For millions of fans, Eric Winter is Sergeant Tim Bradford—the gruff, disciplined, secretly soft-hearted training officer who anchors the action and the romance of ABC’s The Rookie. His character, a veteran with a complicated past and an endearing journey of emotional growth, is a perfect fit for Winter’s blend of intensity and charm.
But looking back at Eric Winter’s extensive filmography, there’s one recurring role on a canceled, short-lived show that, in hindsight, feels like a massive missed opportunity for a multi-season character arc: his stint on the FOX procedural Rosewood (2015-2017).
While Rosewood only lasted two seasons, Winter’s recurring role as Adrian Webb offered a compelling, multi-layered dramatic counterpoint to the show’s main detective, which, given the actor’s proven ability to sustain complex character development on The Rookie, leaves a distinct feeling of “what if” for the seven-season run the series was originally intended to have. Learning the full context of the role proves that this was the perfect character for Winter before Tim Bradford came along, and its premature end robbed fans of a fascinating storyline.
Adrian Webb: The Perfect Pre-Bradford Antagonist
Rosewood centered on Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr. (Morris Chestnut), a charismatic, cutting-edge private pathologist in Miami. The introduction of Eric Winter as Adrian Webb in the second season was a masterstroke of casting and narrative development, setting up a high-stakes professional rivalry that was a hallmark of successful procedurals.
Webb was not a simple villain. He was a private pathologist who enters the Miami scene to compete directly with Rosewood’s lab.
Here’s why the Adrian Webb character arc was tailor-made for Eric Winter’s talents and was destined for a longer run:
1. The Intellectual and Professional Rivalry
What makes Tim Bradford so engaging is his intelligence and his rigid adherence to standards, which often puts him at odds with the more chaotic characters around him. Adrian Webb presented a similar kind of intellectual friction. He was Rosewood’s equal—or, at least, his perceived rival—in a highly specialized, forensic field. This allowed Winter to play a character who was sharp, meticulous, and professionally ambitious, traits he effortlessly carries over as Sergeant Bradford.
The dynamic allowed Eric Winter to use his piercing intensity in a different, non-cop context. Instead of enforcing the law, he was challenging the scientific and ethical interpretations of crime-solving, offering a cerebral complexity that was highly engaging.
2. A Necessary Antagonist for a Long Run
Every great procedural needs a persistent antagonist who isn’t necessarily a criminal, but a genuine threat to the hero’s professional dominance or personal life. Webb was set up to be the intellectual foil to Rosewood, the equivalent of a recurring nemesis who keeps the protagonist sharp.
Had Rosewood lasted for its intended seven seasons, Webb’s character could have evolved beautifully:
- Seasons 2-3: The Cut-Throat Competitor, constantly undercutting Rosewood and causing administrative headaches.
- Seasons 4-5: The Compromised Ally, forced to work with Rosewood on a major case, leading to mutual respect and begrudging partnership.
- Seasons 6-7: The Personal Threat, potentially crossing a professional or romantic line that forces a major showdown.
This slow-burn evolution from rival to reluctant colleague is a proven formula for character longevity, and Winter was the perfect actor to play the morally ambiguous shades of that character.
The Cancellation Factor: Why Webb’s Arc Was Cut Short
The tragic reality is that Eric Winter’s run as Adrian Webb lasted only nine episodes across Rosewood’s second and final season. The show, starring Morris Chestnut and Jaina Lee Ortiz, was unfortunately canceled by FOX after two seasons due to declining ratings.
This cancellation is the source of the “bummer.” It wasn’t that the character of Adrian Webb didn’t work, or that Winter wasn’t excellent in the role; it was the premature ending of the series itself that ended his potential seven-season arc. Webb’s storyline was setting up a rich, long-term conflict that was simply never allowed to pay off.
The abrupt cancellation meant that the complexity Winter brought to the character—the mix of arrogance, talent, and professional threat—was condensed and largely abandoned.
The Silver Lining: How Webb Prepared Winter for Tim Bradford
While the loss of the Adrian Webb role is regrettable, its short existence served as a crucial stepping stone that prepared Eric Winter perfectly for his career-defining role as Tim Bradford.
The skills Winter honed playing Webb—commanding the screen, delivering complex medical/forensic dialogue with authority, and maintaining an air of disciplined professionalism—were all immediately transferable to his role in The Rookie.
- Authority and Discipline: Webb had to project authority in a high-pressure, technical environment. This allowed Winter to fine-tune the strict, rule-driven persona that defines Sergeant Tim Bradford’s initial characterization.
- Chemistry with Co-Stars: Even as an antagonist, Winter established clear, strong chemistry with Morris Chestnut, which foreshadowed his incredible dramatic and comedic synchronization with Melissa O’Neil (Lucy Chen) and the rest of the Rookie cast. The ability to create dynamic tension is a prerequisite for a leading man on a long-running procedural.
- Procedural Experience: His recurring roles in procedurals like The Mentalist and his main role in Rosewood proved Winter’s reliability in the high-volume, quick-paced environment of network television, making him a seasoned choice for The Rookie when it premiered in 2018.
Ultimately, the failure of Rosewood cleared the path for Eric Winter to accept the role of Tim Bradford. If Rosewood had succeeded and run for seven seasons, Winter would likely have been tied to Miami as Adrian Webb, and the beloved Chenford romance—and the layered character of Tim Bradford—might never have materialized.
We’re lucky that the trajectory of his career landed him on The Rookie. However, knowing the dynamic potential of Adrian Webb—a character where Eric Winter could flex his intense, intelligent, and subtly competitive side over many years—still makes that short-lived stint on Rosewood one of TV’s greatest “what-if” stories for character arcs that deserved to go the distance.
