Could James Bradberry's time with the Eagles be coming to an end after Philadelphia selected cornerbacks with its top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft? One outlet seems to think so, as Ari Meirov of 33rd Team recently listed Bradberry as a surprise cut candidate.
Bradberry is 30 years old and coming off of a down season for Philadelphia, and those two factors have led to questions about his future with the franchise. Here's what Meirov had to say about the veteran corner potentially being cut:
"The Philadelphia Eagles made it clear they needed to improve the secondary in the draft, and they did, selecting Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell in the first round and trading up for Iowa’s Cooper DeJean in the second round. James Bradberry was a disappointment last season, and it’s fair to wonder what his role will be if Mitchell and/or DeJean prove they deserve to be on the field right away alongside Darius Slay."
While the Eagles moving on from Bradberry this offseason is a possible outcome, there are a couple reasons why it seems unlikely. First is the financial ramifications. Releasing Bradberry prior to June 1 would trigger a large dead-money charge and cap hit for next season.
If the Eagles released Bradberry after the onset of June, it would still trigger a $4.3 million dead-money charge and it would cost over $10 million in dead-money against the cap in 2025. Plus, it wouldn’t open up any additional cap space for the next season, per Heavy. So, financially, it might make more sense for the Eagles to retain Bradberry, even if his role diminishes.
Plus, there's no guarantee that either of Philadelphia's top rookie corners -- Mitchell and DeJean -- will be ready to immediately step into a starting role. Keeping Bradberry around until those guys are ready to step up could prove prudent.
Things obviously could have changed since then, but earlier this offseason Eagles general manager Howie Roseman tried to shut down speculation that the Eagles could look to part with Bradberry.
“He’s under contract, part of our plans,” Roseman said of Bradberry, while also adding that he will likely spend most of his time next season as an outside corner.
"I think he's an outside guy," Roseman said. " . . . When you look at JB and his history and his success as an outside corner, to ask him to do something which is a really different position is hard."
The situation is a fluid one, but at this point it seems like the most likely outcome is that Bradberry will remain an Eagle, perhaps in a reduced role.
