Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham reached agreement on a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.
The Eagles released Bradham on Feb. 19 after he had spent four seasons with the team.
Bradham, who turns 30 on Sept. 4, was scheduled to make a base salary of $8 million in 2020. The move saved the Eagles $4.5 million in salary-cap room.
Linebacker is one of the few questions for the Saints after they let veteran A.J. Klein leave in free agency. The battle for the No. 2 and No. 3 jobs alongside first-team All-Pro Demario Davis is wide open, and Bradham should be very much in the mix.
Veteran Kiko Alonso tore an ACL in January, which leaves his status in doubt to start the season. And rookie third-round draft pick Zack Baun will have to quickly get up to speed in this abbreviated offseason after primarily serving as an edge rusher at Wisconsin.
Veteran Alex Anzalone and Craig Robertson are also in the mix at linebacker for New Orleans, which has had the NFL’s best run defense over the past two seasons combined (allowing just yards 85.8 rushing yards per game).
Originally a fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2012, Bradham, a Florida State product, signed with the Eagles in 2016 and became a key component of coordinator Jim Schwartz’s defense, averaging 96 tackles over his first three seasons in Philadelphia.
He was slowed by an ankle injury last season, however, totaling 61 tackles and an interception over 12 games.
In 115 games in his career, he has 619 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles.
ESPN’s Mike Triplett and Tim McManus contributed to this report.