Nigel Bradham faces January trial in battery case
Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham has a trial scheduled for Jan. 17, the result of a hearing Wednesday in Miami regarding his arrest in July on an aggravated-battery charge, according to Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts records.
Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham has a trial scheduled for Jan. 17, the result of a hearing Wednesday in Miami regarding his arrest in July on an aggravated-battery charge, according to Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts records.
Bradham allegedly assaulted a hotel employee. He could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
The felony charge is the more serious of two open cases against Bradham, who said he was unaware of the court date during a Wednesday interview. The other charge is a concealed-weapon misdemeanor levied against him on Sunday, when a loaded gun was found in his backpack by an X-ray machine at the Miami airport.
"How does it happen? Just forgot. Simple as that," said Bradham, adding that it was in a compartment he never uses.
Bradham, who said the weapon was loaded but was not cocked, expects to hear from the NFL office. Coach Doug Pederson is not disciplining Bradham, deferring to the league because it is a legal matter.
"It's obviously a concern," Pederson said. "Again, both of these were incidents that were away from here. They are out of your control that way. This is where guys need to just be smart about it. It's their livelihood, it's their families."
Vaitai might start
The Eagles plan for Lane Johnson to start at right tackle Sunday against the Detroit Lions, but if a suspension is levied soon, the team is considering a new plan to replace him.
Pederson confirmed an ESPN report that the Eagles might start rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai at right tackle and keep Allen Barbre at left guard. The team had planned to move Barbre to right tackle and insert veteran Stefen Wisniewski at left guard.
"We want to exhaust all the possibilities and Allen Barbre has been playing great at left guard," Pederson said. "If you don't have to disrupt two positions and just do one, I think there's some conversation there that we've got to have. But, yeah, he's definitely in the mix."
All in on workout
The Eagles practiced Wednesday with all 53 players as full participants. There are no injury concerns entering Sunday's game. The Lions practiced without several key players, including defensive end Ziggy Ansah (ankle), tight end Eric Ebron (ankle/knee), wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. (foot), linebacker DeAndre Levy (knee/quadriceps), and cornerback Nevin Lawson (illness).
