Is Chris Reed the Vikings' Backup Plan for Garrett Bradbury at Center?

Reed has never played center in a regular season game, but the Vikings might be prepping him for that possibility.

What do the Vikings do if Garrett Bradbury remains a liability?

For the first two years of his career, the previous regime had no choice but to give their struggling center time. They invested a first-round pick into Bradbury because of his run-blocking ability, athleticism, and intelligence, making them understandably willing to be patient and hope his pass-blocking would improve with experience.

It never did. Bradbury ranked dead last in PFF pass blocking grade among starting centers in both 2019 and 2020, routinely getting beaten by powerful defensive tackles for interior pressure. When things hadn't gotten any better last season, the Vikings outright benched him after a stint on the COVID list, though they had to reinsert him into the lineup a few weeks later when Mason Cole was moved back to guard. When the dust cleared, Bradbury had once again finished last in pass blocking grade among centers with at least 600 snaps played.

Despite those three years of data and tape, the Vikings' new regime decided to use its resources elsewhere this offseason, leaving Bradbury seemingly unopposed as their starting center heading into his fourth season. They talked up the things he does well while saying they think they can mitigate some of his weaknesses with a new offensive scheme.

"Garrett Bradbury in the middle is what you look for from a core center from a standpoint of communicating," head coach Kevin O'Connell said at the combine. "I see a guy with really, really good movement skills. Obviously, a guy that was drafted really high for a reason. I can remember evaluating him through the process. He did a lot of really good things in college, and it’s just been a matter of finding the right fit for him and the right system, and what are you asking him to do snap in and snap out that gives him the best possible chance for success?"

The issue is, to some extent, that there's nothing you can do schematically to prevent a center who can't adequately pass protect from becoming a detriment to your offense.

It's still very early, but during the Vikings' first padded practice on Monday, Bradbury was steamrolled by defensive tackle Harrison Phillips multiple times in 1-on-1 drills. He has talked this offseason about how he's added weight to his frame and gotten stronger, but it's entirely possible that this is just who Bradbury is.

What do the Vikings do if that's the case? Leaving him out there doesn't seem like a good option, considering how damaging interior penetration can be for Kirk Cousins and the running game. But unlike last year, they can't turn to Mason Cole instead. Cole signed a three-year deal with the Steelers in free agency. J.C. Tretter is still a free agent and is somebody many Vikings fans are clamoring for, but he must have some serious, serious injury concerns if he remains unemployed in August.

It seems like Chris Reed might be the fallback plan. The former Jaguars, Panthers, and Colts guard was signed to a one-year deal this offseason, seemingly to compete with Jesse Davis and perhaps a rookie — which turned out to be second-rounder Ed Ingram — for the vacant starting spot at right guard.

So far in training camp, Reed hasn't factored into the mix at RG at all. Davis has taken all of the first-team reps when he's been out there, and it was Ingram who stepped into that spot with the starters when Davis had a veteran rest day on Tuesday. Reed has been with the second unit, working at both guard spots and, notably, at center.

On Tuesday, Reed exclusively spent time as the second-string center. After practice, he continued working on his snapping. The Minnesota State Mankato product has never played center in an NFL regular season game, but he's done it in preseason games and in practices.

The center spot is still Bradbury's to lose, and there's a lot of time for him to prove that he can be trusted at that position. But unless the Vikings bring in another center from outside their organization, keep an eye on Reed as the potential backup plan if Bradbury's pass protection doesn't improve. It's unlikely, but it wouldn't be entirely shocking if Reed was snapping the ball to Kirk Cousins in Week 1 against the Packers.

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