Giants get worse with release of veteran CB 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 on 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, which they could have done to spread out his salary cap hit if they had considered him irreplaceable.

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 — kicking some of his money into future years — and still cut Bradberry here in May.

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 midMarch, but $2 million of his contract became guaranteed on March 17.

The Giants' secondary is extremely thin. They did not meaningfully address the outside corner position in free agency or the draft. Jackson, a former firstround pick that the Titans let walk out the door in 2021, is their top outside corner at the moment.

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

New Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale needs reinforcements. His former Ravens corner Jimmy Smith, 33, who knows the system, would be an obvious fit if physical health and contract line up for the unrestricted free agent.

Schoen has been trying to