James Bradberry “Doing Pretty Damn Good” In Move To Safety
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’…
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.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)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.
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We are only a few weeks away from real Eagles Football. They play their 1st Pre-Season game this weekend, and in exactly a month, 9/6, they will take on the Packers down in Brazil.
The Eagles are hoping for a much better result this season. In 2023 they started out 10-1. But then they went 1-7, including a blowout loss in the playoffs against the Bucs to end their season. They were a mess. Nick Sirianni was close to losing his job. He did lose play design responsibilities.
This off-season the Eagles brought in Kellen Moore to completely overhaul the offense. They also brought in Vic Fangio to stabilize the defense. Not to mention them having a very busy offseason that included adding Saquon Barkley, CJ Gardner Johnson, Bryce Huff, plus a draft that was very good on paper. Howie did a good job fixing what was a very flawed roster.
Will The Eagles Make Another Training Camp Move?
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)But are they done adding? Howie Roseman has made a name for himself with late camp moves. He traded for CJ Gardener Johnson just before the 2022 season started. He traded for Ronald Darby at about this time back in the Super Bowl season. Last season he brought in Zach Cunningham during camp.
This Eagles roster looks much better, at least on paper, than it did last season. But there are still holes. They still have areas where they could, and probably should, get better.
What should they add? Which players could fill those holes on the Eagles roster? What could be the latest training camp move by Howie Roseman? Here are some positions where the Eagles could still improve, along with some players who would make sense.
Here Are 4 Moves The Eagles Could Make:
Inside Linebacker
This is an evergreen need for the Eagles. For every offseason I can remember, the Eagles have needed linebacker help. Most of the time, they go cheap there. Sometimes it works, like with TJ Edwards and Kyzir White. Other times, it blows up in their face, like last season with Nicholas Morrow.
This season they did at least add an elite athlete. Devin White has the traits of an elite LB. But he has failed to live up to being a top 5 pick. The Eagles hope he figures things out under Fangio. Maybe he will. But that is still just 1 LB. The other starter will be either Zack Baun or Nakobe Dean. Baun is a converted Edge Rusher with no real experience inside, and Dean is going into year 3 and has yet to prove he is an NFL LB. It would be nice to add someone to that mix.
Who will that be? That is hard to say. There are no inside linebackers known to be available. They may need to get creative. Zach Cunningham is still out there. He was actually ok last year compared to their other linebackers. But nothing he did was special, and a reunion would certainly not inspire confidence. It might be an upgrade over Nakobe Dean or Baun though.
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)3rd WR
This is another one that has felt like a need for a while. The Eagles have an elite WR duo in Devonta Smith and AJ Brown. Quez Watkins left a lot to be desired as the 3rd guy though. Now he is gone, and in his place they have a few options. Parris Campbell and John Ross have yet to separate themselves from the fact in any substantial way.
Rookie Ainias Smith has been a disappointment. But another rookie, Johnny Wilson, has had a nice camp. Still, they might not want to go into the season relying on Wilson. Could the Eagles look outside the current roster? Darius Slayton has been rumored to be on the trading block, but would the Giants trade him in the division? Will Robert Woods be cut, or available via trade? Both guys would fill that 3rd WR role well.
They don't need a big name. Whoever it is will be the 4th or 5th most targeted player. But you need that person to be a viable option. And it is not clear if they have that right now. You also want someone you can trust in the event Smith or Brown miss a game. I don't think I trust any of their other WRs to do that right now.
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Backup TE
The Eagles traded for Albert O last season and held onto him the entire time despite him being unable to crack the active roster. They also have held onto Grant Calcaterra, despite his lack of production.
There have been times for the backup TEs to step up. Dallas Goedert missed time in each of the past 2 seasons. Each time no one stepped up. TE production pretty much vanished. There are not exactly great options out there to fill that need though. There are guys like Mo Alie-Cox who could contribute on Special Teams, but he does not offer a ton in terms of production. Unless they pull a surprise out of their hats, this might be one position where they have to settle for lacking depth, or hope Calcaterra suddenly figures something out.
(Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)Safety
You may be noticing a trend. All 4 of these have been needs for several seasons now. The Eagles addressed Safety a bit. They got CJ Gardner Johnson who is a huge upgrade at 1 of those starting spots. But they need two starters, and I can't say I trust Reed Blankenship to be the other starter after last season.
Sydney Brown could be. But he is hurt. Even when he gets back, it is unclear if he can immediately be a starting caliber Safety. He is also unproven at this level. They have tried out both James Bradberry and Avonte Maddox at Safety, but Fangio was clear to point out that is not an easy transition and it usually fails. If they want this defense to be elite, getting a 2nd starting-caliber safety seems like an obvious step.
There just so happens there is a guy out there who has been a high-level Safety in the NFL, and played for Vic Fangio. Justin Simmons. He is still a free agent. Clearly he is not getting the type of deal he wants. Safeties did not exactly get paid well this off-season. Eventually he will have to settle. Why not settle for a team that runs a scheme you have played in where you will be guaranteed to start?
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
