Nigel Bradham, LB, Philadelphia Eagles
Nigel Bradham is someone I’ve been high on since looking at the list of impending free agents for the 2018 off-season. Fresh off of a Super Bowl victory, Bradham is somebody who should be high on GM Jon Robinson’s list, and for good reason.
With Avery Williamson likely testing free agency, the team would be wise to try and lure the 28-year-old as soon as the negotiation period opens. Throughout his career, Bradham has shown to be an every-down linebacker. He can not only violently fill gaps, but can run with almost anybody over the middle of the field. Way too often have the Titans given up big plays in that area of the field, so the addition of Bradham could be an instant fix to that major issue.
Bradham was recently asked about his worst individual plays of the season. He responded with plays where he actually showed great instincts and coverage savvy, but he just didn’t catch the ball. Despite not finishing the play for a turnover, I haven’t seen a linebacker make plays of this caliber for the Titans since Keith Bulluck was covering sideline to sideline in two-tone blue.
I asked the Eagles to name their best and worst individual plays of the season. Nigel Bradham called out all four of these https://t.co/Eb0Wlg1QOO pic.twitter.com/Bssa6elwG9
— Bo Wulf (@Bo_Wulf) January 30, 2018
These are just simply different demonstrations of the elements the addition of Bradham would bring to the defensive unit. These great physical traits combined with the leadership traits it takes to help lead a defense to a Super Bowl win are just something the team can’t pass up; especially for the low cap number he would likely command. This past season, Bradham was playing with a cap hit of $3.5 million, and him not being the youngest linebacker on the market won’t cause that number to increase too much. I believe an average of $6.25M annually would suffice, which is probably cheaper than what Williamson will command on the open market.
Potential Contract: 3 Years, $18.75 Million