The writing appeared to be on the wall for James Bradberry when the Philadelphia Eagles spent their first two picks on cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The 2022 All-Pro has not shown up to voluntary OTAs this month.
The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to part with an All-Pro
Bradberry is a popular name among NFL analysts to be either traded or a post-June 1 cut. Alex Ballentine with Bleacher Report thinks the Eagles could look to trade him after a disastrous 2023 season:
“James Bradberry’s tenure in Philadelphia took a drastic turn for the worse in 2023.
The 30-year-old cover man enjoyed one of his best seasons when he arrived in 2022. But he was the embodiment of the Eagles’ collapse down the season’s final stretch last year. He was charged with giving up 11 touchdowns in coverage and a passer rating of 114.3 after giving up a 51.6 mark.
A combination of the change at defensive coordinator, a less effective pass rush and just plain old aging probably attributed to Bradberry’s jarring drop-off. Corner is a volatile position by nature, and he’s hitting an age where many players slow down.”
The Arizona Cardinals might have interest in James Bradberry
Ballentine thinks the Eagles might have to eat some of Bradberry’s salary to get a deal done. They believe one team that would have interest in trading for Bradberry would be the Arizona Cardinals since head coach Jonathan Gannon is familiar with the cornerback’s All-Pro talents:
The Eagles’ decision to double dip in the defensive backfield with their first two picks in the draft speaks volumes about how they feel about Bradberry.
“Finding a trade partner could be difficult. The team taking on his contract would really be doing the Eagles a solid. Given Bradberry’s play and how much it would help the Eagles, it might take an NBA-style trade where the Eagles are essentially paying someone to take him off their roster.
The Cardinals are uniquely qualified to take them up on that. General manager Monti Ossenfort clearly likes working the phones, Gannon has experience coaching him, and they have $22.1 million in cap space.”
Ballentine’s proposed trade
Cardinals receive
- CB James Bradberry
- 2025 fourth-round pick
Eagles receive
- 2025 fifth-round pick
The Eagles would essentially be giving Bradberry away at a cost. If they cut him, they would have to pay him, so this type of deal is the best they can hope for if they want any return value for a key team member on the 2022 NFC Championship team.
It’s wild how one season can tank a player’s value.
The Eagles’ best bet might be to try and keep him for depth purposes and hope he can turn it around for the 2024 season.
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