The Philadelphia Eagles were preparing to lose Pro Bowl cornerback James Bradberry in free agency this spring.
Bradberry played so well for the defending NFC champions that most figured he had priced himself out of the Eagles’ market.
That isn’t the case. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Philadelphia has re-signed Bradberry on what seems to be a team-friendly deal.
- James Bradberry contract: 3 years, $38 million with $20 million guaranteed
It appears that the veteran wasn’t met with the bullish market that most had expected given what we saw from him a season ago in Philadelphia.
Bradberry, 29, recorded 17 passes and three interceptions. Opposing quarterbacks posted a 45.3% completion and 51.6 passer rating when targeting him.
Some assume that Bradberry’s career-best performance was in large part due to Philadelphia’s defense racking up a league-high 70 sacks during the regular season. While that might have played a role, he certainly performed much better than the previous two seasons with the division-rival New York Giants.
Related: NFL free agent tracker and grades
James Bradberry is yet another big move for the Philadelphia Eagles
Earlier on Tuesday, Philadelphia signed running back Rashaad Penny away from the Seattle Seahawks in NFL free agency. This is the clearest sign yet that Miles Sanders will be calling another city home in 2023.
What we do know is that the addition of Penny and re-signing Bradberry were two huge moves for the Philadelphia Eagles. They created depth and necessary talent after this team lost a plethora of free agents on Monday.
With that said, the Eagles likely aren’t done. By re-signing Bradberry, it’s safe to assume fellow star cornerback Darius Slay will be traded. Philadelphia gave him permission to seek a deal ahead of the start of the new league year on Wednesday. He should be moved before that.
At the very least, Philadelphia didn’t lose both of its starting cornerbacks from a defense that absolutely dominated a season ago.