Raiders have interest in James Bradberry
The Raiders have shown interest in James Bradberry after the cornerback was released by the New York Giants on Monday.
After two seasons with New York, cornerback James Bradberry, a former second round choice of the Carolina Panthers, was released on Monday by the Giants.
The veteran corner who signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Giants in 2020, hit the open market, and the Raiders instantaneously showed interest in pursuing the 28-year-old.
Why did the Panthers release James Bradberry?
The Giants failed to find a trade partner for the 2020 Pro Bowler given that they’re already strapped up against the salary cap. Bradberry was asking for $15 million a year, which is a big corner amount for a team not yet ready to contend, and New York was looking to sign their incoming 2022 draft class.
What acquiring Bradberry means for the Raiders
The Raiders have $5.6 million in available salary cap space, so if they were to sign Bradberry, the cornerback would have to cut back on the $13.5 million he was expecting from New York.
There’s no doubt Vegas could use Bradberry’s expertise, especially being the team with the fewest interceptions (six) in the NFL, ranked 24th in opponent passer rating (96.4).
Bradberry finished with 47 tackles, four interceptions and 17 passes defended in 2021.
What releasing Bradberry means for the Giants?
Releasing the 28-year-old meant creating $11.7 in dead money this season and saving the Giants $10.1 million against that cap in 2022.
Now, NFL experts are wondering whether the Panthers will try to bring back the corner after having invested massively in the cornerback room (re-signing Donte Jackson and trading Jaycee Horn for CJ Henderson).