Cornerback James Bradberry is officially on the market. Could the Pittsburgh Steelers add another cornerback in the 2022 off-season?
According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic:
"The Giants are releasing CB James Bradberry after failing to find a trade partner, per source. The move will create $10.1M in cap savings while leaving $11.7M in dead money."
Steelers front office when they learned James Bradberry was released. pic.twitter.com/20Ihrlz422
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) May 9, 2022
The Steelers could look to vastly improve at cornerback with the addition of Bradberry. The Steelers decided not to re-sign Joe Haden following the 2021 season. The team signed former Buffalo Bills cornerback, Levi Wallace to a two-year, $8 million dollar deal back in March.
After that, the cornerback room is filled with promise, but question marks. Currently, on the depth chart with Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon (who had 14 tackles and 3 interceptions in just 9 starts in 2021), is Cameron Sutton. Sutton has been with the Steelers since being drafted in 2017. He lines up on the right side and has adapted to the Steelers use of nickel and dime packages.
After those three comes James Pierre and Justin Layne (who has yet to break out of a depth roll since being drafted in 2019 out of Michigan State).
None of those options carry the speed Bradberry does or the tools of a top safety in the NFL. Acquiring Bradberry would also pad the depth chart with the down shuffling that would accompany the move. Defensive depth is an area the Steelers have struggled with in recent years.
What James Bradberry Brings to the Table
Bradberry signed with the New York Football Giants in 2022 after four years in Carolina. At 29 years of age, the Pro Bowl corner has 15 interceptions and 82 passes defended in 92 career games. He is the kind of big time playmaker head coach Mike Tomlin loves. Think Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2019. The Steelers also missed out on, but were reportedly interested in, free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu prior to his signing in New Orleans.
So the Steelers see the need for upgrading their secondary. This defense has a chance to be one of the better defenses in the league in 2022, which would go a long way with a lot of young and new faces on the offensive side of the ball.
What it would take for the Steelers to land James Bradberry
Aggression!
There are no doubt a lot of teams that could use Bradberry in their secondary. And for the Steelers to get him, they would most likely have to win a bidding war. Currently, Spotrac is listing his market at three-years, $37.6 million. If the Steelers were unwilling or unable to sign Mathieu who went to the Saints on a three-year, $33 million deal, it would make a near $38 million deal for Bradberry seem like a steep hill to climb.
It is possible that the Steelers didn't see a need to pay a high price for Mathieu with their own former safety Terrell Edmunds still unsigned. In fact, that is just what they did. They signed Edmonds to a team friendly one-year, $2,537,500 contract.
The Steelers seemingly don't have a similar situation at cornerback, unless they plan to bring back former Steelers cornerback Haden on a team friendly-deal.
A deal for Bradberry would also depend on what kind of money is tied up in Fitzpatrick's contract extension. It was reported in early April that the Steelers were close on a contract that would make Fitzpatrick the league's highest paid safety.
Multiple teams will be in on Bradberry
The Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs have also been linked as potential landing spots for Bradberry. As have the Tennessee Titans, who reportedly had a deal in place for the cornerback before it fell through.
The price will be high, as will the teams they would have to beat out. But one thing remains clear. Acquiring Bradberry would greatly improve the secondary, the defense and the team in total in 2022.
What do yinz think? Should the Steelers make a play for James Bradberry? Click below to comment.
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