James Bradberry

Eagles To Release James Bradberry

It was learned yesterday that Darius Slay is set to be released by the Eagles. The same is also true of another veteran member of the team’s secondary.

James Bradberry has been informed he will be let go, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. 2025 is a void year on Bradberry’s pact, and he was set to count $5.2MM on the cap. This move will allow the Eagles to avoid paying out a $4.85MM option bonus which was due on September 1. Philadelphia will use a post-June 1 designation, Fowler adds, meaning the team will create $2.1MM in cap savings while generating a dead money charge of just over $3MM.

Bradberry joined the Eagles in 2022, and he partnered with Slay to give the team a highly effective cornerback tandem. Starting all 17 games, the former Panther and Giant earned a second-team All-Pro nod and was expected to remain a key member of the secondary as a result. The following year, however, Bradberry’s coverage saw a notable decline as he allowed 11 touchdowns and a passer rating of 114.3 as the nearest defender.

As a result of that drop-off, the Eagles made a number of moves at the cornerback position (highlighted by the selections of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the 2024 draft). That set Bradberry up for a transition to safety in 2024, but he did not wind up playing this past season. The 31-year-old recently revealed his absence was due to a summer Achilles tear, an injury he said he expects to be fully recovered from in time for OTAs this spring.

Bradberry also made it clear he intends to resume playing cornerback with his next team, although he does not figure to have a strong market over the coming weeks. His release will not be processed until the new league year begins on March 12, but Fowler notes his agent has received permission to speak with teams right away. An agreement could therefore be reached before Bradberry officially becomes a free agent.

The possibility of Slay once again working out a last-minute deal to remain with the Eagles has been mentioned in the wake of his release. Presuming he moves on, though, the team will have Mitchell, DeJean and Kelee Ringo on their rookie contracts at the CB position. Bradberry will turn his attention to joining a fourth career team, and his willingness to play at safety could be a factor in determining where he lands on the open market.

James Bradberry Suffered Achilles Tear, Aiming To Return To CB Role

A blend of new additions, one important reunion and holdovers from previous defenses helped the Eagles complete a turnaround in the secondary. This rejuvenated group, however, did not involve James Bradberry, who went through a complicated offseason before suffering an injury that kept him off the field throughout the year.

The Eagles kept Bradberry in the equation by waiting until after roster-cutdown day to place him on IR. That left the door open to the veteran DB returning, but Philadelphia never activated him. Bradberry did not practice with the team following training camp, and he shed some light on why following Super Bowl LIX.

The nine-year veteran said Thursday (via The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena) he had suffered an Achilles tear in training camp, and the summer setback also involved a soleus muscle tear. Despite this, Bradberry said (via 94WIP.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks) he was ready to help during the season. He expects to be ready for OTAs. The Eagles did not have to disclose Bradberry’s injury, as he was not on the active roster all season.

Achilles tears regularly end seasons, but a few examples — involving Terrell Suggs, Michael Crabtree and Cam Akers — exist of players sustaining offseason tears before resurfacing for Super Bowl teams. Of that trio, only Akers suffered his tear during training camp. Akers returned to the Rams by Week 18 of the 2021 season but was not particularly effective. He still played in Super Bowl LVI. Bradberry will collect a Super Bowl LIX ring, but his Philly future is in doubt after this season-long absence.

Although the Eagles’ 2023 plan involving C.J. Gardner-Johnson featured reports of the team having him in their plans and then making an offer, the now-two-time Eagle DB said no offer came. It had appeared Gardner-Johnson was higher on the team’s priority list than Bradberry that year, but as CJGJ awaited a better offer from the Eagles or elsewhere, the team pivoted to re-signing Bradberry on a three-year, $38MM deal that included $20MM guaranteed at signing. The 31-year-old defender is under contract for 2025, but he has seen the team make major updates to the secondary, as first- and second-round picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean played integral roles in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX romp.

