The New England Patriots could be on the verge of finding their David Andrews replacement ahead of next season.
As the Patriots opted to cut ties with longtime veteran center and team captain David Andrews at the beginning of the new league year, questions inevitably arise wondering how New England will approach the middle of their offensive line for the 2025 campaign ahead.
And based on some of the contractual developments with the Minnesota Vikings, the Patriots could be positioned to target one of their starters from last season.
According to ESPN insider Mike Reiss, Vikings center Garrett Bradbury could be a name to watch as a candidate to be the Patriots' starting center
"With the Patriots releasing center David Andrews with a failed physical designation, and having explored the possibility of signing center Drew Dalman (who ended up in Chicago) in free agency, the status of Vikings center Garrett Bradbury as a potential option bears watching for them," Reiss said. "The Vikings plan to release Bradbury if a trade can't be worked out, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter, and it seems unlikely a team will want to take on his $4.9 million base salary. So should Bradbury become a free agent in the coming days, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Patriots sign him."
The Patriots are looking for major reinforcements on the offensive line after a year in which they consistently struggled in the trenches. Those changes started by adding former New York Jets tackle Morgan Moses to join at tackle for the coming campaign, and bringing Bradbury into the mix would be another solid acquisition into that mix.
Bradbury has started 88 games since being drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Vikings, most recently being a 17-game starter for their 2024 season.
For New England, he'd instantly be an experienced option to plug in on the middle of the line, and potentially be a considerable force in the Patriots' efforts to lift up from being a bottom-ranked unit across the NFL.
While a 62.1 PFF grade from last season puts Bradbury as the 33rd-ranked center in the league, adding his services into the fold as a former first-round pick and 14th-best run-blocking center in the league adds a bit of extended optimism for what he could provide in a New England offense.
It remains to be seen if Bradbury is inevitably released from his home of six seasons, but if the two sides part ways, the Patriots could be a perfect destination for his next stop.
