Report: Giants Were 'Close' To Trading Pro Bowl CB To 1 Team

The New York Giants released cornerback James Bradberry on Monday after failing to find a trade partner.

That doesn’t mean they heard crickets from the rest of the NFL. According to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan (h/t Pro Football Talk), the Giants almost sent the 2020 Pro Bowler to the Houston Texans.

Duggan said the Giants and Texans had a deal in place for Bradberry, likely for a late-round draft pick. However, talks sputtered when Houston and Bradberry couldn’t settle on a new contract.

“The Giants were willing to pay some of Bradberry’s salary to accommodate a trade,” Duggan wrote, “but they would have wanted a better pick in return, so there was never a middle ground that was acceptable for all parties.”

Bradberry played all but one game for the Giants over the last two seasons, but they cut him to shed $10.1 million in cap space.

The 28-year-old, who spent his first four NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers, can now pick his new landing spot. While he’ll almost certainly take a pay cut, Bradberry at least has the opportunity to join a contender or town of his choosing.