Eagles look to repurpose trade candidate with position switch

The Philadelphia Eagles soared early in the 2023 regular season, but ultimately came crashing down after the San Francisco 49ers seemingly clipped their wings during a midseason clash.

A large portion of the blame for Philadelphia's demise could be pinned on their defense, which was no longer the dominant unit that led them to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2022 campaign.

Along with losing one of the league's best agitators in C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the Eagles secondary was led by the aging cornerback tandem of Darius Slay and James Bradberry, who were both over the age of 30. The Eagles finished the season with the second-worst pass defense in the league, and it was evident that Philadelphia's brain trust approached this offseason with the intent to overhaul their secondary.

After reconciling with Gardner-Johnson, general manager Howie Roseman selected Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Eagles cornerback James Bradberry transitioning to safety

The additions of Mitchell and DeJean seemed to spell the end of Bradberry's time in Philadelphia, but head coach Nick Sirianni announced that the veteran cornerback would transition to safety in 2024.

"[Bradberry] played the majority of his career at corner and then was able to do some things at the dime, some things at the nickel, some things at the corner," Sirianni said. "Now he's working some of the safety stuff. I'm excited about that, and his opportunity. You've seen a lot of good corners in this league (make the switch). I guess the first guy that comes to mind is Charles Woodson. He went from elite corner to being an elite nickel to being an elite safety."

Bradberry struggled in 2023, allowing 61 catches and 10 touchdowns with a 114.2 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks. His struggles, compounded by the additions of Mitchell and DeJean, created uncertainty for his future in Philadelphia.

Moving to safety presents Bradberry with a way to earn a starting role under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Fangio's two-high safety defensive scheme has become a prominent fixture in defending offenses that deploy high-flying aerial attacks. Fangio rarely blitzes, instead opting to disguise coverages and relying on playmakers — particularly at safety — to make plays in the passing game while providing run support in the box.

The 65-year-old coordinator also has a tendency to use a "Big Nickel" defensive personnel, which typically deploys three safeties on the field. With a weak linebacker room, Philadelphia could be forced to rely on the three-safety package more frequently. 

Safety is where aging cornerbacks go to die — or that's how it's perceived, at least. The fact that aging cornerbacks move to safety when they lose a step may make it seem like it's an easier position to play, but it takes more than just being old and slow to succeed. Any cornerback looking to make the transition needs to be a good tackler, a good communicator, and instinctive. While cornerbacks rely on speed and fast-twitch reactions to succeed, safeties have to possess the vision to read the field and anticipate the play before it happens.

Bradberry isn't the first cornerback to attempt the transition. Rod Woodson, Charles Woodson, Deion Sanders, and DeAngelo Hall all transitioned to safety in the late stages of their career. Others thrived after making the transition earlier in their careers, such as Ronnie Lott, Devin McCourty, and Byron Jones.