Bradbury a potential cut candidate?

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"medaille" said: Center isn’t a glaring need.  We need need 2 starting edge rushers with one of them being a stud or better.  We need need another starting CB.  We need to get a starting RB.  We really should pick up our QBOTF.  We really should upgrade our IDL.  We could use an upgrade at C.

With our limited draft capital, I just don’t see how we get
a starting center out of the draft.

IMO you dont draft for need or you end up in a mess,  if they havent addressed those areas of glaring need in FA,  then they are setting the 24 season up for failure,  its nice to get players at position of need in the draft,  but to count on it is well.... hope, and we have covered "hope as a tactic" all offseason.  especially if they bring Cousins back,  if you invest that kind of coin into an aging veteran you better be doing all you can to get the most out of these last couple years.  this toe in the water approach is getting stale.

@"medaille" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"medaille" said: Center isn’t a glaring need.  We need need 2 starting edge rushers with one of them being a stud or better.  We need need another starting CB.  We need to get a starting RB.  We really should pick up our QBOTF.  We really should upgrade our IDL.  We could use an upgrade at C.

With our limited draft capital, I just don’t see how we get
a starting center out of the draft.

IMO you dont draft for need or you end up in a mess,  if they havent addressed those areas of glaring need in FA,  then they are setting the 24 season up for failure,  its nice to get players at position of need in the draft,  but to count on it is well.... hope, and we have covered "hope as a tactic" all offseason.  especially if they bring Cousins back,  if you invest that kind of coin into an aging veteran you better be doing all you can to get the most out of these last couple years.  this toe in the water approach is getting stale.

I don’t think it’s purely about need, but also about impact
players at cost effective deals.  Like the
top centers are getting paid $12-$14M a year. 
If you go get a top CB in free agency you’re paying $20M a year.  If you get a top edge in FA you’re paying
upper 20’s a year.

With the draft you’re getting 4-5 years where the price is
determined by what draft pick you used, not what position you picked.  If you go get an edge in FA and you’re paying
$25M a year and then draft a center at 11 for $5M a year, so you’re paying $30M
for an edge and a center per year.  If
you switch it around and get a center in FA for $12M and then draft an edge at
11 for $5M, now you are paying $17M a year for an edge and a center and now you
have an extra $13M every year for the next 5 years to spend in FA.

Fastest line to the QB.  Strong Center is the key to a good to great OL

If this guy wasn't drafted in the first round he would have been sent packing a long time ago.  Good at his best, mid to below average most of his career.  Dominated by real monsters (which is what you will face when playing good teams)

If you are serious about a new QB or running this back, he's not the guy at all.  Give me Mason Cole, Conor Williams, a rookie, someone.  

Jeff Christy was a nobody, became a great C
Matt Birk was a RT but smart and strong, was a great C
Sullivan, 5th round rookie, took over as C and played very well.

1st round pick, never a top 10 center in this league.  Please move on.

Everyone talks about having a blind side tackle as a crucial player. Can't disagree. But a great center seems to be found on most championship teams. And yes the Vikings need to acquire talent on defense first. But they should take a shot at a late round developmental center. It usually takes an O lineman a year or so to physically develop into a competent nfl player. But it wouldn't hurt to take a shot. And given their current cap situation, it may be better to find one who can be an upgrade immediately in free agency.

Put Bradbury behind the wheel, have Cousins hop in the back seat, & back the car in reverse all the way to Atlanta. That should feel familiar to those two…!  ;) B)  

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"medaille" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Montana Tom" said: We have so many needs that have piled up now, saving $4.65mm on a position that you then have to go and find a replacement for that is significantly better, I just don't see it.  Right now, I see so many positions on D with bigger question marks, specifically the D line (DT/Edge).  Plus now clear questions at RB, certainly at QB.  This is one of the biggest "I have no idea what they're gonna do" offseasons that I remember.  All while the other three NFC N teams have improved.

I don't think we should release him without having a replacement in mind. And that has to be a veteran. There were two centers released this week in cost-cutting moves, both of whom graded a little bit better than Bradbury and don't have back problems. So I could see that route. Vikings have plenty of money.

Another option is Austin Schlottmann, who was actually pretty good in relief. His pass blocking graded even better than Bradbury. Just don't ask him to run block. Same with Risner. 

What we can't do is assume we're going to draft an upgrade. That's just stupid. We could get a helluva lot worse than we were with Bradbury if that's what we do. A hot name among centers in the draft last year was John Michael Schmitz. He was the worst center in the NFL last year. 

