James Bradberry spent seemingly the entire offseason dancing on the roster bubble. When the Philadelphia Eagles finalized their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, Bradberry wasn't traded and didn't appear on the cut list.
The veteran moved from corner to safety in an effort to keep a gig in Philly. Vic Fangio's comments in July that the transition isn't as easy as some would believe suggested Bradberry sticking on the roster might be difficult.
On Tuesday, general manager Howie Roseman said Bradberry's move to safety has gone smoothly, and they kept him on the roster because in the heat of battle, he's a player the team could trust.
"James always has had really good football instincts," Roseman said via the team's official transcript. "When you see him play safety every day here and see his ability to diagnose his football instincts. I think for all of us, that's a transition, that's a different position than playing outside corner.
"He's got a skill set. It's a long season. We already know that he's had tremendous success in this league playing outside corner as well. With the goals that we have for this football team, having a veteran player like that on the roster that we know we can rely on when called upon, we felt like was important."
The 31-year-old spent his first eight seasons at outside corner, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 and proving a cheap addition for Philly's Super Bowl run in 2022 as a second-team All-Pro. However, he struggled mightily in 2023, getting beat and showing his age. Bradberry suggested the move to safety this offseason as the Eagles bolstered the corner crew.
Head coach Nick Sirianni echoed Roseman's comments on Tuesday about Bradberry's IQ being one reason they kept him on the squad to start the season.
"He's a pro, and he's been a pro ever since he's come into this building," Sirianni said. "He's led by example. He's led with his play and guys look up to him."
Bradberry currently sits as a backup safety behind C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship. His versatility to slide back to corner if needed played into the Eagles' calculus for keeping him on the roster now.
The Eagles could elect to move on at a later date if the need for a roster spot arises, but that's true with most players further down the depth chart.
"Obviously, when you're talking about our 53-man roster at any position, things come up," Roseman admitted. "Opportunities arise for our football team, for other football teams, so I don't want to get into that with not only him, but anyone, because that backs you in a corner. We say this to our players. Our word's all we got. When we tell our players something, when we tell other teams something, we're going to abide by that. I'd hate to get up here and be dramatic about anything about anyone on the roster because through the course of the season things come up and opportunities arise.
"He's on the team because we think he can help our team."
