Giants, Texans Had James Bradberry Trade In Place; Chiefs Still On Radar?

It appears the Giants found a taker for James Bradberry‘s contract, but discussions on a prospective extension scuttled the deal, leading the veteran cornerback to free agency.

The Texans and Giants had a trade in place, according to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, one that would have seen Houston send a late-round pick to New York for the seventh-year cornerback (subscription required). These talks occurred before the draft, and Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes the Texans are not believed to be in play for Bradberry as a free agent (Twitter link). Houston has since signed Steven Nelson and drafted Derek Stingley Jr.  third overall.

The Giants agreed to pay part of Bradberry’s $13.4MM salary, per Duggan, but Wilson adds the sides were more than $5MM apart on a long-term extension. Bradberry was going into a contract year, but the Texans wanted to lock him down beyond 2022 upon acquiring him. By cutting Bradberry, the Giants will save more than $10MM. The former Panthers second-round pick, who signed a three-year deal worth $45MM with the Giants in 2020, will almost certainly play on a much lower salary this season.

Previously mentioned as a Bradberry suitor, the Chiefs are expected to look into him again, Wilson tweets. Kansas City lost Charvarius Ward in free agency but did use its first draft choice on Washington corner Trent McDuffie. Multiyear contributor Rashad Fenton remains with the team, though he is currently rehabbing a shoulder injury that leaves him uncertain to start training camp on time, as does versatile defender L’Jarius Sneed.

No serious pay-cut discussions between the Giants and Bradberry commenced, per Duggan, and the team passed on an automatic restructure of adding a void year to defray some of Bradberry’s cap hit to 2023. Because of this expected separation, the Giants became quite thin at corner. They drafted potential slot option Cordale Flott in Round 3 and have 2021 third-rounder Aaron Robinson as well, but Adoree’ Jackson moves up to the No. 1 spot for the rebuilding team.