James Bradberry
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants finally accepted reality Monday and cut James Bradberry — a move months in the making.

It became pretty obvious general manager Joe Schoen was not going to be able to trade the Pro Bowl cornerback (and his cumbersome contract) a while ago. Teams did not want to take on his $13.4 million salary in 2022. Bradberry’s camp had no incentive to take a below-market extension to grease the skids (he will be a free agent next spring). And everyone knew the Giants had to clear the cap space at some point.

It became a waiting game for the rest of the league. And Schoen made everyone wait much longer than anyone expected. And Bradberry was not amused.

So is Bradberry right? Or wrong?

The answer lies in the middle. Here’s why:

In defense of Bradberry. Simply speaking, the veteran has the right to be upset with how things went down. He gets to pick his next team now, and he could still get a good deal if he has multiple suitors. But Bradberry would have been in a much better spot had he been cut two months ago.

The bulk of free agency is over. Teams now need to sign their draft classes. There is only so much cap space left to go around. If there was ever going to be a market for Bradberry to get the payday he desires, it has certainly shrunk. And many will argue Schoen screwed the player with his lack of action.

To counter Bradberry. This is a business. Schoen tried to do what was best for the Giants and attempted to bring back draft capital. The newly hired executive knew the Giants wouldn’t be able to afford Bradberry given the financial hellhole Dave Gettleman put them in. But he needed to try to get something in return before making the move. Schoen had to do his due diligence on the trade market prior to and during the draft.

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Ryan Honey is a staff writer and host of the Wide Right Podcast.