Philadelphia Eagles defensive back James Bradberry had a rough 2023, and his team could trade him in the coming weeks. A second-round pick back in the 2016 NFL Draft, the cornerback established himself as one of the league’s better cornerbacks over the past few seasons. After a successful four-year stint with the Panthers, Bradberry earned Pro Bowl honors with the Giants in 2020 and played a crucial role in helping Philadelphia make it to the Super Bowl in 2022. Following the season, Philadelphia signed Bradberry to a three-year, $38 million contract, but the team already has buyer’s remorse.
James Bradberry was one of the worst cornerbacks in football last year, and the defensive back himself has acknowledged the team might trade him. Bradberry finished the 2023 season with a 114.3 passer rating when targeted while his 54.4 PFF grade ranked 100th out of 127 eligible players. Philadelphia brought back Isaiah Rodgers and selected Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean during the 2024 NFL Draft, so it’s safe to say the team doesn’t believe he can turn it around in 2024. Based on Bradberry’s recent comments to the media, it sounds like a parting of ways is inevitable.
According to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bradberry acknowledged that he “didn’t have the best season” and talked to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio about switching to safety. However, Fangio reportedly said the transition won’t be easy. James Bradberry capped off his interview on a low note, saying that “I could be traded” and that “if [the Eagles] want to get rid of me, they’re going to get rid of me.”
Recent James Bradberry Comments Make A Trade Sound Inevitable
Now entering his age-31 season, the only teams that would entertain a James Bradberry trade are teams that believe themselves to be contenders. Of those teams, we can pick out the Kansas City Chiefs as a likely destination. After winning back-to-back Super Bowls, Kansas City enters the season with a roster talented enough to become the first team to win hoist three consecutive Lombardi’s. However, while this is one of the best rosters in football, they could use more help on the back end.
Trent McDuffie is one of the best cornerbacks in football, but the rest of the secondary has room for improvement. L’Jarius Sneed is in Tennessee, which means the relatively untested Joshua Williams will line up opposite the lockdown cornerback. Perhaps the former fourth-round pick is up for the task, but it wouldn’t hurt to trade for a proven commodity like James Bradberry. Even if he can’t help out at cornerback, the veteran could provide some much-needed reinforcements for the unremarkable safety duo of Justin Reid and Bryan Cook.
Saints Trying to Contend
Objectively speaking, the New Orleans Saints are not contenders. However, you can’t tell that to anyone in the front office, as the organization acts like they have the talent to go on a deep playoff run. Because of this, they could try to trade for James Bradberry, but only if Marshon Lattimore’s injury is serious. The Pro Bowl cornerback suffered a hip flexor injury during Thursday’s practice and, as of this posting, we don’t know the severity, but early reports indicate it could keep him off the field for one to six weeks.
Seeing as he’s missed 17 games over the past two seasons, Lattimore’s latest injury only further solidifies the need for additional depth. Second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry should hold down one starting spot, but a James Bradberry trade would ensure there is at least one reliable veteran at cornerback for a team hoping to capitalize on a weak NFC South.
Main Photo: Eric Hartline – USA Today Sports
