James Bradberry

New York Giants: Is James Bradberry an upgrade over Janoris Jenkins?

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New York Giants, Janoris Jenkins

The New York Giants’ defense struggled in 2019, especially after they cut Janoris Jenkins for the comments he made towards a fan on social media. The fight started on Twitter, Jenkins posted his stat line for the 2019 season, four interceptions and 45 solo tackles. One fan wrote back that they were irrelevant.

Jenkins replied with:

“I can only do my job,” followed by the word “retard.”

The New York Giants’ secondary couldn’t cover a slot receiver to save their lives in 2019! In free agency, the Giants made moves to fix the secondary with the addition of former Carolina Panthers corner, James Bradberry. This is a former Dave Gettleman draft pick from 2016. When Bradberry heard the breaking news, he said he had no idea he was heading to New York. 

“Honestly, he reached out to my agent. I really didn’t talk to (Dave) Gettleman. They came out of nowhere and made an offer, I didn’t even expect them to make an offer. He already knew the type of guy I was, and I already knew the type of guy he was. I already knew what type of organization he was trying to build over there in New York. I knew it was nothing but positive.”

James Bradberry 2019 stats

In 2019, Bradberry started in 15 games, recorded three interceptions and 51 solo tackles. As you can see, Bradberry’s numbers were very similar to Jenkins’s numbers in 2019. I think having a guy like Bradberry is huge for the Giants because he can cover the number one receiver and cover him anywhere he goes on the field. On multiple occasions, Bradberry was seen following a receiver into the slot, this is something the Giants need because they can never cover small slot receivers like Cole Beasley.

Bradberry went up against some of the top receivers in the league in 2019 and also put up some great stat lines. The NFC South is no easy division, Bradberry faced off against Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, and Julio Jones twice last season. A guy like Bradberry has a few years under his belt, and facing this competition really is a promising sign for the Giants. I think he is a huge upgrade over Jenkins because Jenkins was primarily an outside corner. With the addition of Bradberry, he can cover a team’s number one receiver in the slot and also spread out wide. The man can do it all, it will be interesting to see what the Giants have in store for him in 2020.

New York Giants: James Bradberry Will Thrive As Team’s Primary Cornerback

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New York Giants, James Bradberry

The New York Giants‘ secondary has been rebuilt over the last two years. New York has invested plenty of draft capital into their secondary. The team drafted the likes of Julian Love and DeAndre Baker in 2019 and also traded for Jabrill Peppers. In 2020, the investments continued, as the team drafted Xavier McKinney and signed James Bradberry to a lucrative contract.

James Bradberry was the Giants’ biggest splash signing in free agency this year. After four impressive years in Carolina, James earned himself a three-year $43.5M contract with New York. Bradberry was a major acquisition for the Gmen and he will serve as their number one cornerback. But is that a role the 26-year-old will thrive in?

Bradberry As A Number One Cornerback

James Bradberry faced some of the best wide receiver competition in the NFL as a member of the Panthers. The Panthers play in the NFC South which is a division loaded with wide receiver talent. Twice a year, Bradberry matched up against the likes of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, and Michael Thomas.

The Carolina Panthers used James Bradberry as a true number one cornerback. He typically followed the opposing team’s primary receiving target. In 2019, this was a defensive strategy the Giants did not use. The team’s primary cornerback, Janoris Jenkins, voiced his frustration last season with the role he played on defense. The Giants rarely had Jenkins shadow opposing receivers.

That was the defensive strategy that the Giants took in 2019, but they will likely change that strategy in 2020. Shadowing receivers is what Bradberry is best at and new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham runs a man-heavy scheme. There will be plenty of opportunities for Bradberry to man up on star receivers in 2020.

The Giants have a difficult schedule to play in 2020. New York will go up against numerous high-powered offenses with superstar receivers for Bradberry to shadow. Some of the receivers James Bradberry will have to match up against include: Allen Robinson, Robert Woods, Amari Cooper, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, AJ Green, DJ Metcalf, DeAndre Hopkins, and Odell Beckham Jr. James Bradberry and the Giants’ secondary will have their hands full in 2020. But in a new defensive scheme with improved talent, the unit should manage to cause some trouble for opposing offenses.

