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.