When David Andrews retied from the Patriots last season, the Patriots’ offensive line took a big hit. New England had a major void to fill at center.
Garrett Bradbury has proven to be a strong free-agent signing. In high school, the 6-foot-3, 300-pounder played defensive line and tight end before committing to NC State as a tight end. He transitioned to the offensive line in 2015, and by his senior year in college he didn’t allow a single sack in over 900 pass-blocking snaps. Bradbury was a consensus All-American, which boosted his draft stock. The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he started all 16 games as a rookie.
Bradbury went on to start four straight seasons in Minnesota. However, the Vikings declined his fifth-year option, making him a free agent. The team later re-signed him to a three-year, $15.7 million extension, but he played only two of those seasons before being released this past March. A day later, the Patriots signed him to a two-year deal worth up to $12 million.
Ahead of the Patriots’ joint practice with the Vikings, Bradbury reflected on returning to his former team.
“This business is about relationships,” Bradbury said. “Being there for six years, whether it’s guys in the equipment room, weight room, operations, or most importantly, the locker room. I’ve got a lot of friends there. It’ll be good to see them, but at the same time, compete and get that much closer to Week 1.”
So far this season, Bradbury has been perfect in pass protection. Through 86 pass-blocking snaps, he has allowed zero pressures, zero hurries, zero sacks, and committed zero penalties—though he does have one faulty snap.
That’s a dramatic turnaround from last season, when he allowed a pressure rate of 9.0%, the third-highest among centers with at least 200 pass blocks. Now, according to Next Gen Stats, Bradbury and Creed Humphrey are the only two centers in the NFL who have yet to allow a pressure this year.
The Patriots’ offensive line has also benefited from the addition of offensive line coach Doug Marrone. Marrone has done an excellent job blending a rookie left side (Will Campbell, Jared Wilson) with a veteran right side (Mike Onwenu, Morgan Moses). Marrone, a former head coach, led the Bills from 2013–2014 and the Jaguars from 2016–2020. Most recently, he coached with the Saints before joining New England’s staff this offseason.
This week, the Patriots’ offensive line faces a tough challenge against a Steelers pass rush led by T.J. Watt. Per NFL Network, opponents have run away from Watt on a league-high 71% of designed runs against Pittsburgh this season.
The New England Patriots (1-1) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 19-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Ben.BelfordPeltzman@gmail.com with any inquires.
