Less than one year after signing him to a three-year, $38 million deal, the Philadelphia Eagles are hoping to trade defensive back James Bradberry for whatever they can get. The former second-round pick earned his extension following a remarkable season where he allowed a 54.2 passer rating when targeted and earned a 74.1 PFF grade while playing a major role in Philadelphia’s run to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the cornerback severely regressed, finishing 2023 with a 56.6 PFF grade and a 108.6 passer rating when targeted.
Now entering his age-31 season, the Eagles moved Bradberry to safety but are still trying to get out of the contract. With Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson back in the mix, the one-time Pro Bowler doesn’t have a clear path to playing time. Nobody will give up much for James Bradberry, but the Kansas City Chiefs or New Orleans Saints could consider a trade to try and catch lightning in a bottle.
Chiefs, Saints Could Trade For James Bradberry
Playing cornerback in the NFL requires elite physical traits. As great cornerbacks start to age and lose their physical gifts, it’s not uncommon for players to extend their careers by moving to safety. The Chiefs could trade for James Bradberry and try him at both safety and cornerback to see what sticks. Kansas City had the league’s best cornerback duo last year with L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie, but they’ll struggle to replicate that success in 2024. With Sneed on the Titans, the Chiefs are counting on Joshua Williams to step up into a starting role. Maybe the former fourth-round pick is up for the task, but it wouldn’t hurt to add an experienced veteran like Bradberry.
Even if Williams can handle starting duties or if James Bradberry doesn’t have what it takes to play cornerback anymore, the reigning Super Bowl champions could still benefit from a trade. The safety duo of Justin Reid and Bryan Cook aren’t active liabilities, but they aren’t anything special. Bradberry has the football IQ required to learn a new position on the fly, and we’ve seen guys like Charles Woodson successfully make the switch in the past. He might not end up in the Hall of Fame, but Bradberry could have a couple more years of solid play if converted to safety.
Saints Throwing Darts
The New Orleans Saints are not Super Bowl contenders but don’t tell that to anyone in their front office. The team continues to push the chips to the center of the table with restructured deals, and head coach Dennis Allen won’t survive another playoff-free season. The Saints will need their defense to compensate for a questionable offense, which means a James Bradberry trade could be on the table.
The Saints have three reliable cornerbacks in Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, and second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry along with a reliable safety in Tyrann Mathieu. What they don’t have, however, is a good player to pair with Mathieu. New Orleans lost Marcus Maye to the Miami Dolphins and never found a proper replacement. That could change with a James Bradberry trade, as the current Eagle could play deep safety and free Mathieu to spend more time near the box.
Main Photo: Kim Klement-Neitzel – USA Today Sports
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