Ahead of his first full season as a starter, Drake Maye received a massive change over the 2025 offseason. After releasing longtime captain David Andrews, the New England Patriots landed his replacement in free agency by signing former Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury.
Bradbury has agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Patriots, including $3.8 guaranteed, per Adam Schefter. Bradbury joins the team after starting all 88 of his appearances with the Vikings and never missing more than five games in a single season.
While Andrews’ shoes will be tough to fill, Bradbury, a former first-round pick, was arguably the best available option. His affordable deal is also noticeably less than that of Andrews, who was set to make $8 million guaranteed in 2025 before his release. The Patriots’ biggest concern regarding Andrews was his health after the 32-year-old played just four games in 2024.
Bradbury figures to immediately assume the starting center role, joining a unit that struggled without Andrews in 2024. New England allowed 3.1 sacks per game on the year, the sixth-worst in the league. Bradbury will slot into a lineup that also includes Cole Strange, Michael Onwenu, Morgan Moses and Vederian Lowe.
Garrett Bradbury headlines Patriots’ lackluster free agency class
The addition of Bradbury satisfies one of the team’s biggest offseason needs but does not change what is otherwise a disappointing free agency period. Despite claiming an offensive focus in the offseason to properly build around Maye, the Patriots have made no notable offensive additions.
As it currently stands, New England projects to enter 2025 with Rhamondre Stevenson, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry returning as the starting skill players. Though the free agency class lacked significant star power, the Patriots’ front office failed to make any needle-moving acquisitions, despite the plethora of cap space at their disposal.
Instead, the Patriots made their presence felt defensively. After hiring defensive-minded Mike Vrabel, New England landed Milton Williams, Harold Landry III and Carlton Davis III in free agency.
Still in dire need of offensive help, the Patriots are expected to target running back and receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft. There, Elliot Wolf will have nine picks to use, headlined by the No. 4 overall selection.
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