Projecting The New York Giants’ Top Roster Strengths in 2020

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New York Giants, Darnay Holmes, Julian Love, Jabrill Peppers, DeAndre Baker, Xavier McKinney, Corey Ballentine

The New York Giants have rebuilt their roster over the past couple of seasons. They found their future franchise quarterback, Daniel Jones, in 2019 and revamped their offensive line in 2020. The future is bright for the New York Giants, but the rebuild is not complete. There are some legitimate strengths on their roster but also some glaring weaknesses. Today, I will break down those strengths heading into 2020, and tomorrow I will be back to breakdown those weaknesses.

Running Back

Saquon Barkley is entering his third season in the NFL. The 23-year-old freak athlete out of Penn State is coming off of a thousand-yard rushing season, despite playing in only 13 games. He led the NFL in scrimmage yards as a rookie with 2028 yards. He is arguably the most talented running back in the league and will be playing in a new, run-heavy offensive scheme in 2020.

The hiring of Jason Garrett should be music to Saquon’s ears. Garrett has led one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks over the past decade in Dallas. Jason Garrett and the Dallas Cowboys ran for 2,153 yards last season on 4.8 yards per attempt with 18 rushing touchdowns. The team has rushed for over 1,900 yards in every season since 2016. In 2015 they were 10 yards short of that mark but were coming off of an explosive 2,354 rushings yards in 2014. Expect to see the New York Giants’ offense feature a heavy dosage of run plays with Saquon Barkley and the solid depth behind him in Dion Lewis.

The Defensive Line

Dave Gettleman has invested plenty of assets into the Giants’ defensive line. Reese invested a 2017 second-round draft pick on Dalvin Tomlinson. Dave Gettleman followed that up in 2018, drafting BJ Hill in the third round and RJ McIntosh in the seventh round.

In 2019, Dave Gettleman and the Giants went all-in bolstering the defensive line. They spent a first-round pick on Dexter Lawrence, a seventh-round pick in Chris Slayton, then made the controversial trade for Leonard Williams. Trading for Williams cost a 2020 third-round draft pick and a 2021 fifth-round draft pick. Plus, of course, the $16M+ franchise tag.

Altogether, the Giants have invested seven draft picks and around $20M in their defensive line. But this pricey investment has paid off. The Giants have one of the NFL’s best defensive lines with plenty of young talent that will only get better. Heading into 2020, the defensive line is the strongest positional group on the New York Giants’ roster.

The Secondary

Another positional group that the Giants have invested plenty of assets in recently is their secondary. In 2019, the Giants drafted three defensive backs (four if you count Sam Beal, the supplemental draft selection). The Giants traded up into the first round to draft DeAndre Baker, stole Julian love in the fourth round, and picked Corey Ballentine in the sixth round.

The Giants did lose Janoris Jenkins this year, but they quickly replaced him with James Bradberry. The Gmen signed Bradberry to a lucrative three-year, $43M contract. Bradberry will serve as the Giants’ primary cornerback in 2020 and beyond. The team also found two cornerbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Darnay Holmes, their fourth-round pick, could be a day-one starter in the slot. Chris Williamson was also a solid pick in the seventh round.

On the back end, the Giants have Jabrill Peppers, the talented safety acquired in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade. Peppers impressed in 2019 but had his season cut short due to injury. The Giants have also paired another young, talented safety with Peppers. Their second-round pick in 2020, Xavier McKinney, is an uber-versatile, instant-impact player. Combine those two talents with Julian Love mixed in and the Giants have a young trio of safeties to build their defense around for years to come.

Meet The New York Giants’ New & Improved 2020 Secondary

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New York Giants, Darnay Holmes, Julian Love, Jabrill Peppers, DeAndre Baker, Xavier McKinney, Corey Ballentine

The New York Giants‘ secondary dealt with peaks and valleys in 2019. There were some big-plays mixed in with plenty of rookie mistakes and persistent struggles against top offenses. New York invested a lot of draft capital into its secondary in 2019 and doubled down this offseason.

