The Minnesota Vikings DON’T need to spend to improve the interior OL

AtoZ Sports

Tyler Forness discusses Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury and why the team doesn't need to break the bank on FA interior offensive linemen.

Transcript

00:00The Minnesota Vikings need to fix the interior of their offensive line,

00:04but do they need to fix all of it?

00:06And is it really worth fixing?

00:10Let's talk about it.

00:14One of the big things with the Minnesota Vikings

00:16is they need to fix the interior of the offensive line.

00:18It's quite a simple concept, but they've struggled with it

00:21ever since Steve Hutchinson departed the team after the 2011 season.

00:25They have tried everything.

00:26Big free agent signings, high draft picks.

00:30Day three, day two.

00:31Bargain free agents.

00:33You name it, they've tried it.

00:35The Vikings have just not been successful

00:37on the offensive line in the interior.

00:39Now they do have Christian Derrison, Brian O'Neill,

00:41both top 62 picks in the NFL draft.

00:44Man, does it feel good to have those spots fixed and certain for a long time?

00:50But the interior is still a problem.

00:51Now they spent a first round pick on Garrett Bradbury in 2019.

00:55That has not manifested nearly the way that we had hoped.

00:58And there's a lot of discussion.

00:59Oh, Bradbury's bad.

01:00We need to replace him.

01:02OK. Who?

01:04And that's the big problem.

01:06There's all this discussion about we need to fix this position

01:08and we need to replace this guy.

01:10But you just can't say it and hope it becomes reality.

01:14That's not how it works.

01:15You have to find somebody worthy of replacing them.

01:18Garrett Bradbury's contract is $6.064 million cap it this year.

01:22And guess what? It's the final year of his deal.

01:25Three years, $15.75 million.

01:28A bang average contract for a bang average center.

01:32Yeah, Bradbury has his flaws, but he's fine.

01:35He's objectively fine.

01:37And in order to replace him, you need to convince yourself

01:40that one, you're getting a better player and two, the price warrants the player.

01:45And that's a big disconnect.

01:47People are talking about, oh, Drew Dallman.

01:49Just go sign Drew Dallman.

01:50Dallman could command up to $18 million and being a wide zone center.

01:54He could still give you the same problems that Bradbury has.

01:58Are you willing to pay triple the amount for Drew Dallman

02:01just so you can maybe get a little better in pass protection and in the run game?

02:07That's not really cost effective.

02:11That is a $12 million that could go to Camp Bynum.

02:15You could just give Camp Bynum 12 million instead of bringing back Drew Dallman.

02:20Well, what about Ryan Kelly?

02:23Ryan Kelly's been injured so much the past couple of years,

02:25there were even talks about him potentially retiring.

02:30If you could guarantee me that Ryan Kelly be on the field, I'm all for it.

02:32But you can't.

02:34And this is where that conversation really comes back full circle

02:38because we've seen it at guard.

02:40The Vikings have just thrown warm bodies in a guard hoping, hey,

02:44maybe better or different is better.

02:47Let's just try it.

02:48You never know.

02:50Let's say you get Drew Samia and Dakota Dozier, who were abject disasters.

02:58Well, what about drafting guy in the first round?

03:00Do you really want to spend a first round pick on a center again?

03:04Remember how that turned out the last time?

03:07Not so good.

03:09Vikings need to do something.

03:11They need improvement.

03:14But why not just improve the surroundings of Bradbury?

03:18Bring in competition for Blake Brando, left guard, fix right guard.

03:21Maybe we'll fries from the Indianapolis Colts.

03:23Do those things because you know what?

03:26It's not a strong free agent class.

03:28It's not the greatest center class when it comes to the NFL draft.

03:32So focus your areas on other positions

03:36and just keep the bang average center.

03:38Because there is no guaranteed true improvement,

03:42because improvement is not linear.

03:44Kweisi Ovemetz has talked about it.

03:46If you have to take $12 million from other positions,

03:49you can give it to Drew Dahlman for modem modicum of improvement.

03:55Is that worth it?

03:56Dahlman's not Creed Humphrey.

03:58He's not walking through the door.

04:02It's a tough one because you want to improve the position,

04:06but just because you want to doesn't mean you can.

04:10Or it's wise to do so in the current market.

04:13Maybe don't don't punt it, but wait until 2026

04:16when the market might be more flush with players and you have more draft capital.

04:21Then. Fix the position.

04:26Because right now.

04:28It just doesn't make a lot of sense.

04:30You have too many other needs and you have a bang average player at the position.

04:37Just keep it.

04:39I'm Tyler Furnas with A to Z Sports.

04:41Skol Vikings.

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