Garrett Bradbury and four other Vikings who could be cut candidates

Will the Vikings look to upgrade at the center position this year?

Nov 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury (56) runs off the field after a victory against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Vikings are estimated to have the seventh-most cap space in the NFL this offseason, and there are ways for them to create even more room to sign a star-studded free agent class for the second year in a row. They could restructure or extend the contracts of prominent players to push money into the future. They could also make some tough cuts to free up a bit more space.

Here are five players who could be cut candidates this offseason, beginning with a former first-round pick who just finished his sixth season as a starter for Minnesota.

Garrett Bradbury

Cap savings: $3.62 million (with $2.44 million dead)

Bradbury has started 91 games at center, including playoffs, since being drafted 18th overall in 2019. He's always been a good run blocker, but he has struggled with pass protection in every season except his contract year in 2022, which earned him a new three-year, $15.7 million deal. That was the only season in which Bradbury has ranked in the top 20 among qualified centers in PFF grade (which is an imperfect but still notable metric for player evaluation). Notice the outlier below?

Garrett Bradbury's PFF grades by year / Pro Football Focus

It might be time for the Vikings to move on from Bradbury. He's good with the communication and run-blocking elements of playing center, he's well-liked in the locker room, and his contract is relatively inexpensive, but Minnesota should arguably chase an upgrade in pass protection as it prepares to potentially move into the J.J. McCarthy era. The Falcons' Drew Dalman and the Colts' Ryan Kelly are free agents who would fit nicely.

Bradbury, who turns 30 this summer, seems unlikely to ever consistently be able to anchor against powerful pass-rushing defensive tackles. He was also floated as a release candidate by ESPN's Bill Barnwell.

Ed Ingram

Cap savings: $3.32 million (with $385K dead)

Ingram, a second-round pick in 2022, was benched for Dalton Risner in the middle of last season after mostly struggling in two and a half years as the Vikings' starting right guard. Given his track record and the Vikings' cap space, there's basically no scenario where he gets that job back in 2025. He could be kept around as a backup, but it might make more sense for Minnesota to move on and let Ingram try to benefit from a change of scenery.

Blake Brandel

Cap savings: $2.58 million (with $1.33 million dead)

We're hitting all of the interior offensive linemen here. Brandel was mediocre as the Vikings' starting left guard this season, particularly after a solid first month. He's likely better suited as a backup. Like Ingram, he could stick around as depth, or he could be cut in favor of cheaper depth options at guard (such as Michael Jurgens and Henry Byrd).

Subscribe to our free YouTube channel for fresh Vikings content

C.J. Ham

Cap savings: $2.65 million (with $767K dead)

This one feels almost sacrilegious to suggest, given that Ham is the Vikings' second-longest-tenured player and is beloved in Minnesota. Last season, he played 261 offensive snaps and 281 on special teams, where he's a captain. I'd imagine Ham will be back next year, but there will come a time when the Vikings move on. They're one of just a handful of NFL teams who still use a fullback at all.

Brian Asamoah II

Cap savings: $1.45 million (with $293K dead)

A third-round pick in that infamously awful 2022 draft, Asamoah has played a total of 70 defensive snaps over the past two seasons. He was LB4 on the depth chart this year behind Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., and Kamu Grugier-Hill, which seems unlikely to change in 2025. Asamoah brings value on special teams, but that's generally not too difficult to replace.

---

Stay up to date on all things Vikings by bookmarking Minnesota Vikings On SI, subscribing to our YouTube channel, and signing up to receive our free Vikings newsletter.