Tag: Nigel Bradham

Former Eagles LB Nigel Bradham signs 1-year deal with the New Orleans Saints

Nigel Bradham signs 1-year deal with the Saints

Nigel Bradham will have the chance to show the Philadelphia Eagles that they made a huge mistake after the middle linebacker signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints.

The Eagles declined Bradham’s $10 million option on the 31-year-old linebacker after deciding to retool and add youth to the roster.

Bradham’s production had dropped over the past few seasons, but he still led the team in tackles since signing with the Eagles after leaving Buffalo as a free agent.

Moving on from Nigel Bradham deemed the Eagles riskiest offseason move

Nigel Bradham’s departure deemed the Eagles riskiest offseason move

In a cost-cutting move that would allow younger players to take his place, the Philadelphia Eagles allowed linebacker Nigel Bradham to walk in free agency despite having no one on the roster with his in-game experience.

Bradham started 58 games for the Eagles over the last four years and now after the Eagles allowed him to test free agency, Bleacher Report deemed moving on from the linebacker as the Birds riskiest offseason move.

The Eagles return the athletic and talented Nathan Gerry and have high hopes for 2019 undrafted free agent T.J. Edwards. Jatavis Brown was signed in free agency as well, but none of those players combined have Bradham’s in-game experience.

It’ll be interesting to see how the competition plays out and rookie Davion Taylor could be a name to watch as well.

[vertical-gallery id=637115]

[lawrence-related id=637539,637512,637519,637482,637477]

T.J. Edwards set to have an increased role with the Philadelphia Eagles?

T.J. Edwards set to have an increased role with the Philadelphia Eagles?

The biggest criticism of the Eagles front office stems from Howie Roseman not making the linebacker position a yearly priority for the roster.

When you have Roseman’s ability to land undrafted free agent talent on the cheap, big free agent signings or high profile draft picks sometimes aren’t that necessary. Roseman landed former Wisconsin star T.J. Edwards as an undrafted free agent last spring and it paid big dividends on special teams and late in the season.

Now according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com, Edwards could be preparing to take the next step as a player, thus forcing himself into Jim Schwartz’s starting lineup.

A 2019 undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, Edwards fought his way onto the team and ended up starting four games his rookie season, finishing with 30 tackles.

The Eagles came away impressed with his instincts, his thump and his awareness in coverage. They believe he’s ready for an increased role and think he can be an impact player for them. They better be right. Philadelphia let Nigel Bradham and Kamu Grugier-Hill walk in free agency, and while they signed Jatavis Brown and spent a third-round draft pick on Davion Taylor, the amount of proven talent in this group is scarce. The opportunity is there for Edwards to grab.

Nate Gerry has been a consistent player for the Birds and should definitely find significant reps on the outside, but Edwards has the prowess and work ethic to definitely separate himself at middle linebacker.

Edwards will face competition from Jataivs Brown and Davion Taylor inside.

[vertical-gallery id=636768]

[lawrence-related id=637440,637430,637423,637418,637408]

9 remaining free agent options the Patriots can explore

Here are nine free agent options the Patriots can explore before the 2020 season.

The 2020 season will bring in a new era for the New England Patriots.

Without Tom Brady suiting up in Foxborough, a new identity will have to be formed. It all begins with Bill Belichick and how he decides to construct the team. He’s appearing to build a run-heavy offensive team that relies on solid defense and special teams. Unfortunately for Belichick, he lost some key defensive players who anchored the unit in 2019.

The Patriots had a quiet free agency and went to the NFL draft to fill the necessary holes. They managed to plug some of these holes with talented rookies — but that’s what they still are, rookies. Another issue the Patriots ran into this offseason is the lack of cap space — currently carrying less than $1 million to pay out. There are numerous solutions and ways to create cap space, but Belichick will have to get creative.

Given the idea New England can free up some finances — here are 9 available free agents the team could look into to solidify the 53-man roster.