The Giants made a big splash-signing at cornerback in free agency. They then followed that up by drafting a potential day-one starter at slot cornerback this past weekend. The New York Giants’ secondary is now loaded with young, versatile talents. The potential is there for the Giants to have one of the best young secondaries in the NFL in 2020.

The Versatile Safeties

Jabrill Peppers, Julian Love, and Xavier McKinney combine to create arguably the most versatile safety group in the NFL. Each of the players in this trio can line up in at least three different positions. Julian Love has played slot cornerback, deep free safety, and in-the-box strong safety. Jabrill Peppers is primarily an in-the-box strong safety but has also played linebacker and deep safety. In college, Xavier McKinney played over 200 snaps at three different positions; 323 snaps in the box, 227 in the slot, and 271 deep (PFF).

Thie trio of versatile safeties will allow Patrick Graham to be very creative with his defense. Having three different safeties that can each play three different positions efficiently will keep opposing offenses guessing. Typically there are only two safeties on the field at a time, but with this trio, Giants fans can expect to see plenty of three-safety looks.

Young, Talented Outside Cornerbacks

The Giants have invested heavily in their secondary over the past two years. They spent a first-round pick on DeAndre Baker last year. Baker struggled for much of his rookie season but seemed to show significant signs of improvement towards the end of the year. In 2020, DeAndre will start on the outside again and hopefully build on a promising finish to the 2019 season.

Starting opposite of Baker as the Giants’ primary cornerback will be newly signed free agent James Bradberry. Bradberry, coming from Carolina, is no stranger to following top-tier receiving talent. Bradberry shadowed the likes of Julio Jones, Mike Evans, and Michael Thomas twice a year as a member of the Panthers. He will instantly join the Giants’ secondary as the best coverage man and take on the most challenging tasks for the defense week to week.

DeAndre Baker and James Bradberry will man the outside cornerback positions. But who will play the slot/nickel cornerback position? There will be a competition to see who gets that starting role but expect to see a rotation in this position.

Nickel Cornerback Competition

Last year, the slot cornerback position was manned by Grant Haley and Corey Ballentine. Haley struggled immensely in coverage but demonstrated impressive open-field tackling. Ballentine, a sixth-round draft pick from 2019, was not ready to perform and struggled considerably. But he showed a lot of promise last preseason, so hopefully, Ballentine can take a step forward and improve in 2020.

The latest addition to the slot cornerback position is 2020 fourth-round pick, Darnay Holmes, out of UCLA. Holmes played on the outside in college, but his limited size will move him into the slot at the professional level. Holmes did try out nickel cornerback at the Senior Bowl this year, and he said he loved it. Analysts pointed out that he excelled in that new role in Mobile.

The Giants have plenty of depth at the slot cornerback position. But who will be the starter at the nickel? As I stated earlier, expect to see rotation. Since day one, Joe Judge has made it clear: players will play to their strengths. They will not be asked to do things at which they are not proficient. These three slot cornerbacks all have different skillsets that can be applied in various ways.

Maximizing Potential Through Rotations

For example, Grant Haley struggles in coverage but is a solid open-field tackler. This is why the Giants can use Haley in goal-line or short-yardage packages. Third-and-goal, fourth-and-two, Grant Haley can go in there and make a clutch tackle to keep the defense short of the line to gain.

On the flip side, in long-yardage situations and obvious passing-downs, Darnay Holmes’s speed and athleticism will come into play. He has the speed to keep up with quicker receivers going deep and the coverage ability to stick with slot receivers on deep-breaking routes.

The Giants’ two-year investment into the secondary is paying off. They have the versatility and flexibility to move their players around and put them in the best situations possible to make an impact. Giants fans should be ecstatic about the foundation that has been laid out for the future of the defense.

Did the New York Giants really upgrade their secondary? Here’s a look

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New York Giants, James Bradberry

Taking a look at the New York Giants‘ secondary and if they really took a step forward this offseason.

The Giants entered this off-season with one essential goal, upgrade the secondary and ensure the pass rush had support in 2020. Replacing Janoris Jenkins was a necessity after being cut later on in the season. Finding a new number one corner would be expensive and complicated, considering the competition for players like Byron Jones in free agency. Ultimately, the Giants passed on Jones, who inevitably signed with the Miami Dolphins, allocating resources toward former Carolina Panther James Bradberry instead.

