Is James Bradberry the best free agent fit for the Arizona Cardinals in 2023?
By Sion Fawkes
James Bradberry knows Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, so is he heading west after a successful tenure in Philadelphia?
The Arizona Cardinals are unique for a rebuilding team. They already have a slew of solid puzzle pieces on defense, plus a quarterback who they believe can lead the franchise to heights not seen in quite some time.
They also have plenty of cap space, and they could be a few major roster moves short of accumulating even more space. Releasing Robbie Anderson helped in that regard, and so would a couple of trades.
With that, their projected cap space will increase, and it raises the likelihood that they will spend a lot of that money when free agency rolls around next week. So who should top their list of free agent targets? Per ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, cornerback James Bradberry is a must-sign option for Arizona.
Will the Arizona Cardinals sign James Bradberry?
We know that Byron Murphy Jr is a pending free agent, and Marco Wilson factors best as a CB2. Bradberry could fill in as the team’s top corner, and although he will be 30 years old this season, the former Philadelphia Eagles product is showing no signs of slowing down.
He thrived in Gannon’s system last year, totaling 17 deflected passes, 3 interceptions, 54 return yards, and a pick six. Bradberry also allowed a ridiculous 45.3% completion percentage, a 51.6 passer rating for opposing quarterbacks, and just 4.4 yards per pass attempt.
He was easily one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL last season, and his Second-Team All-Pro selection solidifies that. Overall, expect general manager Monti Ossenfort to make a hard run at Bradberry, and don’t be surprised if he’s wearing a cardinal and red uniform in 2023.
So is he a good fit for the Cardinals? While I believe Ossenfort will invest a lot of cash in the offensive and defensive lines, and he should, snagging a leader like Bradberry who would immediately fill the CB1 spot makes him a good fit for the Cardinals.
Bonus points for his experience in playing for Gannon. My recommendation? Arizona needs to go out and land him.
Related. Major network tabs Bradford as Cardinals worst free agent signing since 2018. dark
Source: 2023 NFL free agency: One player every team must sign by Aaron Schatz, ESPN.com.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)