By training camp last year, the Eagles were trying Bradberry at safety. Bradberry, 31, suggested the move and said today (via Kubena) he made the safety call upon looking at the depth chart. However, he said today a switch back to CB will be preferred. The Eagles not only added the two highly drafted CBs but had Isaiah Rodgers in the fold after his gambling suspension ended. All three joined holdovers Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox in the team’s championship-winning formula. Rodgers and Maddox are due for free agency, while Slay is under contract through 2025.

Slay, 34, wants to play one more season — ideally with the Eagles — before retiring. The team has Mitchell and DeJean signed through 2027. While the two rookie contracts help, Philly has allocated considerable cash to its high-powered offense. As for Bradberry, his contract includes four void years — an Eagles staple — and is due a $1.26MM base salary this year. A $16.6MM option bonus due would point to the Eagles moving on, but the team would eat $10.8MM in dead money but cutting Bradberry. Slay is also due a $16.1MM option bonus, calling his Philly future into question.

The ex-Panthers and Giants No. 1 corner excelled in 2022 but took a step back in 2023, helping lead to the Eagles starting their draft with two corner picks. He will now be attempting to bounce back from a serious injury ahead of an age-32 season.

Eagles’ James Bradberry Making Progress In Rehab, Unsure Of Role When Healthy

James Bradberry has yet to make his season debut, one which will double as his first action since transitioning from corner to safety. The veteran is moving closer to full health, though.

“I would hope to eventually come back,” Bradberry said (via Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “I don’t really know the timeframe right now. It’s a day-by-day process. But it’s definitely getting better week by week.”

Bradberry was mentioned in trade talk leading up to the roster cutdown deadline, but he survived cuts at the end of August. Not long after, however, he was moved to injured reserve upon suffering a leg injury which did not require surgery. The rehab process was expected to take several weeks, and it remains to be seen when Philadelphia will open his 21-day return window.

Whenever Bradberry is back in the fold, he will join an Eagles secondary which added considerably at the cornerback spot during the draft. The team’s first-round pick, Quinyon Mitchellhas served as a full-time starter on the perimeter opposite Darius Slay. Second-round rookie Cooper DeJean, meanwhile, has ascended to the top spot on the depth chart for slot corners. At safety, the activation of Sydney Brown in time for yesterday’s win gave the Eagles another healthy option on the backend.

When asked about what his on-field role will be once he is activated, Bradberry admitted is unsure at this point. The 31-year-old has started each of his 37 combined regular and postseason games with the Eagles over the past two years, but a reduction in workload is expected by all parties moving forward with the team transitioning to younger defensive backs. Bradberry is under contract through 2025, and he is set to carry a $7.82MM cap hit next year.

With none of his 2025 base salary guaranteed, Bradberry could again find himself as a cut or trade candidate next offseason. His value to Philadelphia will depend on his performance once he is brought onto the active roster, something which could take place soon. Bradberry will account for one of the Eagles’ six remaining in-season activations.

Eagles Place James Bradberry On IR

1:55pm: The Eagles have indeed placed Bradberry on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the season. In a corresponding move, veteran special teamer Oren Burks has been signed to the active roster (h/t PHLY’s Zach Berman).

12:12 pm: James Bradberry made the Eagles’ 53-man roster after drawing trade interest. The veteran defensive back will not be available at the start of the season, however.

Bradberry suffered a lower leg injury during practice on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The ailment involves a tendon, so while surgery will not be needed, a notable absence is expected. Bradberry is facing a six-to-eight week recovery timetable, per the report.

The 31-year-old was on the roster bubble throughout the offseason, one in which he transitioned from corner to safety. It would not have come as a surprise if Bradberry had been dealt, and the Titans inquired about a potential swap. In the end, though, the former Pro Bowler secured a roster spot during cutdowns on Tuesday, putting him in line for a role of some kind at safety. Philadelphia’s depth on the backend will now be tested.

