New York Giants to sign James Bradberry: Grade, reaction and more

The New York Giants took their first step towards rebuilding a wretched defense by signing cornerback James Bradberry to a three-year deal.

Dave Gettleman has a load of cash and plenty of holes to fill, so the New York Giants figure to be active in free agency. The Giants made their first big move of the offseason, signing former Carolina corner James Bradberry to a three year deal worth $45 million, with $32 million guaranteed.

Bradberry, 26, may not have the name value of a guy like Byron Jones but is still a highly-productive football player. Last season with Carolina Bradberry picked off three passes and recorded 51 tackles while playing an effective man-to-man corner for the Panthers.

The Giants have a lot of young talent in the secondary but needed a veteran presence after trading Eli Apple and cutting Janoris Jenkins over the past few years. Bradberry will provide that for the Giants, who can now shift their focus to other areas of need on defense, like the linebacking corps or finding an edge rusher.

Contract Details

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Bradberry’s deal is a three year contract worth $45 million. The guaranteed figure? $32 million. Bradberry gets a nice chunk of change to reunite with Gettleman in New York.

National Reaction

The consensus seems to indicate that the Giants will be getting a solid corner to anchor their secondary. Bradberry won’t be mistaken for the second coming of Darrelle Revis, but he has good coverage skills that will make him a fit on the Giants’ defense.

It will be interesting to see how much value Bradberry provides in comparison to Byron Jones, who just became the NFL’s highest-paid corner by the Miami Dolphins. Jones may have more upside than Bradberry, but in terms of overall value, Bradberry is likely the savvier choice.

Grade: A-