3. CB James Bradberry
The value: There’s some debate as to whether or not Bradberry is worth a long-term contract extension. Giving him elite cornerback money ($14 million+ per year) could be problematic in the long run. However, the perception of Bradberry’s game may not be entirely fair.
Remember, he has to compete against an absurd level of wide receiver talent around the NFC South. No other corneback in the league has to trail Julio Jones, Mike Evans and Michael Thomas a total of six times a season. If Bradberry gets traded to a division with softer receivers, he might finally break through into that top-five corner conversation. Dealing a potentially elite defender at a crucial position should net a very respectable return in draft capital for Marty Hurney.
The catch: Of course, trading away your team’s top cornerback is a dangerous propostion. The Panthers have learned the hard way how important it is to have depth at this spot and right now there’s not enough of it to absorb the loss of Bradberry. Unless they’re all in on getting a prospect like Jeff Okudah (who probably won’t even be there at No. 7) it’s tough to imagine letting Bradberry go, no matter what he might fetch in a trade.
CB James Bradberry // RB Christian McCaffrey // QB Cam Newton