Bradberry suggested the position change after spending his first eight seasons as a corner. He remained a full-time starter during his first two Eagles campaigns, but one of the team’s top priorities in the offseason was upgrading in the secondary. Philadelphia selected Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the draft, and they are both in line for notable roles as rookies. Darius Slay remains in place as a veteran first-team option at cornerback.

The Eagles’ safety depth chart consists of C.J. Gardner-Johnson (with whom the team reunited in free agency), Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown and Avonte Maddox. The latter has seen time at slot corner, but he joined Bradberry in making the move to safety this year. Philadelphia will thus have a number of options to choose from while Bradberry is sidelined, but a decision will now need to be made in his case regarding injured reserve.

Moving players to IR guarantees at least a four-game absence, and teams have eight total activations available for the regular season. In the Eagles’ case, two of those will be used when veteran tight end Albert Okwuegbunam and rookie receiver Ainias Smith are brought back into the fold. One of Philadelphia’s moves during the cutdown deadline was also the decision to place Brown on the reserve/PUP list, meaning he will miss the opening four games at a minimum. With Bradberry now on the mend as well, it will be interesting to see if the team pursues a short-term depth addition at safety.

Titans Inquired On Eagles’ James Bradberry; Philly To Place Albert Okwuegbunam, Ainias Smith On IR

Residing as a veteran uncertain to land on the Eagles’ 53-man roster, James Bradberry is moving toward being part of a third Philly squad. But the Eagles indeed discussed the veteran DB in trades.

Bradberry surfaced as a trade candidate recently, and the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane notes the Titans inquired about the converted cornerback. Transitioning to safety, Bradberry has a history with new Titans DC Dennard Wilson. The new Tennessee play-caller coached Bradberry with the 2022 Eagles.

Indeed, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini confirms Bradberry is on Philly’s 53-man roster. The Eagles are creating some space by using two early IR-return designations. They will place Albert Okwuegbunam and fourth-round rookie wide receiver Ainias Smith on IR. Smith sustained an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out up to six weeks, AllPHLY.com’s Zach Berman tweets. A core muscle surgery will sideline Okwuegbunam, McLane adds.

Both Smith and Okwuegbunam will count toward Philly’s IR-activation total, which will drop from eight to six following today’s roster decisions. This will open space for Bradberry, who has seen the Eagles move aggressively to upgrade their secondary this year. Bradberry’s transition to safety has not progressed swiftly, McLane adds, creating some uncertainty regarding his 2024 role in Philly.

The Eagles re-signed Bradberry to a three-year, $38MM deal in 2023. He was not able to match his 2022 form, as the Eagles’ pass rush regressed after a historic ’22 outing. The former Panthers and Giants starter would have cost the Eagles $15MM-plus to release (with no cap savings coming), helping explain why he will survive today’s cutdown.

Philly reunited with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and used first- and second-round picks (Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean) on DBs. The Eagles want DeJean at corner, crowding a position group that also includes stalwart Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox and 2023 additions Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers.

Latest On Eagles’ Secondary

Avoiding a repeat of last year’s defensive collapse was a top priority for the Eagles this offseason. Efforts on that front included several moves affecting the secondary, a unit which will look much different in 2024 than it did in 2023.

Each of Philadelphia’s top two draft picks were used on cornerbacks. The first of those – Quinyon Mitchell – has impressed during his first NFL training camp. The Toledo alum was one of the top prospects at his position this year, and he has long been expected to serve as an immediate starter with the Eagles.

Mitchell has seen time on the outside this summer, but as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes, he has also been used in the slot in other packages. The 23-year-old is thus in line for a workload keeping him on the field for all three downs during his rookie campaign, a sign of confidence the team has in him but also of the lack of proven options Philadelphia has at nickel. Avonte Maddox was released and later brought back this offseason, but The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena writes he has transitioned to safety in 2024 (subscription required).

Mitchell being used on the inside could lead to considerable playing time for Cooper DeJeanthe Eagles’ second-round selection. Upon returning to health from the fractured fibula which ended his decorated college career, the Iowa alum has represented another contributor at multiple secondary spots. DeJean played corner as well as safety during his time with the Hawkeyes, but defensive coordinator Vic Fangio confirmed (via Kubena) he was selected with the intention of being used at cornerback.

