Caleb Harris
PHILADELPHIA – James Bradberry had a disastrous season with the Philadelphia Eagles last year. Questions arose about Bradberry’s future with the Eagles before Philadelphia drafted Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the draft.
During Wednesday’s OTA voluntary open workout, Bradberry was not present at the session, creating even more doubt about his future in an Eagles uniform.
Darius Slay has been Bradberry’s starting cornerback teammate the past two seasons. He’s seen the best and worst of Bradberry on the field over that time, ensuring that the veteran is still at it with his current team.
“I talk to Bradberry all the time. He’s in good spirits,” Slay said at the NovaCare Complex on Wednesday. “JB, what’s he doing in ninth grade? Yeah, he’s good. He made a lot of money, played well, All-Pro, Pro Bowl player. We had conversations. He was in a good mood.
“His mindset is the same as mine. He’s going to help these young men improve and make sure we give them the tools to be successful at what they do.”
The Eagles drafted Mitchell and DeJean to be the future at cornerback, but they also have a very deep cornerback group after investing significantly in the position over the past two seasons. Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks were bright spots last season and are entering their second year, while Josh Jobe is a special teams ace and has seen valuable plays on defense.
Isaiah Rodgers started for the Indianapolis Colts and the Eagles signed him while he was serving a one-year suspension from the league, so they like to see what he can do. Avonte Maddox is also seeing first-team representatives in the slot after signing a one-year contract following his release to free up salary cap space. Tyler Hall was also signed this offseason for the opportunity to play in the slot.
Then there’s Bradberry, who is still on the roster but the Eagles can designate him as a post-June 1 cut and owes nothing against the salary cap. Bradberry’s contract would have a cap hit of $4.305 million, but the Eagles could simply eat the money if the 31-year-old isn’t in the team’s plans for a 2024 start.
Bradberry is coming off a season in which opposing quarterbacks targeting him completed 56% of their passes for 689 yards and nine touchdowns (87.1 passer rating allowed as a primary defender). He had just one interception and 13 pass breakups, a year removed from an All-Pro season and signing a three-year, $38 million contract.
The Eagles could be trying to get out of the deal if Bradberry wants to move on, especially since Bradberry is paid too much to be a backup and doesn’t play on special teams. Slay said Bradberry has the same mentality as him when it comes to football as he continues to give back to the younger generation of players.
“I want to compete. I want young people to see my face,” Slay said. “I want [them] to understand what 12 years are like and how I reached 12 years old. Of course I’m a family man, I have children. My daughter does things with sports. I want to make sure I’m always there for that.
“I have a job and I want to reach other people. I take care of my family first, for sure, but the Eagles are my big family.
“I came to plant the seed and let these guys know I’m here. I’m just a phone call away anytime.”
Bradberry is also a veteran in this league. The voluntary portion of OTAs is not enough evidence to determine Bradberry’s standing with the Eagles, but how this summer plays out will be a telling sign.
