The Cincinnati Bengals could use another cornerback for the 2022 season and James Bradberry joining the stripes’ secondary would be a dream come true.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report put together a list of every team’s ideal offseason trade scenario and for Cincy, it was trading for the Giants cornerback to replace Eli Apple, who is a free agent.
Here was what Ballentine had to say on the trade scenario:
"James Bradberry had an off year in 2021, but he still put up solid production. His PFF grade of 62.8 was a hair higher than Apple’s 61.0 from this season.The difference is Apple has never scored higher than the 64.5 he earned in 2017. Bradberry had a Pro Bowl season in which he had a grade of 79.8 while holding opposing passers to an 81.2 rating in 2020."
Cincinnati Bengals should trade for CB James Bradberry
Bradberry was a second-round pick by the Panthers in the 2016 NFL Draft and signed with the Giants two years ago. Since that time, he’s been a solid and durable starter for New York. He’s a ballhawk, picking off four passes this past season and also defending 17 passes.
It feels like a foregone conclusion that Trae Waynes will be cut this offseason, leaving Cincinnati with Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton at the cornerback spot. Help is needed and Bradberry is someone who could come in and give the Bengals one of the best secondaries in the entire league.
The offensive line is going to be priority No. 1 for Cincinnati, as it should be, but the team needs to add help at corner. Awuzie had an incredible inaugural season in the Queen City and the next step is to get someone who can make the secondary a shutdown unit. Bradberry could be that guy.
The Giants save $12.1 million per Spotrac if Bradberry is traded before June 1, making this another smart decision for them. He’s a good player but they could save money and get something for the guy while they still can.
Would you want to see the Bengals land James Bradberry in a trade?