For New England, adding Bradbury into the fold comes after the team released longtime captain David Andrews last week. Minnesota released the sixth-year pro at the start of the league year, making Bradbury an unrestricted free agent. After releasing Andrews, Bradbury, who started 88 games in Minnesota, will likely be the Patriots center in 2025.
In 2019, the Vikings selected Bradbury with the 18th overall pick in the NFL Draft. Although he's slightly undersized for the offensive line (6-3 300 pounds), Bradbury is an excellent athlete who is savvy and blocks with good toughness on the interior. At the 2019 scouting combine, Bradbury posted a 9.96 relative athletic score, ranking 11th all-time in RAS among centers in combine history. The 29-year-old was a former tight end who transitioned to the offensive line at N.C. State, so he's a highly athletic and intelligent center with plenty of pro experience.
On paper, adding Bradbury signals that the Patriots have three-fifths of their starting offensive line solidified for the 2025 season. Bradbury will join projected starters in RG Mike Onwenu and RT Morgan Moses. New England has recent draft picks Cole Strange, Layden Robinson, and Sidy Sow to compete for the starting job at left guard. The Pats will also likely target a left tackle early in April's draft, but could still pursue free agents such as Cam Robinson or Jedrick Wills.
After releasing a franchise great, the Patriots moved quickly to ensure that they had a proven commodity to replace David Andrews by adding Bradbury into the mix along the offensive line.