Eagles may add compensatory pick if James Bradberry goes ‘one and done’
There’s an ever-increasing buzz among the Philadelphia Eagles faithful. Have you noticed? It seems as though every roster addition comes with an adrenaline rush, one that’s more intense than the last one.
Signing Haason Reddick gave everyone hope and the confidence that this team had a plan to add some difference-makers following an unexpected march to the playoffs, a march that concluded the 2022-2023 NFL season. Unfortunately, concern crept in once it was determined that vice president/general manager Howie Roseman wasn’t being as aggressive as we would have liked for him to be.
The aforementioned confidence returned during the most recent NFL Draft. Philly added what might turn out to be the class’s best interior defensive lineman. They traded two picks, including their other first-rounder, and they acquired A.J. Brown. Things only got better on the second night.
The Birds added a possible successor for the legend, Jason Kelce, in Round 2 (Cam Jurgens) before adding a young prospect in Round 3 that most would have been satisfied with had Philly taken him in Round 1, Nakobe Dean.
Fast forward, and the news of James Bradberry‘s addition has added expectation to the excitement. Philly successfully found their complement to Darius Slay, and in the process, they may have assembled their best cornerback duo since the Bobby Taylor/Troy Vincent era. Something tells us this might work, but here’s the best part. Philly may have some insurance if it doesn’t.
A compensatory pick could be awarded to the Eagles if their arrangement with Bradberry doesn’t exceed one year.
Well, you knew that it had to enter the conversation at some point. There are always questions about what may or may not be the next course of action if the best-laid plans go astray. Bradberry’s deal is for one year and could pay him up to $10 million. Let’s just say the bottom falls out and this doesn’t work though.
Philly could be awarded a compensatory pick during the 2024 NFL Draft. Here’s what Warren Sharp had to say via his official account on Twitter:
"Reminder: if James Bradberry leaves the Eagles in free agency after his one-year deal is up, Philly gets a comp pick for free. The Giants gave Bradberry a three-year, $43.5 million deal in 2020 the Eagles get him for $10 million for one year and a comp pick if he leaves after this year."
Sharp also mentions another interesting nugget:
"The Giants have a larger dead cap hit ($11.7M) to have James Bradberry play for the Eagles than the Eagles are actually paying him ($10M). Thanks for all you did Dave Gettleman!"
Sure, that last part won’t make the Eagles’ secondary better, but it is an interesting note, one worth jotting down.
In the meantime, for better understanding, here’s a brief explanation of how compensatory picks are awarded if you need a refresher:
The NFL uses a confidential formula in which they award additional draft picks based on the players that teams gain and lose in free agency. The goal is to provide balance for teams that lost high-value free agents during the previous year.
Players who received the franchise tag and restricted players who receive offer sheets that are not matched by the tagging franchise won’t be considered as league offices evaluate potential compensatory free agents.
Annual salary, the amount of playing time said player saw, and postseason honors are all taken into consideration. A maximum of 32 picks are assigned in this manner to any of the 32 NFL franchises (some may receive more than one and some may not receive any). Each additional draft choice falls somewhere between Round 3 and Round 7.
The belief is that if Bradberry leaves after a single season, Philly could be given an additional third-rounder.
Any time any move is made in the NFL, there will be fallout. How do roster additions affect the salary cap? Will any additional dominoes fall in terms of the roster? Depending on when things occur, one might be tempted to ask how a great player’s addition will affect free agency or draft strategy.
Trending. Roster dominoes that may fall after Bradberry's add. light
Sure, Bradberry’s addition came after free agency’s ‘frenzy’ and the most recent selection meeting. He upgrades the Eagles’ defense just by showing up, and the good news is Philly has a lot of options here.
They can extend the 2020 Pro Bowler down the road if this move proves to be beneficial, and by the looks of things, they guarantee themselves some insurance if things don’t turn out how they had originally hoped