Patriots Add Draft Pick in Garrett Bradbury Trade With Bears

The New England Patriots swung a trade with an NFC counterpart just days before free agency is set to begin.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Patriots are sending center Garrett Bradbury to the Chicago Bears for a 2027 fifth-round pick.

Bradbury will now return to the NFC North after spending the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings, while the Patriots will have a new starting center for the 2026 campaign.

Comp update: Bears are trading a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Patriots for Garrett Bradbury. https://t.co/XO6Bfg1yr0
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2026

Bradbury's Patriots Tenure

Amidst their spending spree last offseason after hiring Mike Vrabel as their new head coach, the Patriots inked Bradbury to a two-year deal worth $9.5 million.

He started all 17 of New England's regular season games and was on the field for 98 percent of the offensive snaps. Bradbury also started all four of the team's postseason contests, including Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks.

Per Over the Cap, the Patriots will save $5.7 million against the cap after trading Bradbury while simultaneously taking on $1.2 million in dead money.

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Patriots' Future Draft Outlook

New England, which already owned 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft and thus is well set-up to restock its roster, has now added a Day 3 pick to the mix for the 2027 NFL Draft as well.

The Patriots had previously only owned their own picks for the 2027 NFL Draft, but that's no longer the case.

It's also possible that New England could pick up some compensatory picks depending on how free agency shakes out once it opens with the legal tampering period on March 9.

How Could Patriots Replace Bradbury?

The current expectation is that Jared Wilson, whom the Patriots selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, will shift over to center now that Bradbury is out of the picture.

As a rookie, Wilson started 13 games in the regular season and four in the playoffs at left guard for New England to mixed results while also dealing with a concussion and an ankle injury down the stretch.

Center has long been considered Wilson's best long-term fit, making his potential move to the position rather seamless.

The Patriots now have a hole at left guard, but with free agency right around the corner, the organization could look to bring in a veteran to help protect Drake Maye on the interior of the offensive line.

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