3 reasons why LA Rams should sign LB Nigel Bradham to short-term deal

Reason I – Nigel Bradham has plenty left in the tank

The Philadelphia Eagles justified cutting their starting linebacker Nigel Bradham in a stated objective to “get younger” on defense. Bradham is not ancient by any means. He is 31 years of age. While that may be cresting the hill of his prime, it’s a far cry from a 35-year-old linebacker who has lost a step.

In fact, Bradham has been the signal-caller on the Eagles since the team parted ways with inside linebacker Jordan Hicks at the end of the 2018 season.  Hicks had since signed on with the Arizona Cardinals and accumulated an incredible 150 tackles and three interceptions.  Bradham has the same potential for that type of breakout season by a change of address.

The reason for a sudden burst of production lies in the Eagles’ willingness to substitute sub-packages on defense so often.  Their defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, runs a version of the wide-9 which places a lot of responsibility on the linebackers to shed blockers and make plays. In a more conventional 3-4 or 4-3, the linebackers are protected from blockers by defensive linemen and are free to make plays.

Since arriving in Philadelphia, Bradham has averaged better than 85 percent of the defensive snaps per year.  Over that same period, he has averaged 87 tackles and five tackles for losses per year. He can play both the pass and the run, a versatility not found in many free agents nor future rookies. And best of all, he is available now.