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In a move that felt increasingly likely with each passing week, James Bradberry, the former All-Pro cornerback who wore out his welcome last season, has officially made the Philadelphia Eagles' initial 53-man roster.
… but why? Did he perform really well in camp after making the interesting move to safety? No, not really. Or maybe he came alive in the preseason, showing that his game is built for live ammunition, not walk-throughs? Nope, he didn't really do anything to positively stand out there either.
So then, why is Bradberry still on the Birds, but a player like Tyrion Davis-Price is not? One word: money.
The Eagles don't want to overpay James Bradberry to go away
You see, if the Eagles just keep Bradberry and use him as a sup-package player, a deep reserve, or as nothing at all, they will actually have more salary cap space than if they release him outright, as handing him his walking papers would add $4.305 million to the cap this season according to Over The Cap, limiting Howie Roseman's options heading into the fall. If the Eagles opt to release Bradberry with a post-June 1st designation next year instead, they will save $4.7 million, so from a purely financial perspective, releasing the Samford defensive back at this point makes very little sense.
Who knows, maybe Bradberry will find some surprising success at safety and stick at the position long-term? Maybe the Eagles will suffer an injury, and he'll be forced into action, or maybe some other team will suffer one at a position of need – say the Rams or Cardinals, who employ ex-Eagles DCs – and see Bradberry as a viable trade option, sending something like a conditional seventh to bring him to town and save Philly a few dollars in the process. Either way, for now, Bradberry is still a member of the Eagles, and while some may be surprised by that fact, they really shouldn't be.
