07-21-2019, 09:19 PM
The athletic Bradbury was the highest-rated center entering the draft, and the Vikings were quick to snatch him up when he remained available.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins said he hopes to have Bradbury as the starting center for “the next decade.” If that happens, he could become yet another fine long-term center for a team that has had many.
Mick Tingelhoff never missed a game as Minnesota’s starter from 1962-78, and was inducted in 2015 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dennis Swilley, Kirk Lowdermilk, Jeff Christy, Matt Birk and John Sullivan later had notable Vikings stints of seven or more seasons. Birk represented Minnesota in six Pro Bowls and Christy in two.
“I spent a little bit of time with him prior to the draft and just watching him on film, I thought (Bradbury) could do some things that we want to do here and would fit with the guys just the way our guys play hard,” said Rick Dennison, in his first year as Minnesota’s offensive line coach and run game coordinator. “He’s looked great. He’s learning, but he’s really receptive to coaching. … He’s got good quick feet, he plays with a sense of urgency, and if he makes a mistake, he adjusts and never makes it again.”
Dennison sees Bradbury evolving as a leader. Bradbury said during spring drills his first priority was to learn the playbook before he becomes as vocal as he expects to be eventually.
Considering the respect Bradbury commanded in college, it might not take long to assert himself as a team leader in the pros.
“One of his goals going into (last) season was he wanted to make sure he knew everyone on the team,” said former NFL center Dwayne Ledford, who was Bradbury’s offensive line coach at North Carolina State and is now offensive coordinator at Louisville. “He didn’t feel like he knew some of his teammates as well as he would like, so he made a point of sitting down and talking to everybody on the team. I would walk into the training table and I would see Garrett migrate to different tables.”
https://www.twincities.com/2019/07/19/bl...rm-center/
Quarterback Kirk Cousins said he hopes to have Bradbury as the starting center for “the next decade.” If that happens, he could become yet another fine long-term center for a team that has had many.
Mick Tingelhoff never missed a game as Minnesota’s starter from 1962-78, and was inducted in 2015 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dennis Swilley, Kirk Lowdermilk, Jeff Christy, Matt Birk and John Sullivan later had notable Vikings stints of seven or more seasons. Birk represented Minnesota in six Pro Bowls and Christy in two.
“I spent a little bit of time with him prior to the draft and just watching him on film, I thought (Bradbury) could do some things that we want to do here and would fit with the guys just the way our guys play hard,” said Rick Dennison, in his first year as Minnesota’s offensive line coach and run game coordinator. “He’s looked great. He’s learning, but he’s really receptive to coaching. … He’s got good quick feet, he plays with a sense of urgency, and if he makes a mistake, he adjusts and never makes it again.”
Dennison sees Bradbury evolving as a leader. Bradbury said during spring drills his first priority was to learn the playbook before he becomes as vocal as he expects to be eventually.
Considering the respect Bradbury commanded in college, it might not take long to assert himself as a team leader in the pros.
“One of his goals going into (last) season was he wanted to make sure he knew everyone on the team,” said former NFL center Dwayne Ledford, who was Bradbury’s offensive line coach at North Carolina State and is now offensive coordinator at Louisville. “He didn’t feel like he knew some of his teammates as well as he would like, so he made a point of sitting down and talking to everybody on the team. I would walk into the training table and I would see Garrett migrate to different tables.”
https://www.twincities.com/2019/07/19/bl...rm-center/
