The Philadelphia Eagles have lost a host of free agents already but were able to keep a key piece in veteran cornerback James Bradberry.
The second-team All-Pro agreed to a three-year, $38 million deal with Philly that includes $20 million fully guaranteed, with a chance to get to $44 million total with incentives, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday.
Bradberry told the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Josh Tolentino in a phone conversation that the chance to chase a Super Bowl was a primary reason he wanted to return.
"It means a lot, truly, to be back in Philadelphia, especially having the season we just had," Bradberry said. "It feels good to come back and keep trying to compete for the ultimate goal which is the Super Bowl. Of course, I wanted to go to a place where I got paid a substantial amount, enough to where I felt comfortable with. But I also wanted the fit to be right, as well. That was important for me."
After getting cut by the New York Giants last offseason, Bradberry landed in Philly on a one-year prove-it deal. The veteran corner proved it in spades. He was a lockdown coverage corner, allowing a 54.7 passer rating, fourth-best in the NFL.
Turning 30 in August, Bradberry's deal didn't break the bank. The $12.6 million-per-year average places him 16th among CBs, per Over The Cap.
Bradberry told the Inquirer that he got "more lucrative offers" from other clubs, but the allure of chasing a ring in Philly allowed him to be comfortable with the deal. The CB pointed to the offense's stability as a reason he's optimistic the Eagles can get back to the Super Bowl.
"Of course, our offense is really, really, really good, and they're going to be really good for a long time," Bradberry told Tolentino. "Jalen Hurts and those guys, they make the whole engine run. I love competing every day with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. They're really the ones that get it started, and I know we have a good front seven to set the tone. I have belief (general manager) Howie (Roseman) is going to do a good job of building our [defensive] core back up. I have a lot of confidence in the team in general. That was a big part of my decision."
Given that most believed Bradberry would price himself out of Philly, the Eagles getting the veteran to take less to return is a coup.
"I'm dedicating myself to this team," Bradberry said. "I want to be a piece on this defense. I want to bring Philadelphia a Super Bowl title."
With Bradberry locked down, attention in the Eagles' secondary turns to free agent C.J. Gardner-Johnson, while veteran Darius Slay is expected to be released.