DeJean’s workload at the start of the season could be limited considering the practice time he missed before being activated from the NFI list earlier this month. Still, having him as an option on the perimeter opposite Darius Slay will provide the Eagles with valuable flexibility in the secondary once he is up to speed. The Slay-Mitchell-DeJean trio is set to serve as the nucleus of Philadelphia’s CB room for at least the next few years.

James Bradberry operated as a corner during each of his two Eagles campaigns, but this offseason saw him begin working at safety – a move he suggested. That transition likely had his roster security in mind, but Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes Bradberry could still be a trade chip while roster-cutting season takes place. The 31-year-old struggled mightily in coverage last season, and he is on the books for two more years. The first void year of his pact also calls for a cap hit just under $21MM, so it would come as a surprise if Bradberry were to draw major interest on the trade market.

In any case, Philadelphia’s secondary – which of course also includes C.J. Gardner-Johnson at safety once again – will face high expectations for the 2024 campaign. The team’s ability to succeed under Fangio will dictate much of their overall performance this year, and the play of the revamped cornerback room in particular will be worth watching closely.

Eagles Sign S Caden Sterns

The Eagles have signed free agent safety Caden Sterns, the team announced. Philadelphia cut linebacker Shaquille Quarterman in a corresponding move.

It has been a busy week for Sterns, who was waived by the Broncos on August 5, claimed by the Panthers on August 6, and subsequently put back on the waiver wire when he failed a physical with Carolina. He cleared waivers and was free to sign with any club, and as many expected, he chose the Eagles as his new employer.

Denver’s former fifth-round pick has shown potential when on the field, particularly during his rookie campaign in 2021. Sterns totaled a pair of interceptions and five pass deflections that season, and while he nearly matched both of those figures the following year, he played in just five games due to a hip ailment. Availability remained an issue for Sterns in 2023, as he suffered a torn patellar tendon in the regular season opener and was shelved for the rest of the year.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was Sterns’ head coach in Denver in 2021, and when speaking to reporters immediately after today’s acquisition, Fangio praised the 24-year-old DB’s instincts (video link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com). Fangio added, however, that Sterns will not practice for a week or so as he continues to recover from last year’s injury.

Nonetheless, Shorr-Parks believes Sterns has a real chance of making the roster, because in his estimation, Philadelphia would not have signed a player who is not yet ready to practice if the club did not think highly of that player and have a real vision for his fit on the team. Additionally, the Eagles need safety depth since C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Mekhi Garner are dealing with their own injury problems and since Sydney Brown is on the PUP list and James Bradberry is still learning the position after transitioning from cornerback (though Fangio said Bradberry is doing “pretty damn good” in that transition).

Quarterman, meanwhile, signed with Philadelphia just last week in an effort to crack the team’s LB rotation and to serve as a key special teams contributor after spending most of his first four years in the league as a third phase stalwart for the Jaguars. He will now need to seek an opportunity elsewhere.

Eagles’ James Bradberry Suggested Move To Safety, Discusses Roster Status

Back in March, we learned that the Eagles were planning to retain cornerback James Bradberry, who is under club control through 2025. However, in light of Bradberry’s struggles in 2023, the additions of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the draft, and the reinstatement of Isaiah Rodgers from a gambling suspension, Bradberry’s place on the roster does not seem to be a sure thing.

Bradberry, who is entering his age-31 season, yielded a massive 114.3 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction last year, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 100th-best corner out of 127 qualified players. It had been reported that Philadelphia was toying with the idea of moving the 2020 Pro Bowler to safety on a full-time basis, and we now know that the player himself suggested the change.

When speaking to reporters at training camp this week, Bradberry said, “of course, I didn’t have the best season. Going into my ninth year, I know they signed Isaiah Rodgers as well. Of course, he wasn’t able to participate at the time when I requested [the move to safety] but I knew eventually, he was probably going to end up being on the team. We had a lot of young guys at corner in the room anyways, feel like it was lighter at safety” (via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia).

