Vikings Trade One Former Starting O-Lineman, Plan to Release Another

It has been quite a week for the Minnesota Vikings, who have been extremely active during the start of NFL Free Agency, bringing back multiple members of the 2024 secondary, in Harrison Smith and Byron Murphy Jr, while simultaneously turning over both the interior offensive and defensive lines with upgraded talent.

On the OL, the front office signed two former Indianapolis Colts, 31-year-old center Ryan Kelly and 26-year-old guard, Will Fries. While those signings answered some serious questions on the offensive trenches, it also begged a few questions, like what the MN Vikings planned to do with 6-year starting center, Garrett Bradbury and 2022 2nd round pick, Ed Ingram. On Thursday afternoon, we got answers to both of those questions.

Minnesota Vikings trade Ed Ingram, set to release Garret Bradbury

First, news broke from NFL Network that the Vikings were trading 26-year-old Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans for a 6th round draft pick. Shortly after that, Adam Schefter (ESPN) reported that Kwesi & Co are trying to do the same with 2019 1st round pick, Garrett Bradbury, but that they plan to release the 29-year-old NC State alum, if a trade partner cannot be found.

Trade: #Vikings guard Ed Ingram is being traded to the #Texans, sources say, as Houston continued to rework their offensive line.

The former 2nd rounder from LSU is on the move, thanks in part to Minnesota spending big on OL in free agency. pic.twitter.com/exNF247ZOg

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2025

Minnesota is planning to release its 2019 first-round pick Garrett Bradbury unless a trade can be worked out, per sources.

Bradbury’s standing was altered after the Vikings signed former Colts Pro-Bowl center Ryan Kelly. pic.twitter.com/grjjLV747U

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2025

Garrett Bradbury has started all 88 games of his NFL career. He’s always had the mental capacity to be a really good center, but he’s just never had the strength and size to hold off the biggest, baddest defensive tackles, something that has regularly become a problem for the Minnesota Vikings during his career.

Last year, Bradbury finished the season with a 62.1 PFF grade (70.7 RBLK, 48.2 PBLK), grades that are extremely consistent with what he has shown his entire career. Garrett’s best season, according to PFF, was 2022, when he graded a 70.2 on offense, 72.4 RBLK and 67.1 PBLK.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Interested in Former OPOY

Ed Ingram is one of the most disappointing draft picks of the 2022 class, which is saying something. Ingram has always had the talent and the size, but could never put it all together with the Minnesota Vikings. He is only 26-years-old, which probably tells us why Kwesi found it easier to get draft pick compensation for his services, than that of Garrett Bradbury’s.

In total, Ingram started 41 of the 48 games he played in purple. PFF hated him even more than Bradbury. In 2024, Ingram posted the worst PFF Grades of his career, with a 54.0 offense grade, 58.1 RBLK grade and 49.1 PBLK grade. During his three NFL seasons, Ingram never pushed his PFF grade over 59.5.