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That run game from 2023...
#1
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell issued a widespread challenge to play with more power and physicality after last season, when the Vikings pillow-fought their way to one of the worst run-game efforts in franchise history.

Smack dab in the middle of that challenge — literally — was making center Garrett Bradbury heavier and stronger without losing the speed that got him selected in the first round in 2019.

Bradbury embraced the challenge, changing his offseason lifting and diet regimen as well as the men hired to train him as he spent the winter months in Arizona working out with new left guard Blake Brandel, right tackle Brian O'Neill and former Vikings guard Ezra Cleveland.

"Ask him about his Indian Ocean saltwater diet," guard Dalton Risner told a reporter snooping into Bradbury's offseason changes.

Bradbury laughed.

"Dalton's never taken a supplement in his life while [O'Neill] and I are on a pretty regimented schedule of what to eat, what supplements to take and when," Bradbury said. "So Dalton was asking about what we were taking. I showed him this supplement that takes electrolytes and minerals from sea water. And now Dalton's named it the Indian Ocean saltwater diet."

Whatever it is, Brandel said the supplement helps with recovery from strenuous workouts that helped him and Bradbury reach new levels of strength in the weight room this offseason.

"It doesn't taste good, that's for sure," Brandel said. "It comes in a vial and you drink it once a day. It tastes exactly how you would expect it to. But there are benefits. I don't know. I worry about the football field and trust that our guys know what they're doing when it comes to the workouts and supplements."

Bradbury, Brandel and Cleveland have trained in Arizona during winter months before. This year, however, they switched "their guys," going with trainers Andrew Hauser and Nate Berry of Continuum High Performance.

"It was a lot of heavy lifting in February, March, which is usually a time just to get the body back," Bradbury said. "Switched routines. Went heavier. Hit the weights harder."

Instead of rebuilding strength at the start of the OTAs, Bradbury said he told Vikings director of player performance Josh Hingst and director of football development/assistant performance coach Derik Keyes that he wanted to "push harder" than he ever has in the spring.

Bradbury, who has struggled consistently with bigger nose tackles, looks bigger, stronger. He says he's only five to 10 pounds above his listed weight of 300, but feels he's reached the optimum weight he and O'Connell were looking for.
O'Connell was asked why he spent Day 1 of this year's training camp emphasizing the focus on playing with more physicality. 

After all, one would think physicality would be on a coach's to-do list every year, eh?

"It's something you always emphasize," O'Connell said. "But is it truly part of what you're living and breathing?"
Committing to Brandel — a 6-7, 315-pound former tackle — as the new left guard is part of the strive to be more physical up front. 

So is having Risner, a career left guard, switch sides to push the shaky Ed Ingram at right guard.

Of course, O'Connell shares the blame for last season, when the Vikings put up these anemic numbers:
• Seven rushing touchdowns, tied with 1962 and '96 for fewest in a non-strike year in franchise history.
• 393 carries, seventh fewest.
• 1,533 yards, eighth fewest.
• 3.95 average yards per carry, fourth worst since 1997.
• 59.26% in goal-to-go situations, 29th in the league.
• 47.06% in red-zone conversions, 28th in the league.

"We just have to enforce [physicality]," O'Connell said. "There are a lot of things I need to do better, and one I need to focus on is how do we always have that mindset … to put an arm around your team from a physicality standpoint of what we can be."

Can O'Connell's run game actually ditch its pillows for power up front? Who knows, but if it does, let's go with Risner and call it the "Indian Ocean Saltwater Offense."

https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-vi...600387043/
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#2
All for improvements, but at some point you are what you are: and Bradbury is an undersized center. His natural body size is probably a large fullback in reality. He was drafted because he's quick and can get to that second level very well. As always, the hope is he'll be more stout at the point of attack, maybe this helps. I won't hold my breath.
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#3
A KOC offense will never be a power run attack. The run game is not his first true love.

But boy, you'd think an outside zone would be attainable with the tackles we have.

That and being able to run when you have to is so important, especially post-season.
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#4
(07-29-2024, 10:19 AM)StickierBuns Wrote: All for improvements, but at some point you are what you are: and Bradbury is an undersized center. His natural body size is probably a large fullback in reality. He was drafted because he's quick and can get to that second level very well. As always, the hope is he'll be more stout at the point of attack, maybe this helps. I won't hold my breath.

I think Bradbury might be underpowered, but he's not undersized. At least not compared to the rest of the NFL's centers. The NFL's best center the last 10 years (Kelce) is a good 10 lbs lighter than Bradbury. And if you look at the top 10 NFL centers according to PFF right now, I think I saw one or two who are bigger and most who are either the same size or even smaller. Hopefully this new regimen helps GB anchor better.
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#5
(07-29-2024, 11:02 AM)purplefaithful Wrote: A KOC offense will never be a power run attack. The run game is not his first true love.

But boy, you'd think an outside zone would be attainable with the tackles we have.

That and being able to run when you have to is so important, especially post-season
.

100 percent.  I agree, O'Connell will never have a balanced offense but we shouldn't want that with the way the league has gone to a passing league.  There is nothing wrong with his offense or play calling.  

The Vikings just need to be better when they DO run the ball...  It helps keep you in manageable downs and distances so we can keep attacking through the air with Jets, Addison, and Hock. Too many times we had a 3rd and short and couldn't get a damn first down. Hopefully Brandel and a stronger Bradbury help with that since O'Neill and Darrisaw can move guys in the run game.
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#6
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. My hats off to Bradbury realizing that the same old off season regimen needed to be stood on its head.

Let's see if it brings any noticeable difference in results this season.
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#7
I'd be curious to see someone do an analysis on whether he's actually weak or if his technique is lacking. But yeah, other teams smaller guys have gotten more push than what our smaller guys are doing.
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#8
(07-29-2024, 11:56 AM)Montana Tom Wrote: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  My hats off to Bradbury realizing that the same old off season regimen needed to be stood on its head.

Let's see if it brings any noticeable difference in results this season.

Same sentiment applies to Nailor too...

Fingers crossed!
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#9
(07-29-2024, 11:58 AM)medaille Wrote: I'd be curious to see someone do an analysis on whether he's actually weak or if his technique is lacking.  But yeah, other teams smaller guys have gotten more push than what our smaller guys are doing.

That's a good question and one this board has been asking ever since he was drafted.
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#10
It's the same old tinkering every year trying to get more physical up front. The Brandel move reeks of what we've done in the past in trying to plug a guy into a position he's never played, probably isn't built to play...and hoping it pans out (see Oli Udoh and Mike Remmers). I won't hold my breath on Bradbury. Ingram is still a question mark and Risner isn't a road grader. We signed Josh Oliver to a 21 million dollar contract for his blocking and the promise of a more physical running game, and it never happened. Add in KOC just not being interested in trying to establish a consistent running game and I fully expect more of the same this year. This team will live and die by our passing game
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