INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: James Bradberry #24 of the Philadelphia Eagles waits at the line of scrimmage during a 23-14 Eagles win over the Los Angeles Ramsat SoFi Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Inglewood, California.
James Bradberry was an All-Pro caliber cornerback in 2022. He was part of arguably the best CB duo in the league, with him, Slay, and the rest of the Eagles’ secondary holding teams to the fewest passing yards per game in the NFL. Last season did not go so well.
The entire secondary was a mess, they went from allowing the fewest passing yards per game, to the 2nd most. Part of that was losing both starting safeties, and Avonte Maddox missing nearly the entire season. The guys who stuck around also just got worse. Especially James Bradberry, who was so bad he got benched and most people believed the Eagles would take a massive dead cap hit to move on from him.
That did not happen. James Bradberry is still here, for now. But not at corner. He is making the move to safety. A transition that is not exactly easy to make. Don’t take my word for it, his own Defensive Coordinator said as much at the start of training camp.
“The list of guys successfully transitioning from corner to safety is very small. There are guys who have done it, but it isn’t really what you want. We will see if he can do that. James has a good feel for football, very knowledgable. That will help him. He will still play some corner for us too.”
So how has he held up? Is he suceeding in doing what most cornerbacks can’t do? Lets see what his Defensive Coordinator had to see a few weeks later.
Vic Fangio Has High Praise For James Bradberry
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Vic Fangio did not mince words when originally asked about Bradberry moving to safety. As you saw from the above quote, he was setting expectations very low. But after the 1st Pre-Season game, he got another chance to weigh in.
“He’s doing pretty damn good there. He’s got a good feel for football, which has carried over to the safety position for him. I think he understands the game from a high level through his experience and through his intelligence, and it’s helped him in the transition to safety. He’s been doing a good job.”
Fangio is a guy who you can take at his word. He doesn’t sugarcoat things. There were other players that he noted need to work on things. He said that Baun did not look good at the start of the pre-season game. At the start of camp he straight up said Bryce Huff still had work to do before he would call him an every day player.
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
So when he says James Bradberry has looked good believe him. Fangio is not just saying that, he believes it. Also Safety is a place where they thye need the help. CJ Gardner-Johnson has one of the safety spots locked down. When he plays, he is very good. But he hasnt made it through either of the last 2 seasons healthy.
After him, no one else is a sure thing. Reed Blankenship struggled badly as a starter last season. Sydney Brown is hurt and still unproven. The rest of the guys arent even worth mentioning. There is a spot for someone to win, maybe even a starting spot. Perhaps Bradberry can save his career with this move, and even end up still in the starting lineup.
A few good weeks in camp and 1 good pre-season game does not mean he is a lock to be good in real games. But like Fangio said, Bradberry is a very smart player. He is a year removed froim being a 2nd Team All-Pro. Maybe he can still be a big part of this team, just at another position.
Dylan MacKinnon is The Digital Content Coordinator For 97.5 The Fanatic. he has been an Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, and Flyers fan his whole life. He graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelors in Journalism. Dylan has worked at the Fanatic since 2016, starting as an Intern, moving to the Street team, and eventually was hired as an Associate Producer before settling into his current role in the Digital Department. You may hear him referred to on-air as "The D-Train."
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