Cam Newton, QB

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Newton is one of the most controversial free agents on the market right now. The former MVP is 31-years-old and coming off shoulder and foot injuries that sidelined him for 16 games over the past two seasons. He’s by far the most talented free agent in the group, but injury concerns have kept  him on the market.

The Patriots are going forward with Jarrett Stidham right now and he would be the cheaper option. But, Newton would be more equipped for the magnitude of replacing Brady and New England is the betting favorite to land him. Anything can happen before the NFL season begins, and Newton to the Patriots isn’t the most unrealistic possibility.

Mike Daniels, DL

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest weakness on New England’s historically good defense last season was the defensive line. Opposing teams began exposing the weakness and realized the best opportunities came on the ground. Danny Shelton took off in free agency, leaving Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler to pick up the slack. The Patriots also have Byron Cowart and added Beau Allen in free agency, but they could use some help still.

Mike Daniels, 31, only played nine games last year with the Detroit Lions because of an arm injury. He’s been extremely reliable his entire career and is in a scenario where the Patriots could have contract leverage — due to his age and recent injury. Daniels is a run-stuffing starter who could provide some much-needed value in the trenches.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

10 available free agents who could help the Eagles in 2020

Here are 10 players who are available in free agency and can help the Philadelphia Eagles.

The NFL’s first wave of free agency has come and gone with the Eagles making some big moves and trading for a shutdown cornerback.

The NFL draft is scheduled to proceed as a scheduled and the Eagles have a little less than a month to add more talent via free agency.

With a ton of talent still on the open market, here are 10 players that the Eagles could look to add via free agency.

***

Jan 13, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (91) during the first quarter in the NFC Divisional playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

1. Devonta Freeman, RB,

The Falcons released Freeman to free up cap space and after a season in which he had 1,066 yards from scrimmage but averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, Freeman could be the perfect complimentary piece to Miles Sanders in a backup role.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10

4 edge rushers the Jets should avoid in free agency

Jets Wire takes a look at four edge rushers Joe Douglas and the Jets should steer clear of in free agency.

It’s been a while since the Jets had themselves a dominant pass rusher.

Ever since John Abraham departed in 2006, New York has lacked an elite edge rusher that can consistently get to opposing quarterbacks. Fortunately for general manager Joe Douglas, this year’s free-agent class is loaded with top-tier pass rushers. At the same time, there are some edges who should not receive a serious look from the Jets in free agency.

Who are those players? Let’s take a look.

Everson Griffen

Ben Ludeman-USA TODAY Sports

Yes, Griffen earned a Pro Bowl selection last season and was extremely productive throughout Minnesota’s run to the postseason. That doesn’t make him an ideal free agent target for the Jets, though.

If New York was established as a contender, you could argue that Griffen is exactly what the Jets need — a veteran pass rusher who is still producing at a relatively high clip. New York is not there right now. It needs to get younger and handing out a big-time contract to a 32-year-old doesn’t exactly do the trick.

The Jets can’t afford to gamble on how much an aging player like Griffen has left in the tank. He’ll earn himself a nice payday this offseason, but it shouldn’t be with the Jets.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Doug Pederson weighs-in on whether LB is a position of need for the Eagles after releasing Nigel Bradham

Doug Pederson says he’s really excited about the Eagles young linebackers

The Philadelphia Eagles made the difficult decision to part ways with linebacker Nigel Bradham, but head coach Doug Pederson believes the team is in good hands.

While sitting down with Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro, the topic of Bradham’s release and the Eagles’ future at linebacker was brought up.

When asked if linebacker was a position of need, Pederson was vague with his response but gave T.J. Edwards and other young players a vote of confidence.

“It’s all about evaluation. It’s all about, how we can construct our roster and we sometimes we have to make tough decisions. We’ve done this now the last four years, making these types of moves and these types of decisions. We thank Nigel obviously for what he did, he helped us win a championship a couple years ago. He’s been a valuable player for us. I do feel really good about our young players. I thought T.J. Edwards made a big step forward last year, so we’ve got to look at that as well, but everything is in the best interests of the Philadelphia Eagles.”

