May 23, 2022
A new Monday brings a new winner of the week in Philly sports. Pickings were a bit slim this time around. The Sixers embarrassed themselves and have been eliminated from the playoffs. The Phillies stunk it up against the Padres and Dodgers. The Eagles? Well... training camp hasn't started. Still, executive vice president of football operations and general manager Howie Roseman isn't done tinkering with this Eagles roster.
Roseman made the wise decision to swoop in and grab cornerback James Bradberry following his release from the rival Giants. Bradberry was a Pro Bowler in 2020 and should've warranted All-Pro consideration that season. He wasn't as good in 2021, but his arrival in midnight green is an upgrade over Steven Nelson at outside corner opposite Darius Slay. The starting trio of Slay, Bradberry and slot corner Avonte Maddox has the Eagles' cornerbacks as good as they've been in nearly 15 years.
I call 'em like I see 'em. I've been more than critical of Roseman in the past, but he's crushed this offseason between value signings like Bradberry and linebacker Kyzir White, key draft picks like Georgia's Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean and, of course, the big swing for star wideout A.J. Brown.
As a reminder...
Every Monday going forward, I'll pick a Philly sports figure who "won" the previous week. What's the credential for winning? Well, it's ultra-subjective...
Here's why I'm giving him the nod, the first person to "win the week" in Philly sports multiple times:
I've seen takes that compare this Eagles' offseason to that of the 2011 squad, the team that had the infamous "Dream Team" branding. Aside from the disastrous decision to switch Juan Castillo from offensive line coach to defensive coordinator, the Eagles had a great philosophy that offseason: sign good players! The issue more so had to do with Andy Reid falling apart at the tail end of his run in Philly, Michael Vick regressing and not staying healthy and some of those big-name signings not being much of a culture fit.
Bradberry isn't Nnamdi Asomugha. He isn't being brought to Philly on a contract worth up to $60 million in order to completely transform the Eagles' defense. It's a one-year deal. He won't even be the Birds' top corner. It's a wise investment and it's those type of moves that have given the Eagles a level of depth they haven't had since their Super Bowl roster in 2017.
Davis and Dean are winners coming from one of the best college teams I've ever seen. A.J. Brown went for five catches and 142 receiving yards with a touchdown in a playoff game this past January. This isn't akin to bringing in Jason Babin to be a mercenary.
Howie's won a lot offseasons in his career. He's also been tasked with cleaning up messes that he created, doing so well. Call me an optimist, but I truly don't believe this is a sizzling offseason that will burn out come the fall. I have faith in what Roseman's accomplished in 2022.
Soccer is buzzing in Chester! The Union are at the top of the table in the Eastern Conference. With six wins, six draws and just one loss this season, they're cruising. In Sunday's win over the Portland Timbers, Daniel Gadzag and Sergio Santos Gomez each scored a goal.
Last week's winner: Bryce Harper.
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