I just don’t see how we could possibly draft a center for
this year unless we get lucky.  We
certainly can’t afford a premium pick on a position that is already relatively
decent compared to almost every position on defense, and by the time you get to
a round where it makes sense, you aren’t talking about an immediate starter.

Agree. It will either be Bradbury, Schlottmann or a veteran acquisition of some sort. We can, and likely will, draft a center on day three, but you're not going to get a starter there. 

@"RS Express" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"medaille" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Montana Tom" said: We have so many needs that have piled up now, saving $4.65mm on a position that you then have to go and find a replacement for that is significantly better, I just don't see it.  Right now, I see so many positions on D with bigger question marks, specifically the D line (DT/Edge).  Plus now clear questions at RB, certainly at QB.  This is one of the biggest "I have no idea what they're gonna do" offseasons that I remember.  All while the other three NFC N teams have improved.

I don't think we should release him without having a replacement in mind. And that has to be a veteran. There were two centers released this week in cost-cutting moves, both of whom graded a little bit better than Bradbury and don't have back problems. So I could see that route. Vikings have plenty of money.

Another option is Austin Schlottmann, who was actually pretty good in relief. His pass blocking graded even better than Bradbury. Just don't ask him to run block. Same with Risner. 

What we can't do is assume we're going to draft an upgrade. That's just stupid. We could get a helluva lot worse than we were with Bradbury if that's what we do. A hot name among centers in the draft last year was John Michael Schmitz. He was the worst center in the NFL last year. 

I just don’t see how we could possibly draft a center for
this year unless we get lucky.  We
certainly can’t afford a premium pick on a position that is already relatively
decent compared to almost every position on defense, and by the time you get to
a round where it makes sense, you aren’t talking about an immediate starter.

Agree. It will either be Bradbury, Schlottmann or a veteran acquisition of some sort. We can, and likely will, draft a center on day three, but you're not going to get a starter there. 

Actually plenty of teams find starting centers on Day 3.  It's just the Vikings who seemingly can't develop any OL picked after round 2. 

I wonder if Bradbury is planning to retire due to his back issues and the Vikings don’t wish for him to announce until after the draft. 

His back is messed up.

I thought he had all the ability to be as good as Jason Kelce. to play the same kind of game. Technical and powerful.

Nope.

@"Mattyman" said: His back is messed up.

I thought he had all the ability to be as good as Jason Kelce. to play the same kind of game. Technical and powerful.

Nope.

Carolina releasing their center. Bozeman. I know nothing about him other than he’s not Bradbury. 

@"Skodin" said: Fastest line to the QB.  Strong Center is the key to a good to great OL

If this guy wasn't drafted in the first round he would have been sent packing a long time ago.  Good at his best, mid to below average most of his career.  Dominated by real monsters (which is what you will face when playing good teams)

If you are serious about a new QB or running this back, he's not the guy at all.  Give me Mason Cole, Conor Williams, a rookie, someone.  

Jeff Christy was a nobody, became a great C
Matt Birk was a RT but smart and strong, was a great C
Sullivan, 5th round rookie, took over as C and played very well.

1st round pick, never a top 10 center in this league.  Please move on.

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Skodin" said: Fastest line to the QB.  Strong Center is the key to a good to great OL

If this guy wasn't drafted in the first round he would have been sent packing a long time ago.  Good at his best, mid to below average most of his career.  Dominated by real monsters (which is what you will face when playing good teams)

If you are serious about a new QB or running this back, he's not the guy at all.  Give me Mason Cole, Conor Williams, a rookie, someone.  

Jeff Christy was a nobody, became a great C
Matt Birk was a RT but smart and strong, was a great C
Sullivan, 5th round rookie, took over as C and played very well.

1st round pick, never a top 10 center in this league.  Please move on.

All those were Tice guys, so maybe we need to bring Uncle Mikey back as line coach...?

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Skodin" said: Fastest line to the QB.  Strong Center is the key to a good to great OL

If this guy wasn't drafted in the first round he would have been sent packing a long time ago.  Good at his best, mid to below average most of his career.  Dominated by real monsters (which is what you will face when playing good teams)

If you are serious about a new QB or running this back, he's not the guy at all.  Give me Mason Cole, Conor Williams, a rookie, someone.  

Jeff Christy was a nobody, became a great C
Matt Birk was a RT but smart and strong, was a great C
Sullivan, 5th round rookie, took over as C and played very well.

1st round pick, never a top 10 center in this league.  Please move on.

All those were Tice guys, so maybe we need to bring Uncle Mikey back as line coach...?

@"pattersaur" said: Carolina releasing their center. Bozeman. I know nothing about him other than he’s not Bradbury.