The Chicago Bears traded for Garrett Bradbury in March, sending a 5th round pick to the New England Patriots for the veteran center. It was easy to understand. Their original starter, Drew Dalman, had abruptly retired at age 27, leaving the team in a compromised position. Not wanting to get into a free-agent bidding war, they made the deal to gain some much-needed stability. Still, it didn’t completely solve the problem. Bradbury is in his 30s and has one year left on his contract. That gave the Bears two options.
Either they extend him, or they go hunting for an eventual replacement in the draft.
They chose option #2, selecting Iowa center Logan Jones with the 57th pick in the 2nd round. Initial expectations were clear. Bradbury would be the starter this upcoming season while Jones prepared to replace him in 2027. However, some wonder if it stays that way. Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke to people inside the league. All agree that Jones is the exact duplicate of Bradbury. Rather than forestall things, maybe the better option is to turn around and trade the veteran to another team that needs a center.
Two months after trading a fifth-round pick to New England for center Garrett Bradbury, the Bears used their second-round pick on Logan Jones, the first center drafted. Both players are centers only, meaning it’s unlikely both would be active for a game. Might the Bears eventually trade Bradbury to a center-needy team such as Baltimore? Or, will this be a redshirt season for Jones?
“They’re the same guy: both undersized, tough technicians,” another exec said.
Flipping Garrett Bradbury does make sense.
For one, it gives the Bears a chance to get their pick back. While it is unlikely to be a 5th round like what they gave up, it would still be something. Chicago only has six picks next year. Anything extra would be helpful. Besides, this isn’t a normal rookie situation with Jones. He isn’t some kid fresh out of his teens, still learning the position. He started 51 games for Iowa in his career. He’ll be 25 later this year. This young man is more than ready to play immediately. Why waste one of his seasons making him wait?
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The one argument against such an idea would be concerns about depth. Having two capable centers is never a bad thing, especially with how attritional the NFL can be. Regardless of who starts, the Bears would have someone capable ready to step in. Much of this comes down to the team’s opinion of undrafted rookie Jaren Kump. He was the pivot man for a very good Utah offensive line. Like Jones, he is highly experienced, having started 41 games in college. Though athletically limited, he has good power and technique. If they think he has the capability to step in as a backup, trading Garrett Bradbury gains more credence.
The Bears likely won’t make a decision until June.
They will want to see how Jones looks in spring practices between minicamps and Organized Team Activities. If he settles in quickly and develops a rapport with Caleb Williams, that might be the catalyst for a Bradbury trade. The key here is that another team would likely want to bring the veteran in before training camp, which begins in late July. The Bears have until around that time to decide which direction they wish to go. It might not be ideal from Bradbury’s point of view, but he would be on board if the alternative is him sitting behind Jones.
Either choice is a win for the Bears in the end. Keeping Bradbury ensures they have multiple options at a key offensive position. Trading him returns some draft currency for next year that they can hopefully use to keep improving the roster. This falls into the jurisdiction of head coach Ben Johnson. If he’d be more comfortable having two options, then that is how it will be. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if Ryan Poles finds a buyer by summertime.