Since joining Philadelphia in 2016, Bradham has started all 58 regular-season games he played and six postseason games, while constantly showing that he was the Eagles’ most consistent linebacker.

Finances rule the NFL and Bradham who turn 31 in September, has seen his production decline as his cap hit ballooned to $9.8 million if he was on the team in 2020.

The Eagles undrafted free agent from the last offseason, Edwards excelled as a special teams player and was getting significant reps as the Eagles entered the playoffs.

Bradham’s departure could signal the beginning of the T.J. Edwards era in Philadelphia.

Edwards ascension up the depth chart was held up by the struggles that every rookie deals with when attempting to digest Jim Schwartz’s complicated defensive scheme.

With Schwartz being a great teacher and developer of talent, look for Edwards to continue to improve as a player, looking towards a breakout 2020 season.

5 former Eagles Joe Douglas could target this offseason

Jets Wire takes a look at five of Joe Douglas’ former players that could take their talents from Philadelphia to New York this offseason.

We are now only a couple weeks away from Joe Douglas’ first crack at fixing a Jets roster that is littered with holes.

Free agency begins on March 18 and it’s safe to assume Douglas will be active from the start. There are numerous impact players available on the open market this offseason, which will make New York’s first-year general manager’s job a whole lot easier. There will also be some familiar faces looking for new homes that Douglas could turn to as he goes about shaping the Jets into a contender.

Douglas helped build a Super Bowl winner with the Eagles. Could he turn to some of his former players in an effort to recapture that magic in the Big Apple? Douglas shouldn’t target every free agent player from his days in Philadelphia, but there are definitely some who he could wind up going after.

Let’s take a look at who those players are.

Nigel Bradham

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

If this list was made a couple of days ago, Bradham would not be on it. The Eagles declined their option on his contract on Tuesday, giving the 31-year-old outside linebacker a head start on preparing for free agency.

Bradham’s production dropped drastically in 2019, as he recorded only 61 tackles and no sacks compared to 97 tackles and two sacks in 2018. He is also on the wrong side of 30, which could give Douglas pause when it comes to pursuing him.

Despite his age and drop in numbers, Bradham could be a valuable piece for the Jets. It’s not a coincidence that New York’s 2009 and 2010 playoff teams featured defenses that were littered with veterans. He’s not the most prolific pass rusher, but he is durable and would be a good locker room presence on a team that is filled with younger players still trying to find their way in the NFL.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Eagles officially announce the release of Nigel Bradham

Eagles release Nigel Bradham rather than decline his option

The Philadelphia Eagles formally announced the release of popular linebacker Nigel Bradham, allowing him to get a jump on the free-agent period.

Because of his outright release, Bradham can sign with a team before free agency, rather than having to wait until the tampering period because he wasn’t an unrestricted free agent.

Should Giants pursue LB Nigel Bradham in free agency?

The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to part ways with LB Nigel Bradham, so should the New York Giants immediately pounce?

The New York Giants are looking to get more athletic and productive at linebacker this offseason and one player rumored to be on the chopping block by a division rival, could be an option.

The Philadelphia Eagles are parting ways with linebacker Nigel Bradham come free agency next month.

From ESPN:

Originally a fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2012, the Florida State product signed with the Eagles in 2016 and became a key component of Jim Schwartz’s defense, averaging 96 tackles over his first three seasons in Philadelphia.

He was slowed by an ankle injury this past season, however, totaling 61 tackles and an interception over 12 games.

In 115 games in his career, he has 619 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles.

Bradham will be 31 in September, which could be a little old for a team in rebuild, but if the Giants can sign him to, let’s say, a two-year deal or less, it could be worth a shot. Price pending, that is.

Bradham has started 96 of the 115 NFL games he has participated in during his career. He has never been named to the Pro Bowl but has a ring as a starter on the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII championship team.

[lawrence-related id=641021,641008,640965]