ESPN’s Barnwell predicts Arizona Cardinals will sign CB James Bradberry
May 14, 2022, 8:00 AM
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Arizona Cardinals makes a catch against cornerback James Bradberry #24 of the New York Giants in the second quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium on December 13, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NFL free agency is far from over, as displayed by the New Orleans Saints who added five-time Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry on Friday.
In that spirit, ESPN NFL analyst Bill Barnwell came up with landing spots for some of the biggest names left on the market this week, and he has the Arizona Cardinals making a splash to their secondary.
The New York Giants released Pro Bowl cornerback James Bradberry on May 9 to cut costs and sign their draft class.
Barnwell wrote that Arizona is a fit for Bradberry, who had four interceptions and 17 pass defenses in 2021.
… they haven’t done enough to address their defense. Chandler Jones wasn’t replaced in free agency off the edge, and while Arizona got a surprisingly healthy season out of Robert Alford a year ago, the former Falcons corner is a free agent. Byron Murphy Jr. is set in the slot, but Arizona needs more than Jeff Gladney and Marco Wilson outside.
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Bradberry would give the Cardinals a No. 1 outside corner, something the franchise did not have last season. Murphy Jr. had some big performances last year but is more suited in the slot, while Wilson was thrust into a big role as a fourth-round rookie.
Arizona did not add a proven cornerback this offseason and waited until the seventh round to draft one: Christian Matthew from Valdosta State.
Bradberry is 28 years old and has played at least 15 games in every season since 2017. He had a breakout campaign in 2020 with New York and made the No. 74 spot on the NFL 100 entering 2021.
Barnwell pointed to Arizona’s cap situation as a potential hurdle, but one not insurmountable unless another teams swoops in with a lucrative multi-year offer.
The Cardinals don’t exactly have a lot of cap space, which could make this difficult, especially given Murray’s very public requests for a new contract. If Bradberry can get a multiyear deal elsewhere, Arizona might be in trouble. But if he just gets a one-year contract, the Cards should be able to use voidable years to get such a deal for about $9 million done.
