PHILADELPHIA — Eagles cornerback James Bradberry has moved on from the controversial holding penalty enabling the Kansas City Chiefs to run out the clock and kick the decisive field goal in Super Bowl LVII.
The 30-year-old veteran bravely and honestly admitted he held receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on third-and-eight with less than two minutes left for the Lombardi Trophy. Had the pass remained incomplete, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles would have had time to crank up one more series.
Armed with a three-year, $38 million contract, Bradberry is on to his eighth season with the Eagles. And it’s possible it will be split between outside cornerback and the nickel position.
While Bradberry got a whiff of the nickel role as a rookie, he could be seeing duty there because the Birds lost hybrid defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who exited for the Detroit Lions in free agency, and because veteran nickel Avonte Maddox (5-9, 184), has played just one complete NFL season due to injuries.
“It’s been fun,” Bradberry said. “It’s a different world in there that I’m not used to. I’m trying to get adjusted to it and learn more. I think it’s upping my overall knowledge of the game.”
Rewind to the Super Bowl loss to Kansas City and Maddox was in the vicinity of two walk-in touchdown plays in the fourth quarter for the Chiefs. Darius Slay blew coverage on the first score, Patrick Mahomes immediately reading the defense and throwing a five-yard pass to Kadarius Toney. He and Maddox rallied to tight end Travis Kelce.
The second Chiefs touchdown was just as embarrassing as Sky Moore strolled in on the other side of the field after Maddox pinched inside while following the flow of players. That TD pass gave the Chiefs a 35-27 lead with 9:22 to go.
Bradberry might have made a difference playing the nickel. He certainly would have helped more than Maddox in the run game, the Chiefs pounding an Eagles D full of smaller backs for 119 yards in just the second half with rookie Isaiah Pacheco collecting 75 yards and a TD on the day.
“When you move inside, I would say you’re constantly having to process everything in front of you but you’ve also got to process what’s happening behind you,” he said. “The offense is trying to set you up. A lot of routes are layered. You have something in the front and you have something behind you and you have to recognize that.”
Bradberry has been asked to be ready in case of injuries, but that could change. If he moves inside to nickel, Josh Jobe, who quietly has had a stellar camp, could help at corner. Eli Ricks, if he sticks around, could be an option. Maddox, too, for he can still run. At the same time, Maddox’s lack of size has made him a target for the opposition. Truth be told, he wasn’t all the way back from a toe injury for the Super Bowl.
Before long, the secondary will include rookie Sydney Brown on a full-time basis, assuming his learning curve continues. He can play safety or the nickel. It also appears that safety Justin Evans has a chance to stick around, and he’s probably more versatile than veteran Terrell Edmunds, the de facto starter at safety alongside Reed Blankenship.
There are a lot of moving pieces in that Eagles secondary, including Bradberry.
“I did it when I was in Carolina, and I was just playing around, just trying to get some reps in there,” Bradberry said. “And maybe on scout team and stuff. But as far as being labeled as a nickel, no. It could help us in the future, you just never know.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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