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.â€
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.Â
“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.