Philadelphia Eagles corner James Bradberry was the most surprising player retained from the team’s finalized official 53-man roster ahead of their week one matchup against the Packers. However, just under 24 hours after that decision was made Bradberry suffered an injury that will leave him out for a lengthy period of time. What does this mean for the state of the roster? Who will be given opportunities to shine in his absence?
Who Will Be Getting New Opportunities To Shine Due To Eagles’ James Bradberry’s Untimely Injury?
The Decision to Keep Him
There was plenty of speculation all offseason as to whether or not Bradberry would make the roster. He had a significant down year after having an All-Pro season in 2022. Adding fuel to the fire, the Eagles drafted Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. Seemingly focusing on building the secondary unit of the future meant that the 31-year-old Bradberry could have had one foot out the door.
However, General Manager Howie Roseman shocked fans by choosing to keep him. According to Bleeding Green Nation, Roseman felt that Bradberry could still make an impact on the team due to his football instincts. Roseman didn’t provide an answer as to whether or not things were going to stay that way though.
“He’s on the team because we think he can help our team,” Roseman said according to the article. “When we tell our players something, when we tell other teams something, we’re going to abide by that. I’d hate to get up here and be dramatic about anything about anyone on the roster because through the course of the season, things come up and opportunities arise.”
Bradberry was looking to transition to Safety this offseason. Now, it looks as if those plans have changed.
The Injury
CBS Sports is reporting that Bradberry suffered a significant lower leg injury during practice on Wednesday. Apparently, no surgery will be required to rehabilitate the injury. However, Bradberry needs about six to eight weeks to recover.
Now there is an open slot at the backup safety position, bringing both positives and negatives for the team. As Cody Benjamin reported, this is a blow for Bradberry. He was looking to re-establish himself in the secondary but now it seems like this will cost him even further positioning down the depth chart. For other younger players however, they need to act with a “next man up” mentality. This is there opportunity to show there stuff and secure future positioning on the roster going forward. The two most notable names in this category are Mitchell and DeJean. DeJean in particular might benefit greatly from this kind of opportunity.
He has always been known as a swiss army knife kind of player so even with limited action he might be able to show some flash at safety. Mitchell, although a more natural corner, had a strong training camp and could also make an impression with this opportunity.
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