Field Gulls
After a disappointing 2024, will Bradford be able to keep his status of starter?
Anthony Bradford is entering his third year in the NFL, but without great expectations. He began 2024 as a starter and is the leading candidate to start again at right guard. After a rookie season with 578 snaps, he played just over 600 in 2024, being worse in EVERY possible aspect. The fact that he continues to be the leading candidate to start says more about the depth of the roster in the role than about Bradford’s quality.
PFF grades, considering he played 11 games before being placed on IR:
Overall: 48.3 (118th out of 136 guards);
Pass block: 48.5 (100th/136)
Run block: 57.7 (93rd/136) .
Penalties: 10 flags – 129th out of 136;
Sacks given up: 7 – 131st/136; (among the worst);
Total pressures allowed: 28 (26th of 136);
Pass block efficiency (PFF): 91.7% in pure passing situations – 52nd among 55 guards;
Incredible hump move by Calais Campbell takes Bradford (over 330 lbs) out of the play easily and it ends in an interception.
He misses the contact and is never able to recover.
He tries to compensate for Dexter Lawrence's strength by leaning too far forward and the DT takes advantage of that.
He is the example of even being athletic and strong; if he lacks technique there is little point in being 6’4 and 334 lbs.
Missing contact is not a problem. The big issue is his inability to recover.
He buys into the idea of the inside attack of the stutter step and is never able to stay in front of the defender.
He simply cannot stay between the defender and the QB.
Bradford uses a better base and does not lose his balance. He does not get good contact, but he repositions his hands and this battle prevents the defender from getting to the QB.
He leads the contact with his head and loses his balance, leaving the path to the backfield open.
Again a bad contact, allows an armover and the RB to become just a spectator.
If Seattle wants to keep him as a starter, they will need to find some way to use his physicality.
Could the team get any value for Bradford? Would rookie Bryce Cabeldue be able to compete for the RG role?
For now, he’s seemingly in as the starting RG. The team has been alternating between him and Christian Haynes throughout the offseason. I believe that this time the team won’t split snaps in the regular season like they did in 2024.
He’s a great athletic prospect, but it seems like the team wasn’t able to refine him. Bradford was drafted for who he could be and Christian Haynes was drafted for who he already was. Unfortunately, neither of them proved capable of being the solution. However, Haynes has the advantage of being in his...