Comparing Jenkins to Bradberry:

Jenkins has been a consistent corner for the Giants over the past two years but losing began to take its toll. In 13 games last season, Jenkins recorded a 53.8% completion rate against, 503 yards allowed, and three touchdowns. His 14.3% missed tackle rate ballooned in 2019. While he was solid in coverage and only really allowed a completion half of the time, there were plays that he took off and tackles he failed to make.

This is what resulted in him getting cut by the Giants, leaving a void in the secondary for general manager Dave Gettleman to fill.

Bradberry, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Giants this off-season, played in 15 games for the Panthers in 2019. At 26 years old, he posted 12 passes defended, a 59.8% completion rate, 644 yards allowed, and one touchdown. His ability in coverage was solid, and his low touchdown numbers were stellar.

Two years ago, Bradberry posted a 44.2% completion rate, one of the lowest in the NFL. Despite his impressive numbers in coverage, he allowed six touchdowns, which was slashed by five this past season. Clearly, he adapted and lowered his touchdown totals, which may have resulted in being a little bit more conservative in coverage. If he can put those two categories together and play at a high-level, Bradberry can be better than Jenkins and ultimately restore the number one corner position for the New York Giants.

How about the rest of the secondary?

The rest of the secondary is relatively young, but the Giants have invested plenty of capital in young corners and safeties. After a recent interview with the defender Julian Love, he expressed his confidence in playing free safety. His comfort in the defensive backfield and adaptation in 2019 allows him to play there in the future if the Giants see him in that role.

With Love, Cory Ballentine, and DeAndre Baker all entering their second year in the NFL, I anticipate a substantial jump from all three, which would increase the production of the secondary exponentially.

Gettleman may invest in a free safety in the NFL draft — a player like Antoine Winfield Jr. is a talented prospect, but they should be confident that Love can hold down the spot. This would also imply that Grant Haley and Ballentine would feature as the slot corner and continue to develop there.

New York Giants Announce New Free Agent Numbers

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New York Giants, James Bradberry

The New York Giants announced the numbers that their newly signed free agents will be wearing in 2020. The Giants announced the numbers for ten of the twelve free agents they signed this offseason. The two players whose numbers have not been announced are Corey Coleman and Casey Kreiter. Coleman will likely wear the same number he wore with the Giants the last two seasons (19) but Casey Kreiter will have to find himself a new number. He wore 42 in Denver but the New York Giants have retired that number.

The New Numbers:

James Bradberry- 24

Colt McCoy- 12

Levine Toilolo- 83

Austin Johnson- 93

Blake Martinez- 54

Kyler Fackrell- 51

Cameron Fleming- 75

Eric Tomlinson- 85

Nate Ebner- 43

Dion Lewis- 33

Numbers of Notice:

James Bradberry will be keeping his number 24 from Carolina. The Giants did have a number 24 on the roster in 2019. Rookie safety Julian Love wore 24 after switching from the number 37 that he wore during the preseason. Love will undergo another number change in 2020. After giving 24 to Bradberry, Julian will switch to number 20 for the upcoming NFL season.

The Giants also gave number 51 to new pass-rusher Kyler Fackrell. This number was occupied in 2019- and the twelve seasons prior. 51 was the number donned by long snapper Zak DeOssie since 2007. But the Giants are moving on from DeOssie this season, signing free agent long snapper Casey Kreiter. So, for the first time in 13 years, number 51 will be worn by a player not named Zak DeOssie.

New York Giants: James Bradberry Speaks On Signing With Team, Versatility

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New York Giants, James Bradberry

The New York Giants have a new number one cornerback in town after the departure last season of Janoris Jenkins, and that’s James Bradberry, a slightly controversial signing who previously filled in for Josh Norman’s role on the Panthers.

Bradberry was drafted by Dave Gettleman originally and reunites with the current Giants GM after the Giants made an offer that Bradberry described as a surprise in his first interview since joining the team.

