The Arizona Cardinals are currently focusing on rejuvenating their secondary with young talent. The team is bringing back second-year players Kei’Trel Clark, Starling Thomas, and Garrett Williams, and they also added rookies Max Melton, Jaden Davis, and Elijah Jones during the offseason. With Sean Murphy-Bunting as the only experienced veteran in the mix, the Cardinals are hoping their emerging talents will step up in 2024.
According to Bleacher Report, the Cardinals might consider adding another veteran to their lineup. Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry has been mentioned as a potential trade target for Arizona. Kristopher Knox notes, “Bradberry’s cap hit for this season is $4.3 million, but he has $15.1 million in dead money remaining on his contract. The Eagles, having drafted Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, could be inclined to trade Bradberry, even though cutting him would not free up additional cap space for 2024. Trading him could save the Eagles $1.2 million, a modest amount but still better than the zero cap relief from a release.”
Knox also suggests that Arizona might be a good fit for Bradberry, highlighting his previous successful stint under current Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. Gannon was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator in 2022 when Bradberry posted an impressive opposing passer rating of 51.6 in coverage. Given Gannon’s familiarity with Bradberry and the Cardinals’ need for a veteran presence, adding Bradberry could be advantageous for Arizona’s young cornerback group.
With training camp starting next week, now is the ideal time for the Cardinals to enhance their secondary. Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis expressed optimism about the competition within the cornerback group, stating, “It’s highly competitive and up for grabs for guys to earn spots, which is a great problem to have. I’m excited for the competition and hope to see significant progress during training camp, leading to tough decisions on roles.”