Why I hope James Bradberry makes the Eagles’ 53-man roster
I’ve been covering the NFL for 34 years, and there are few people I respect as much as Bradberry.
It might be wishful thinking, and I usually don’t care much about the Eagles’ roster, but I’d love to see James Bradberry remain on the squad after cut-down day Tuesday. I’d like to see him start every game alongside C.J. Gardner-Johnson, find his footing, and play out the two years left on his contract.
It’s an unlikely outcome, considering Bradberry’s pedestrian play this preseason in his effort to convert from cornerback to safety — after eight years in the NFL, and at the age of 31. But I can wish.
The conversion itself carries a touch of irony: Bradberry, a modest two-star recruit out of high school, transferred from Arkansas State to Samford because, in his redshirt freshman year, State tried to convert him from corner to safety. Now, more than a decade later, a successful such conversion would save his job and net him $1.2 million in salary.
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Why do I wish for Bradberry to make the 53-man roster?
Because I’ve been covering the NFL for 34 years, and there are few people I respect as much as Bradberry. For me, as a pro and a person, he ranks alongside Marv Levy, Bruce Smith, Troy Aikman, William Fuller, Jim Johnson, Brian Dawkins, Jason Kelce, DeMeco Ryans, and, of course, Nicholas Edward Foles.
In 2016, Bradberry was an unremarkable second-round pick by defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and head coach Ron Rivera in Carolina, but, under their tutelage, he earned the No. 1 corner spot as that season progressed. Eagles fans might recall that, in Game 6 of the charmed 2017 season, Bradberry delivered the second of three sacks of Carson Wentz in the Eagles’ 28-23 win that day.
By the time he left the Panthers for the Giants as a free agent, Bradberry commanded a $43 million, three-year deal. The Giants cut him in 2022 for salary-cap purposes, and Howie Roseman snatched him up on a $7.25 million show-me deal.
Bradberry showed out, one of the key cogs in the No. 1 pass defense, which earned him a three-year, $38 million contract.
But cornerbacks hit the wall unlike any other position, and by the time the Birds reached the second half of Super Bowl LVII, Bradberry was done, but Roseman didn’t recognize it. Nobody did.
If Bradberry was underpaid at $7.25 million in 2022, he was vastly overpaid in 2023, considering that, including bonuses, he was guaranteed about $22 million.
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His story is only part of the reason I respect him so much.
His character is the other part.
In Super Bowl LVII, he got beat for one touchdown and his holding penalty gave the Chiefs the game. Eagles-friendly social media exploded, excoriating officials for calling a penalty that, while not flagged all the time, was both obvious and intentional.
For his part, Bradberry declined to whine:
“I pulled the jersey. They called holding. I was hoping they would let it ride.”
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He was eloquent and accountable in the worst moment of his career after the biggest game of his life.
Mad respect.
The story got better as his play got worse.
By mid-December last season, Bradberry had given up nine TDs, but the Birds couldn’t sit him because the rest of the secondary was too injured or too inexperienced.
By the second quarter of the wild-card playoff game in Tampa, after twice getting embarrassed by Mike Evans, Bradberry was benched in favor of fourth-round rookie Kelee Ringo. Bradberry reentered but was a nonfactor.
Afterward, I asked him, “Were you benched there?”
He replied, “Yep.”
“Were you told why?”
“No. Probably because I got beat, then got run over trying to make a tackle.”
That is accountability. Cold-blooded accountability.
Mad, mad respect.
It is Bradberry’s indifferent tackling ability that likely will spell his failure in trying to convert to the most tackling-dependent position on the field. That failure, coupled with last year’s catastrophic play, is almost certain to end his career.
Don’t weep for James Bradberry.
He got eight years in the NFL. He made more than $53 million. He is, arguably, the most accomplished person in the history of Pleasant Grove, Ala., a town of 10,000 souls just west of Birmingham.
He’s had a good run.
I hope he gets to run a little bit farther.
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