Recently, Bradberry spoke of just how that deal went down and on other subjects in his first conference call since joining the team.

“I really didn’t talk to (Dave) Gettleman. They came out of nowhere and made an offer, I didn’t even expect them to make an offer. He already knew the type of guy I was, and I already knew the type of guy he was,” Bradberry said, before praising the type of organization that Gettleman is building with the Giants.

He was also asked about being a veteran leader for the younger players in the secondary, something that’s desperately needed after last season when the Giants were forced to rely on rising players such as DeAndre Baker and Julian Love rather than more established veterans, especially after the departure of Jenkins.

“In order to improve you have to take knowledge and apply it on the field. That’s what I want to do for the younger guys, I want to give them knowledge and hopefully they can apply it on the field,” Bradberry stated.

“I see myself as a versatile corner. I can play zone, I can play man. I was down for whatever,” he added when asked about where his strengths fit in the defense. His man coverage, and his shadowing of notable receivers during the 2019 season, is one of the primary reasons why the Giants signed him to a large contract.

“Of course, playing a lot of man is a challenge for any cornerback and I am always willing to accept a challenge,” Bradberry said about that type of coverage specifically.

“I talked to him a little bit after I signed,” the cornerback continued, speaking about head coach Joe Judge. “We talked about life and what’s going on right now in the world. He was telling me they are postponing OTA’s and we are going to figure out football later on. Right now, we are just going to worry about what’s going on in the world.”

Bradberry has yet to visit the Giants facilities, thanks to the coronavirus outbreak that’s already hit the sports world hard this year – free agency visits were one of the things that had to be cancelled because of this virus, and Bradberry has remained in Charlotte for offseason training rather than coming to New Jersey.

It could be a bit of time before fans see Bradberry on the field depending on how long the situation lasts into the offseason, but eventually the Giants will likely be able to say something they haven’t been able to say in some time – that they have a real number one cornerback leading the secondary.

New York Giants: Eli Manning Talks Free Agents, Coronavirus

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New York Giants, Eli Manning

It’s the offseason again and for the first time in many years, retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning doesn’t have to think about the NFL and the next Giants season. Manning retired this year and hasn’t immediately jumped to a role in coaching or broadcasting, leaving him to a calmer life with family, at least for this year. However, that doesn’t mean Manning has stopped following the team entirely.

He has some takes on this year’s team and he spoke about it with the New York Post in a recent interview, but first talked of the coronavirus pandemic which has already taken hold in New Jersey.

“We’re doing everything possible to get through this. We’re taking the right steps, and obviously, this is an uncertain time. But, I think this country, and the Northeast and New Jersey and New York, are resilient and we’re tough and we kind of find a way to fight through things,” Manning said.

He says that he and his wife have explained things to their kids, and that they’re staying inside a bit and washing their hands.

The measures against the virus, of course, have disrupted the NFL offseason already – offseason activities are being called off, the Draft will likely be conducted virtually, and the Manning Passing Academy may even have to change plans because of it all.

“It’s not until late June, so we do have a little time to kind of see how this all plays out. We’ll see how this next month goes, and then maybe have to start making decisions there,” Eli said when asked about the Manning Passing Academy and its future plans.

Manning did have some takes on some of the new signings that will play for the Giants in 2020, however. He was positive about both Blake Martinez and James Bradberry, both of whom signed deals this year with the team.

“I think he’s a good player. I haven’t studied him extremely well, but he makes a ton of tackles, and he’s around the ball, so I think he will be a good fit and make a lot of plays. I don’t know much about just from a leadership standpoint and all those things, so hopefully he’ll be a great leader and be able to get the defense back on track,” Manning said about Martinez, who will add much needed help to the linebacker position.

But he was also positive about James Bradberry, the player that comes into this season as the replacement for Janoris Jenkins and the number one cornerback on the Giants.

“He does a good job making plays on the ball. It seems like he’s a smart guy reading things and kind of knowing when he can be aggressive and jump certain routes. I feel he is a good player who should be able to fit into the system and play well,” Manning said of the former Panthers cornerback.

