Team gets worse with release of Bradberry

James Bradberry’s $21.8 million salary cap hit was unsustainable in this 2022 season. That is one reason the Giants released their best defensive back Monday. But they also cut him because the new regime had a lower opinion of the player than the last GM and head coach did.

Bradberry, 29, learned early this offseason that he was no longer wanted, which is why he stayed away until the team resolved this.

The Giants did not make an effort to extend Bradberry while the relationship was salvageable. New GM Joe Schoen also could have restructured Bradberry’s contract to kick some money into the future and retain him. But when he needed cap space earlier this spring, he opted to restructure corner Adoree Jackson instead.

The Giants will eat $10.3 million in dead money this season and save $11.5 million in cap space, if they designate Bradberry’s release a post-june 1 cut, per overthecap.com.

Schoen could have saved another $2 million by resolving Bradberry’s situation by mid-march, but $2 million of his contract became guaranteed on March 17.

Second-year corner Aaron Robinson is the most likely incumbent to challenge for a starting outside spot at the moment.