Giants Also Expected To Target CBs Byron Jones & James Bradberry

According to Ralph Vacchiano, the Giants are expected to have interest in Cowboys CB Byron Jones and Panthers CB James Bradberry as free agents. 

Both are widely seen as two of the best cornerbacks available on the open market this offseason and each could reset the current salary bar for the position. 

Vacchiano says the Giants are willing to spend, to a point, to land one. He also confirms the Jets are interested in both Jones and Bradberry and seem to be more willing to meet their asking prices than the Giants. 

Both the Giants and Jets have major needs at cornerback despite dipping into the free agency market in recent years for Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson respectively, neither who were in the teams’ plans for the future by late last season. 

However, Vacchiano notes neither team is considered the frontrunner for either player. He says the consensus at the Combine was that the Eagles were the frontrunners for Jones, while the Redskins and Bradberry’s former HC Ron Rivera were favored to land the likely soon-to-be-former Panther. 

Vacchiano mentions the Raiders and likely a few other teams will also be involved in the pursuit of Jones and Bradberry. 

Jones, 27, is a former first-round pick out of Connecticut by the Cowboys in the 2015 NFL Draft. He played out the final year of his four-year, $8.601 million rookie contract, but the Cowboys elected to pick up his fifth-year option last year which cost them $6,266,000 for 2019. 

In 2019, Jones appeared in 15 games and recorded 46 tackles, no interceptions, a forced fumble and six passes defended. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 14 cornerback out of 113 qualifying players.

Bradberry, 26, is a former second-round pick of the Panthers back in 2016. He’s currently in the final year of his four-year, $3.96 million contract and stands to make a base salary of $990,114 for the 2019 season.

Bradberry is in line to be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career this offseason.

In 2019, Bradberry has appeared in 12 games for the Panthers and recorded 57 tackles, one sack, three interceptions and nine pass defenses. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 68 cornerback out of 113 qualifying players.

We have both featured in our Top 50 – 2020 Free Agents list.