The New York Giants need to bolster their secondary. As a result, they’re reportedly showing interest in pending free agent James Bradberry.
In 2019, the New York Giants secondary was near the bottom of the league. Dealing with issues related to blatant inconsistency and inexperience, Big Blue allowed an average of 264.1 passing yards per game. This statistic put them at No. 28 in the NFL.
The Giants will need to hone in on this problem when it comes to the draft and free agency. The latter option could be utilized very soon — the free agency period begins March 18 at 4:00 p.m. ET — and one potential target may be a fellow draft pick of general manager Dave Gettleman.
According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, the Giants are expressing interest in cornerback James Bradberry.
While serving as the general manager of the Carolina Panthers, Gettleman selected Bradberry in the second round (No. 62 overall) of the 2016 draft out of Samford University. He was brought in to fill the void left by Josh Norman, who joined the Washington Redskins a season removed from a 2015 All-Pro campaign.
In his four years with the Panthers, Bradberry has recorded 279 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, eight interceptions, and 47 passes defended in 60 total games.
Would this be a good acquisition?
There are a number of ways you can look at the potential signing of Bradberry.
When you compare him to some of the other cornerbacks who are soon-to-be free agents, he’s not the most successful. Guys like Byron Jones and Chris Harris Jr. have undergone better careers up to this point. The former was a second-team All-Pro in 2018 and the latter has been named to three All-Pro teams in his career.
But there’s an advantage to Bradberry, and that’s the price tag. Bradberry will certainly be cheaper than the other two aforementioned defensive backs. Spending less money could prove to be a beneficial move for a team that possesses a number of glaring holes and is experiencing an obvious rebuilding stage.
Bradberry, despite only 26 years old, would additionally bring that veteran presence to the Giants cornerback room.
At the moment, the team employs the likes of Deandre Baker (22), Corey Ballentine (23), Grant Haley (24), and Sam Beal (23). They no longer possess that experienced corner to help mentor and lead this group. Janoris Jenkins provided those qualities prior to the organization waiving him last December.
