NFL cut-down day is the perfect time to debate positional battles, check your team’s spot on the waiver wire, and predict possible trades.
One Philadelphia Eagles player whose name has constantly been discussed in trade and roster bubble scenarios? Veteran defensive back James Bradberry.
Bradberry, a former salary cap casualty of the New York Giants, signed a one-year deal with the Eagles before the 2022 season and nearly won a Super Bowl with his new team. General manager Howie Roseman rewarded the All-Pro with a new three-year, $38 million contract, but the 2023 season was a disaster, both for the player and the team. Bradberry had the worst statistical year of his career and was benched for Kelee Ringo during the Eagles’ first-round playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bradberry has been managing a switch to backup safety since the start of training camp, leaving many to speculate whether he would even make the Eagles initial 53-man roster. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported a long-awaited answer to that question, less than an hour before the NFL’s 4 p.m. EST cut-down deadline:
Hearing that James Bradberry is likely to survive today’s cuts.
#Eagles spoke to some teams about a possible trade, including the Titans, who have former #Eagles DBs coach and Bradberry fan Dennard Wilson, NFL sources said.
But Bradberry’s transition to safety has been slow and he’s not viewed as an outside CB by most anymore.
Still, something could shake loose in the next week that would affect Bradberry’s standing on the 53-man roster. Eagles are on the hook for his 2024 salary.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni talked up Bradberry’s versatility throughout training camp. Bradberry has always carried himself as a professional, and his presence in the locker room could be seen as a positive for rookies like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
It’s also possible, as McLane alluded to, that the team struggled to move or cut Bradberry due to his contract. In a cut scenario, the Eagles would have been on the hook for some guaranteed money this year ($1.2 million), and would also have to eat $15 million in total dead money that could be spread out between 2024 and 2025, per Over the Cap. Bradberry's contract is likely the main reason he's still on the roster.
Given the at times uncomfortable situation, mark Bradberry sticking with the Eagles as one of the big surprises of NFL cut-down day.
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