Why is James Bradberry still an Eagle?

Why is James Bradberry still an Eagle? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Not that long ago, it seemed like there was about a 0 percent chance that James Bradberry would be an Eagle in 2024.

After the disastrous season he had in 2023? After the Eagles moved him from cornerback to safety in a desperate last-ditch attempt to either make him a functional NFL player again or increase his trade value? After a poor performance in his final preseason game a couple weeks ago against the Patriots?

Yet here we are.

The Eagles’ biggest roster surprise Tuesday was a spot on the 53-man roster for the 31-year-old Bradberry, who sputtered through a historically awful 2023 season.

It’s been a bizarre offseason for Bradberry, and his situation is still strange. He’s a backup safety who hasn’t played a single special teams snap since 2021. A backup safety who’s never played safety in an NFL regular-season game. A backup safety at an age where the Eagles haven’t had a backup safety since Tim Hauck in 2001.

The Eagles didn’t have to keep Bradberry. They’re set with starters Reed Blankenship and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and backups Avonte Maddox and Tristin McCollum. So now they have five safeties on the roster, with Sydney Brown expected back at some point fairly early in the season.

Why?

This is Howie Roseman’s explanation:

“James always has had really good football instincts. When you see him play safety every day here and see his ability to diagnose his football instincts. I think for all of us, that’s a transition, that’s a different position than playing outside corner.

“He’s got a skill set. It’s a long season. We already know that he’s had tremendous success in this league playing outside corner as well. With the goals that we have for this football team, having a veteran player like that on the roster that we know we can rely on when called upon, we felt like it was important.”

Nick Sirianni, asked what Bradberry has shown him over the summer at…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-james-bradberry-still-eagle-025552914.html

Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2024-08-28 02:55:52

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