Bradberry approached DC Vic Fangio about the move to safety, and Fangio was receptive, although the celebrated defensive mind cautioned that the cornerback-to-safety transition is not necessarily as seamless as many believe. And while the Eagles do indeed have a number of young CBs on the roster, a starting safety job is not presently available, with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship entrenched in the first-team roles.

As Zangaro observes, Bradberry has been taking reps as a second-team safety in camp. He has spoken with GM Howie Roseman, and though he would naturally prefer to start somewhere, he has not requested a trade.

“Nah, I was going to let Howie handle that,” Bradberry said. “We had a conversation and right now, I’m still on the team. And while I’m still on the team, I’m going to try to find my role. If they want to get rid of me, they’re going to get rid of me.”

He further acknowledged the uncertainty of his 2024 home by adding, “I’m on the team right now so I’m taking it day by day. In the NFL, you never know. I could be traded, I could not be traded. I’m preparing for anything.”

The Eagles may prefer to keep Bradberry to see if he can adapt to the safety position and perhaps make himself useful as a multipurpose defensive back in a Fangio defense that prizes versatility, especially since his trade value is likely quite low (and Bradberry was, after all, a Second Team All-Pro in 2022). If the Eagles were to find a trade partner, they would clear out a minimal $1.21MM in cap space.

Isaiah Rodgers In Mix To Start For Eagles; Team Considering James Bradberry Move To Safety

The Eagles decided to let both their Super Bowl LVII safety starters walk in free agency last year. That decision created issues for a defense that cratered down the stretch. A year later, Philadelphia’s secondary appears much deeper.

Part of the reason the Eagles can feel more comfortable about their DB contingent comes from a roster-stash move they made last summer. As teams were considering which players they would cut as the deadline to move down to 53 loomed in late August, the Eagles quietly added Isaiah Rodgers, a young kick returner who worked as a Colts CB starter in 2022. Of course, Rodgers was sidelined throughout last season due to a gambling ban that stemmed from extensive violations of the NFL’s policy. A year later, Rodgers may come out in better position.

Although the former sixth-round pick missed his age-25 season, he has a clear path to a rebound window ahead of what may well be a more notable free agency stay in 2025. Rodgers has been “a revelation” this offseason, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, and The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena notes the Eagles gave the three-year Colt a significant number of first-team reps during minicamp (subscription required). Despite the Eagles still rostering Darius Slay and James Bradberry and the team having re-signed Avonte Maddox not long after making him a cap casualty, it has bolstered its CB group with a host of younger talents.

Rodgers started nine games with the Colts in 2022, playing opposite Stephon Gilmore, and made an impression in part-time duty. Pro Football Focus ranked Rodgers as the NFL’s fifth-best cornerback that year. This assessment came on just 283 defensive snaps, but the 170-pound defender recovered four fumbles that year and also intercepted three passes in 2021. Training camp figures to be pivotal for Rodgers, who saw the Eagles devote the most important part of their draft to the cornerback position.

Philly drafted Quinyon Mitchell in Round 1 and Cooper DeJean in Round 2. DeJean is viewed as a corner/safety hybrid at this juncture, Breer adds, but Mitchell certainly will be treated as a hopeful long-term starter at corner. The Eagles also gave plenty of first-team reps to 2023 fourth-round pick Kelee Ringo during minicamp, Kubena adds. Ringo logged 199 defensive snaps last season, which still featured the Slay-Bradberry tandem as the CB group’s leaders.

Slay is going into his age-33 season, and his three-year, $39MM deal does not feature any 2025 guarantees. Bradberry re-signed on a three-year, $38MM pact in 2023 but could not follow up his strong ’22 campaign with impressive work last season. PFF rated Bradberry 100th at the position in 2023. The Eagles have made an effort to begin cross-training Bradberry at safety, and Breer adds the team is toying with moving the ninth-year vet to a back-line spot on a full-time basis. No guarantees remain on Bradberry’s deal post-2024.

