The Minnesota Vikings have officially parted ways with center veteran star, who had been their primary starter since being drafted. After failing to find a trade partner, the team announced his release with a post-June 1st designation.
His departure seemed inevitable after the Vikings signed veteran Ryan Kelly to a two-year deal in free agency last week. Since being selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, he started 88 games for Minnesota. Throughout his tenure, he was known for his strong run blocking but often struggled in pass protection, leading to consistent interior pressure on Vikings quarterbacks.
By designating Bradbury as a post-June 1 cut, the Vikings maximize their cap savings. Instead of taking a $2.4 million dead cap hit while saving $3.6 million, they will now incur just $814,000 in dead money and gain $5.25 million in cap space. However, they must carry his full cap charge until June 1.
While the Vikings could have kept Bradbury as a backup, they are allowing him to explore other opportunities. He is expected to draw interest from teams in need of a center, with the Atlanta Falcons being a potential landing spot. The Falcons recently lost Drew Dalman in free agency and have assistant coach Dwayne Ledford, who previously coached Bradbury at N.C. State, on their staff.
And with that, the Garrett Bradbury era in Minnesota comes to a close. What do you think of the move?
