When the Philadelphia Eagles selected cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean with their first two picks, the writing appeared to be on the wall for James Bradberry.
The 2022 All-Pro has not attended any optional OTAs this month.
The Philadelphia Eagles are poised to release an All-Pro. Bradberry is a favorite candidate among NFL analysts to be dealt or released after June 1.
According to Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report, the Eagles may consider trading James Bradberry following his poor performance in 2023.
The 30-year-old cover man had one of his best seasons when he joined in 2022. However, he was the epitome of the Eagles’ collapse in the season’s closing stretch last year.
He was charged with 11 touchdowns in coverage and a passer rating of 114.3 after allowing 51.6. Bradberry’s startling decline was most likely caused by a change in defensive coordinator, a less effective pass rush, and just becoming older. Corner is a risky position by definition, and he’s approaching an age when many players slow down.”
The Arizona Cardinals might be interested 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 proyposed 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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