As a few Hall of Famers have shown, corner-to-safety moves are not too uncommon. This one would come ahead of Bradberry’s age-31 season. The Eagles brought back C.J. Gardner-Johnson after his year in Detroit and still roster 2023 starter Reed Blankenship. Sydney Brown, a 2023 third-rounder, is rehabbing an ACL tear sustained in Week 18. He is a candidate to begin the season on the reserve/PUP list.

Even with Brown potentially out of the mix to start the season, the Eagles’ secondary should have more options compared to 2023. Rodgers and/or Ringo entering Week 1 as viable starter candidates would likely prompt the Eagles to strongly consider Bradberry at safety, depending on how the career-long boundary corner looks in training camp, with DeJean an interesting wild card here. A depth-based trade could conceivably come into play as well.

The Eagles submitted one of the more notable collapses in recent NFL history last season, with the defense playing the lead role in the unraveling. This figures to be an interesting season for three-time reigning playoff qualifiers, as the Slay-Bradberry-Maddox-CJGJ group intersects with a host of younger options that will be expected to take over down the line.

It is not certain if Rodgers will be part of that long-term collection, as he will be a free agent next year. But the UMass alum has a path to re-emerging after seeing the gambling scandal quickly overshadow his rookie-contract Colts contributions.

Eagles Interested In Getting CBs James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox Reps At Safety

Despite a down year in 2023, the Eagles plan to keep cornerback James Bradberry for the upcoming campaign. However, after adding defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of this year’s draft, the club is seemingly interested in seeing how the soon-to-be 31-year-old veteran looks at safety.

On the first day of Philadelphia’s mandatory minicamp last week, head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters, including Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com, that Bradberry would get some reps at safety, citing the fact that a number of high-end corners have become high-end safeties in the latter stages of their careers (video link). Unfortunately, as Jeff Neiburg of the Philadelphia Inquirer noted, Bradberry sustained an injury early in the practice and did not return.

Per Neiburg’s Inquirer colleage, Jeff McLane, Bradberry suffered an abductor injury that kept him out of the remainder of the Eagles’ three-day minicamp. It is not considered a serious issue, though Sirianni obviously did not get much of a chance to see how Bradberry looked at a different position. It appears the 2020 Pro Bowler will be cleared in time for training camp, so perhaps the experiment will continue then.

Meanwhile, longtime slot man Avonte Maddox is also taking snaps at safety, as Neiburg observes. Like Bradberry, Maddox struggled in 2023, though the latter was limited to just four games due to a torn pectoral muscle. This offseason, he was released in a cost-cutting move but later re-signed to a modest one-year pact, and he acknowledged that learning the safety position could extend his career.

“I know the nickel spot really well, and I feel like something that’s going to help me in my career is to learn the safety spot,” Maddox said. “When you get older, you get a little bit slower.”

Neiburg said that Maddox did take first-team reps at his familiar nickel post during minicamp, but he also saw second-team action at safety behind presumptive starters Reed Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. DeJean is also capable of playing multiple positions in the defensive backfield.

New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio prizes versatility, and the esteemed DC is tasked with fixing a defense that yielded the seventh-most total yards per game and second-most passing yards per game in 2023. The offseason additions of Gardner-Johnson, Mitchell, and DeJean infused much-needed talent into the unit, and the hope is that Fangio will be able to maximize that talent.

“We’ll throw a lot at them in training camp to see what best fits for them, what they’re good at, and then try and whittle it down, but always keeping some stuff in the bank in case we need it at some point during the season,” Fangio said last month. “We have a system that is versatile, we like to think. It needs to be versatile because every week you’re facing different strengths of an offense, different schemes. So what you play in one week 10, 15 times, you may not play at all the next week. You have to have a versatile system for the offenses today in the NFL. What we’ll eventually do is learn what our guys are best at.”