt realistic. Two wins later and Bradbury back in the center of the Vikings OL and playing well — those ideas have been scrapped.

PFF has him graded as the ninth-best center in the league so far this season, with an overall grade of 72.6. His 77.3 run-blocking grade is still where his strength lies, but his pass-blocking grade of 66.4 has drastically improved his efforts early in his career. On Monday night against San Francisco, Bradbury played his part in one of the most impressive offensive line displays of recent times. Against a dominant defensive front, the Vikings OL stood strong and gave Kirk Cousins the time he needed to put on one of the best quarterbacking displays of his career.

Garrett Bradbury Is a Lesson in Patience

Garrett Bradbury Is a Lesson in Patience — Guy is suddenly a baller.

vikingsterritory.com

Garrett Bradbury’s Return to Vikings

In 2024 he clearly regressed - historically has trouble anchoring against big DTs. Always been an athletic run blocker.

 

[Mack Herron]

So he did really well in 2023 despite an early back injury:

Garrett Bradbury Is a Lesson in Patience

Garrett Bradbury Is a Lesson in Patience — Guy is suddenly a baller.

vikingsterritory.com

Garrett Bradbury’s Return to Vikings

In 2024 he clearly regressed - historically has trouble anchoring against big DTs. Always been an athletic run blocker.

If he plays the role of speed bump on occasion there will be far fewer free rushers than we saw last year.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Did anyone WATCH the games last year?

 

[maust]

That’s not a good thing. That just mean that you have a backup level player that has to start because he sucks a little less than the other guy

Until we see it play out, it's all in how you look at it. NGL it seems like you're looking for a downside in a $3.8M in guarantees deal for someone who has at least been a starter. If he pushes Brown to take the job over him that is a good thing in my book, apparently a minus in yours. Either way it's not a cap killing cost to find out. We've both seen this organization do far worse for a lot more.

 

[Toofy]

3/5 of the line set for the immediate future. Assuming Strange can be a decent LG, then all they need for the short term is a starting LT. Obviously several of these guys are short term solutions, but the o-line, at least on paper, is significantly better today than it was last season.

Sow is a decent LG. He was injured last season. So he could be a good backup to strange and Robinson for onwenu. I think they will keep strange as center backup and play him at center and see how it works. If he works well, then Bradbury might be the backup while sow is LG starter. We might just need a backup LG unless bradberry does that too.

Lowe measurables are insane. He lacks fundamentals and that shows. But last season he was off injured and played because there was no backup. Let's see if he is improved this year with improved coaching, better off season and increased reps . If he can hold forte for few games while rookie LT comes on board we can live with that .

All we need is for Hunter to be available on draft Day with pick 4 and ability to trade up with Vikings and draft conerly Jr. That would make this off-season a resounding success as compared to last year.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

Until we see it play out, it's all in how you look at it. NGL it seems like you're looking for a downside in a $3.8M in guarantees deal for someone who has at least been a starter. If he pushes Brown to take the job over him that is a good thing in my book, apparently a minus in yours. Either way it's not a cap killing cost to find out. We've both seen this organization do or worse for a lot more.

No I am looking at it like there was better centers on the market before for whom the Patriots didn’t want to overspend and that we had to fall back on one of the worst staring center in the league and apparently everyone think our problem from last year are fixed.

 

[Drunken Cicerone]

You need to fill out a roster, the more bodies we get in on both lines hopefully we either find a diamond in the rough or at the very least have some competition for a roster spot. Certainly not an answer

 

[Ross12]

Bet he gets major bonus points from Vrabel for how many games he’s started. Vrabel values toughness and reliability very highly.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Boo Fkn Hoo, we didn't get an All-Pro at every position.
Get Fkn Real

 

[maust]

No I am looking at it like there was better center on the market before for whom the Patriots didn’t want to overspend and that we had to fall back on one the worst staring center in the league and apparently everyone think our problem from last year are fixed.

Do my posts sound like I think anything is fixed? Cause if they do my communication skills really are as bad as my wife says.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

Boo Fkn Hoo, we didn't get an All-Pro at every position.
Get Fkn Real

There is wide range between an all pro and one of the worst starting center in the league.

You think it solved our problem at center and I don’t. We’ll see how it goes.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

There is wide range between an all pro and one of the worst starting center in the league.

You think it solved our problem at center and I don’t. We’ll see how it goes.

That's right, they will draft 2-3 OL, and see how it goes.
3.8M isn't Jack ****

 

[Patsgofor4]

From everything I've read, a good run blocking center but gets physically overmatched by big interior defensive lineman, so pass pro can be a problem.

 

[upstater1]

That was also a while ago and Brown has more starting experience. I also don't think Andrews has actually played at C in a real game?

Correct, he was the starting guard.

 

[Toofy]

I think there have been a bunch of decent moves. There were no all pros available in free agency and I am happy that they signed agents who are willing to come and make it a better team than what was there last time.

So let's be happy with that as opposed to whining . Because honestly whatever options are delay before us the team has tried and got them.
As for agents who have not signed , they were not willing to come here . So it behooves upon coaching as well as all young players to perform above their capabilities and make the pats a team that agents aspire to join.

Good thing is number of needs has drastically reduced allowing us to really focus on BPA in offense in draft .

 

[Ray Ray 717]

Boo Fkn Hoo, we didn't get an All-Pro at every position.
Get Fkn Real

Yeah this is a great signing. He’s a strong reliable starter who will get the job done. We don’t need a star player here. We can draft young center in mid rounds that can take over when he’s ready

 

[Lagaffe_07]

We can draft young center in mid rounds that can take over when he’s ready

You better hope that your rookie center can start week 1 then