NFL Free Agency- Stay or Go: James Bradberry

The Philadelphia Eagles have 20 free agents heading into the NFL offseason according to contract supersite Sportrac.  

Of the pending free agents, 13 of 20 were key contributors to the Eagles run towards another Lombardi Trophy.   

The staff from Sports Talk Philly –editors Paul Bowman and Michael Lipinski and Eagles writers Jennifer McGraw and Maranda Jo Shinn– have decided to play a game of “stay or go” with Jeffery Lurie’s money!

The crew deliberates on cornerback James Bradberry.

Name: James Bradberry

Position: CB

Age: 29

Acquired: 2022 Free Agency

Achievements: 2020 Pro Bowl Selection, 2022 AP All-Pro Second Team, 2022 PFF All-Pro Second Team

2022 Regular Season Stats: 17G/17GS, 3 INT, 17 PD, 44 tackles, 39 solo tackles, 2 TFL

Market Value: $15.1MM/year

Potential Contract: 3-years/$45.5MM

COMPARABLE PLAYERS

Comparable players based on Sportrac’s formula for age, contract status, and statistical production.

Related- Stay or Go: Miles Sanders

Related- Stay or Go: CJGJ

Paul Bowman, STP Editor: He gone.

Bradberry had an incredible year and did exactly what most players on a one-year contract hope to do and had the best season of his career. He’s been the lone member of the team, however, to publicly state that he’s going where the money is. That puts him at the bottom of the list for me – the Eagles shouldn’t be in the market for any record-breaking contracts.

Plus, I have real concern with Bradberry in 2024. Throughout Bradberry’s pro career, he’s had one incredibly up season followed by a season where he’s mediocre. Whatever team that signs him is likely to wind up paying top dollar for a league average corner in 2024. They’d figure to benefit from a bounce back 2025, but a three-year contract would include one great season and two average if history continues to repeat. I’d venture to guess that if that continues, even if he gets a four or five year deal, that down 2026 season would lead to him being a free agent again after that season either way when he’s 32.

Verdict: Go

Michael Lipinski, STP Editor: I’d love a scenario where the Eagles would be able to “swap” cornerbacks.  Get rid of Darius Slay and keep the younger James Bradberry.  But that’s not going to happen, the Eagles don’t have the ability to pay another corner 3-years/$15MM like Sportrac projects.  Bradberry has to go unless Howie Roseman finds a way to get creative, which isn’t out of the realm of possibility. 

Verdict: Go

Jenn McGraw, Eagles Writer: I love what James Bradberry brought to the team early in the season. Having an amazing Eagles secondary with Bradberry and Slay was a dominant force the first half of the season, but then we only saw glimpses of that magic in the second half. For that reason, of course I’d wanna bring Bradberry back, but I don’t think we can afford to pay what he’d be asking for. We also need to focus on what players we really need to keep for next season. If he’s willing to come back on a decent deal, I’d say keep him as he’s a great addition to the team. However, I don’t see that happening. It’s either increased pay and we cut other players, or we let him walk and keep some of the players that we need going forward.

Verdict: Go

Maranda Jo Shinn, Eagles Writer: As much as I would love to see Bradberry stay, I just don’t find it financially feasible. Finding himself at the top of every cornerback ranking and earning all-pro nods, no doubt I want him to stay. But with Hurts about to break the bank and Slay sitting comfortably at a cap of a million, I highly doubt Roseman is comfortable putting out the money he deserves. We simply can’t afford all of the elite talent that we want, and Bradberry will likely find a new home that will pay him the money he deserves.

Verdict: Go

Consensus: Go

There’s a unanimous agreement that Bradberry will almost certainly not be back because of the money he’ll be looking to secure in a new deal.