The Eagles selected cornerbacks with their first two draft picks, making it clear James Bradberry wasn’t in their plans at corner. The team, though, hasn’t given up on Bradberry having a role.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni announced Tuesday that the Eagles are moving Bradberry to safety, a position Bradberry has never played.
“He was able to do a couple different things last year,” Sirianni said, via Martin Frank of the Delaware News Journal. “He played the majority of his career at corner and then was able to do some things at the dime, some things at the nickel, some things at the corner.
“Now he’s working some of the safety stuff. I’m excited about that, and his opportunity. You’ve seen a lot of good corners in this league [make the switch]. I guess the first guy that comes to mind is Charles Woodson. He went from elite corner to being an elite nickel to being an elite safety.”
Bradberry, 30, earned All-Pro honors at corner in 2022, and the Eagles signed him to a three-year, $38 million deal in March 2023. If not for the contract, which includes $20 million in guarantees, the Eagles likely would have cut Bradberry after the dropoff he had in 2023.
But the Eagles do need depth behind safety starters Reed Blankenship and CJ Gardner-Johnson. Sydney Brown, the team’s third-round pick in 2023, is working his way back from a torn ACL.
Mekhi Garner, Tristin McCollum and Andre Sam are others on the roster at the position, and veteran nickel corner Avonte Maddox has cross-trained at safety.
“James has always been a team guy from the moment he stepped in here,” Sirianni said. “He’ll do anything for his teammates.”
Bradberry didn’t make it through all of the first mandatory minicamp practice Tuesday, leaving after a fall in an individual drill. It is unknown what the injury is or the severity, per Frank.