Avoid trouble, advises LB Bradham
PHILADELPHIA » One year ago, the Eagles were seemingly making news everywhere except inside the lines at minicamp.
Way back in 2016, wide receiver Nelson Agholor was accused of sexual assault at Cheerleaders gentleman’s club the day practice ended. He wasn’t charged but didn’t have much of a season.
Linebacker Nigel Bradham, on the other hand, allegedly punched a Miami Beach cabana worker in the nose over a beach umbrella dispute that occurred before training camp.
Bradham cannot discuss the case, which is scheduled to be tried in early July. The 27-yearold veteran somehow put it be-
hind him and led the Eagles with 98 tackles last season.
Bradham has tried to let some of the younger Eagles, including folks in the linebacker room like Nathan Gerry, know that they owe it to themselves and the team to avoid trouble.
“The main thing is just taking control of yourself and realizing you’ve got to represent this team, this organization and also the NFL as well,” Bradham said. “You’ve got to keep that all in mind. You’re not just representing yourself. It’s more than that. It’s the team, it’s the organization and everybody in it. We all are one. You don’t want any negative attention drawn to that. They all listen. We’ve got a great group of guys that came in with this (rookie) class.”
The thought of Bradham being an example of solid citizenship almost certainly will make the average fan skeptical. After all, don’t forget he left a licensed hand gun in his backpack when he walked into an airport before a trip to Philly. Since he was out on bail for the alleged assault, he was arrested again.
The weapons charge, a misdemeanor, resulted in a fine, per reports.
But not before Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who essentially brought Bradham to Philly and humbled the vet publicly.
“The facts are facts,” Schwartz said at a news conference. “If you do dumbass things, pretty soon you will be labeled a dumbass. He’s got a lot of ground to make up. It’s not just him. It’s the rest of us. He represents everybody. He has to earn some trust back.”
Bradham earned the trust back with a season in which he did a little bit of everything for a defense that needed a little of everything.
Bradham (6-2, 241) formed a solid linebacker duo with Jordan Hicks, who also had an outstanding season. For the most part the Eagles’ front seven did its job, although the pass rush was so-so.
Bascially the cornerbacks were overmatched, and that’s an area of concern again as secondyear vet Jalen Mills and rookie third-round pick Rasul Douglas look like the starters going forward.
“We’ve got a lot more chemistry out there,” Bradham said of the defense. “We’ve got new corners but I think it’s something that we can grow with because we have two safeties who have a year together and they’ve been dominant. J-Mills has a year under his belt and he’s been playing outrageous so far. It’s going to be better than what it was. So we’re definitely a lot better than we were last year.”
It’s early but Bradham and his teammates like what they’ve seen of first-round draft pick Derek Barnett, who broke the late Reggie White’s all-time sacks record at Tennessee.
“Beast, hands down,” Bradham said. “It’s going to be crazy how many sacks there are.”
Bradham’s football future could be impacted by a guilty verdict. His case would be subject to review and possible discipline under the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.
How important is Bradham to the Philly defense?
Safety Malcolm Jenkins calls Bradham “our enforcer.
“We put him in positions where he can cover and use his athletic ability,” Jenkins said. “But when we need to go punch a running back in the mouth we send him. And those things are effective. You need that. We have a lot of versatile guys. We really don’t have just the true enforcer in the back end, except for him. He’s our guy that we need to really be that thumper and that tonesetter.”
Bradham has been a model citizen after the altercation in Miami Beach. He’s taken responsibility for his actions and tried to pass along his experience.
Bradham makes time to answer questions from young players like Gerry. All of that despite the looming court case.
“If we stay healthy and do what we’re supposed to do we can easily win 10-plus games,” Bradham said. “We know that. It’s up to us. It’s in our hands to grab it.”