One of the New York Giants’ many objectives this offseason was to get an anchor for their young secondary. They acted assertively when general manager Dave Gettleman procured the services of James Bradberry, a player he drafted while in the same capacity with the Carolina Panthers.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler rated the Giants’ moves in a recent article, which outlined the progress each NFL team has made thus far.
Level of free-agency aggressiveness: Dave Gettleman’s happy
Top addition: CB James Bradberry for three years and $45 millionThe NFC East was an arms race for top cornerbacks, and the Giants knew they had to get in on the action. Once it became clear the Redskins wouldn’t outbid for Bradberry and pursued slot corner Kendall Fuller, the Giants agreed to get Bradberry close to his $15 million per year asking price. The Eagles couldn’t get Miami-bound Byron Jones but swung a trade for Darius Slay.
“[Bradberry] probably has a lower ceiling than Byron Jones, but his traits allow him to stay productive for a sustained period of time,” said one NFL defensive backs coach who scouted all the free-agent corners, citing Bradberry’s length and technique as positives.
Bradberry gives the Giants a young veteran to help galvanize an inexperienced secondary that features safety Jabrill Peppers and corners DeAndre Baker, Sam Beal, Grant Haley and Corey Ballentine.
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