Free agent CB could follow Jonathan Gannon to the Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon could try to convince free agent-to-be James Bradberry to join him in the desert.
The Arizona Cardinals haven’t had much luck over the years when it comes to the cornerback position. On an almost annual basis, the club’s front office finds itself trying to assemble cover guys who have what it takes to lock down the NFL’s best wide receivers.
Unfortunately, the same challenge lies ahead for new Cards general manager Monti Ossenfort. At the present time, the team has just one starting-caliber corner under contract. Marco Wilson will presumably be back with Arizona in 2023, while Byron Murphy and Antonio Hamilton are scheduled to test the free-agent waters next month.
New Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon will presumably have his own ideas about the type of player he wants at the position. It just so happens that one of his cornerbacks from the Philadelphia Eagles could be looking for work when the league’s free agency signing period gets underway in March.
For the past seven campaigns, James Bradberry has been one of the most-productive defensive backs in professional football. In fact, the 29-year-old is fresh off of a fantastic season with the NFC champion Eagles. Now that he’s coaching the Redbirds, could Gannon convince Bradberry to bring his considerable talents to the Arizona desert?
James Bradberry would be an outstanding addition to the Arizona Cardinals
Bradberry has amassed some eye-popping numbers since he turned pro with the Carolina Panthers back in 2016. In his 109 appearances (108 starts), the 6 foot 1, 212 pounder has totaled 424 tackles,18 interceptions, three sacks and a whopping 99 passes defensed. This past fall, Bradberry scored the first touchdown of his career when he recorded a 27-yard pick-six during Philadelphia’s opening-day victory over the Detroit Lions.
Bradberry entered the league as a second-round draft pick of the Panthers seven years ago. The Samford University product then joined the New York Giants for two campaigns (2020-21) before moving on to the Eagles last season.
Murphy played well as the Cards’ number-one corner in 2022 until a back injury ended his year after just nine games. Hamilton was serviceable in the 10 matchups he competed in for the squad, but there’s a fairly good possibility that he’ll be performing somewhere else in ’23.
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The Cardinals need to acquire a high-profile cornerback this offseason, and Bradberry would be an outstanding choice. Maybe Ossenfort can use Gannon as the bait to make it happen.
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)
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