Free agent linebacker options for the Kansas City Chiefs
By Matt Conner
Nigel Bradham brings the most experience of this lot of linebackers, which means he’ll turn 31 shortly before the NFL season begins. After four seasons apiece with the Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles, Bradham has built a reputation as a solid all-around linebacker who can play all three downs. He’s also known for being tough as hell.
Bradham has started every single game since coming to the Eagles in 2016 until last season when he missed four starts due to an ankle issue. He had 61 tackles, 5 passes defended and 1 interception last season.
For the Eagles, the move to cut Bradham was mostly about finances, since Bradham came with a $10 million cap hit. But it says something that the Eagles signed Bradham to a five-year deal only two offseasons ago. There are also some character concerns here (assault charge) and a history of selfishness (Eagles thought he simply left the team last preseason).
The synopsis: Bradham is not the linebacker he was two years ago, but he’s always been much more valuable than most outside of Philadelphia ever knew. He’s never been named to a Pro Bowl, but he’s been a valuable well-rounded linebacker for years and there’s a reason he’s a favorite of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
For the 2020 season, there’s every reason that Bradham would offer a linebacker-needy team an every down option with solid coverage skills and a toughness that would slot well between Frank Clark along the line and Tyrann Mathieu in the secondary. The only question might be price, since Bradham might be able to get more than what the Chiefs are willing or able to pay.