NFL general managers have some big decisions to make in the coming weeks. The deadline to make final roster cuts from 90 to 53 players is Tuesday, Aug. 27. From practice squad signings, to surprise players hitting free agency across the league, the weeks leading up to the start of the regular season feature tons of moving parts.
The Philadelphia Eagles have not executed a trade this summer, but one NFL analyst believes GM Howie Roseman could be swinging a deal before the regular season kicks off.
Defensive back James Bradberry, a salary cap casualty of the division rival New York Giants, signed a one-year deal with the Eagles before the 2022 season and nearly won a Super Bowl during an All-Pro season. Roseman rewarded Bradberry with a new three-year, $38M deal, but the 2023 season ended up being a disaster, both for the player and the team. Bradberry had the worst statistical year of his pro career and was benched for Kelee Ringo during the Eagles’ playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Surprise surprise. James Bradberry is still burnt toast pic.twitter.com/U4UXEfRDTT
— Laz🇱🇷🦅 (@Philly_Laz) August 13, 2024
Not much has changed during the offseason and training camp this year. The Eagles spent their first two draft picks on a pair of cornerbacks — Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean — and Bradberry volunteered to switch positions, to free safety, in hopes of finding a niche in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme. At the very least, Bradberry will be operating behind starting safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship on the depth chart, and he'll have more competition once Sydney Brown, a third-round pick in 2023, gets back in the fold.
Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report recently reviewed one player each NFL team should put on the trade block this preseason, and he sees Bradberry as the most likely Eagles player to be shipped out.
“The move shows the Eagles believe there is a spot for the 31-year-old to contribute,” Fowler wrote, “but with his lack of experience at the position and a moveable contract that has two years left, GM Howie Roseman could begin making calls to teams in need of veteran legs in their secondary.”
While the Eagles are unlikely to fetch much in return for Bradberry, trading him makes more sense than cutting him at this point in the process. According to Over the Cap, cutting him outright would cost the team $10.8M in cap space while adding another $15M in dead cap charges. A fresh start for Bradberry where he could go back to playing corner, and some type of compensation for the Eagles, would be a fine solution for both parties.
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