Darnold's center, a potential Seahawks target, now free agent

The Seattle Seahawks have clear needs on the interior of their offensive line, and new starting quarterback Sam Darnold’s center from last season just became available to sign.

How contract details show Seattle Seahawks’ view on Darnold

The Minnesota Vikings released former first-round pick Garrett Bradbury on Monday, clearing the way for the North Carolina State product to sign with any team. Reports surfaced last Thursday that Minnesota was planning to cut Bradbury unless it could work out a trade with another team.

During a conversation with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk last week, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero said Bradbury was “a name that would that would potentially make some sense” for the Seahawks.

Brock and Salk co-host and former NFL quarterback Brock Huard also shared his insight on the Darnold-Bradbury connection, as well as how his own experience of the quarterback-center relationship.

“In chatting with a few folks around the league, they said to me, yeah, he’s a guy that Sam Darnold loved,” Huard said of Bradbury. “Sam just loved playing with him last year in Minnesota. And you know what I love? QB-center interaction. I love (the former Seahawks pairing of) Max Unger-Russell Wilson. I love (another former Seahawks pairing of) Robbie Tobeck-Matt Hasselbeck. I loved Olin Kreutz being my center (at UW).

“When you find that security blanket, it’s kind of like a pitcher and catcher, quite honestly. With (the Mariners’) Cal Raleigh and these young pitchers, they love working with him. And when you can find a center that knows the system, that can communicate right alongside you, it just takes some of the ease and some of the burden off of you. When you love the way he snaps the ball to you, when you guys are simpatico, it’s a good thing.”

The 29-year-old Bradbury has been a starter for all six seasons with the Vikings since he was taken No. 18 overall in the 2019 draft, and he played all 1,117 offensive snaps last season. But he was seemingly pushed out of Minnesota after it agreed to a two-year deal with veteran center Ryan Kelly last week.

Bradbury was 33rd among 64 centers in Pro Football Focus grading last season. His greatest strength came as a run blocker where he ranked 15th, which would fit Seattle’s clear agenda to improve its run game this offseason. However, he struggled in pass protection, sitting near the bottom of the league at 55th while allowing a 38 pressures (a league high at his position) and four sacks.

The Seahawks still have a couple of young, in-house options at center in 2023 fifth-round pick Olu Oluwatimi and undrafted 2024 rookie Jalen Sundell. Oluwatimi started the final eight games for Seattle last season and ranked 24th among centers in PFF grading, including 24th in run blocking and 52nd in pass blocking. The Michigan product allowed eight pressures and no sacks in 435 snaps.