Both players will have a lot of weight on their shoulders because of their sizable contracts, which will be a point of contention in the fanbase until they can prove themselves on the field. One can only hope that’s able to happen on time, and that the 2020 season doesn’t end up as another thing pushed off because of this year’s virus.

What are the New York Giants getting in James Bradberry?

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New York Giants, James Bradberry

Personality is an underrated factor when it comes to players in the NFL. Often times, coaches will tolerate a crazed temperament and disposition if the player produces quality performances on the football field. That’s what the New York Giants endured with Odell Beckham Jr. and the Pittsburg Steelers with Antonio Brown.

The New York Giants don’t need any more distractions:

Having a player who can put their head down and work without creating a distraction is a significant part of locker-room success. The Giants are getting just that in cornerback James Bradberry, who signed a three-year, $45 million deal with Big Blue this free agency period.

As a tier-2 player, Bradberry does not carry “elite” status at the cornerback position, but he’s a quality player who has room left to grow.

George Willis of the NY Post spoke to his father, who stated that he would be coming to the Big Apple with a chip on his shoulder:

“He’s still got that chip on his shoulder from his senior year in high school,” James Bradberry Sr. told The Post. “From some reason, the ACC and the SEC schools said he was too slow even though he led the state in interceptions. He was 6-foot, 205 pounds and ran a 4.5, and they were recruiting players that were slower than him. He’s still got that chip on his shoulder about that. He’s always out to prove himself.”

Bradberry’s father seems to be an integral factor in his son’s decision making, as he called out the Panthers and Matt Rhule for turning to an offensive mentality that puts the defensive in the rear-view mirror.

“They gave Rhule a big contract, but he hasn’t proven anything. He comes from the Big 12, which is an offensive-minded conference. You can rebuild the offense, but keep that defense together. You need defense to win in the NFL.”

Bradberry’s father also detailed an even more interesting fact — the Giants were all in on Dallas’ Byron Jones, but lost out on him to the Miami Dolphins, who gave him more years and guaranteed money. Bradberry was second on the list and matched his number with little negotiation.

“The Giants first wanted the guy from Dallas and were really going after him,” Bradberry said. “When they didn’t get him, they had my son second and they matched the number that he wanted.”

There’s no question that James is a great player who can fill the void Janoris Jenkins left behind, but the Giants have struggled in the secondary the past few seasons, which attests to the investments they’ve made to bolster the unit.

New head coach Joe Judge seems to be focused on stopping the run and upgrading the defensive backfield, which is a priority after the Giants ranked towards the bottom of the league in most categories.

The offense has plenty of playmakers to work with but needs offensive tackle support, which could be addressed in the upcoming draft.

New York Giants: Dave Gettleman Praised By James Bradberry

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New York Giants, James Bradberry

New York Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman is far from the most popular one the Giants have had, as shown by the calls for his firing this offseason that fell on deaf ears – but there’s still multiple figures within the organization that will stand by him and his skills. Apparently, one of those people that supports Gettleman is one of the latest free agent signings of the Giants, former Panthers cornerback James Bradberry, who was originally drafted by Gettleman in Carolina.

He had some decent things to say about Gettleman recently, while speaking to Jim Rome on Monday about his reasons for coming to the Giants over other suitors.

“I just felt like New York was a better fit for me. I knew Mr. Gettleman and I knew what type of organization he’s trying to build over there. I knew some of the players over there as well and they had nothing but good things to say about the organization,” Bradberry said, speaking about picking the Giants over the Lions.

It contradicts the theory that has gone around in rumors this offseason that players and staff don’t want to work or play for Gettleman – the narrative has died down as of more recently, but previously in the offseason seemed like the prevailing one around the General Manager, and was one of the multiple reasons a lot of the fanbase has pushed for his firing.

Then again, there’s no telling if Bradberry’s opinion is shared by most of the outside free agents the Giants may target in the future – while Bradberry has never played for the Giants, he does have experience with Gettleman in the past from Carolina, where he’s had success as a player on Gettleman’s roster.

This leaves one specific question without an answer. Has the narrative of Dave Gettleman being poor at attracting talent been broken by now, or is this just a case of Bradberry being fond of the General Manager that brought him into the league?