Super Bowl LVII will be something of a what-if moment for the New York Giants, who have several former players ready to suit up for either the Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles.
James Bradberry spent this season with the latter, but the Pro-Bowl cornerback is “open minded” about returning to MetLife Stadium. Bradberry, who was a salary cap casualty of the new Giants’ regime fronted by general manager Joe Schoen last offseason, said “the possibilities are limitless when it comes to free agency and where I end up. It just depends on who wants me. I still have friends (with the Giants) and my DB coach (Jerome Henderson) is still there and he’s a great coach. I miss playing under his tutelage,” per NJ.com’s Bob Brookover.
Although Bradberry “can’t make any promises,” his connection with defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson is a good omen for the Giants. Schoen’s team needs help at cornerback, and 29-year-old Bradberry remains a proven commodity with legitimate shutdown ability.
He’s also one of two prominent names who turned being shunned by Schoen into a Super Bowl berth with a new team. Wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who was traded to the Chiefs back in October, is the other.
Meanwhile, nose tackle Linval Joseph, who started for the Giants the last time the franchise won a Lombardi Trophy, is Bradberry’s teammate on the Eagles’ defense.
James Bradberry a Big Miss on Giants’ Defense
Bradberry showed the Giants what they were missing by putting together a fine season for the Eagles. He intercepted three passes and broke up 17 more during the regular season, before adding two pass breakups and a pick when the Eagles beat the Giants 38-7 in the Divisional Playoffs.
Haunting his former team was a moment Bradberry enjoyed, according to Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer:
James Bradberry labels his interception off Giants QB Daniel Jones as a Top 5 moment in his career
Enjoying his football has been common for Bradberry while allowing a mere 45.3 completion percentage, according to Pro Football Reference. The same site also noted how opposing quarterbacks had a 51.3 rating when targeting Bradberry.
Playing for a contender has helped, while Bradberry has formed a formidable partnership with fellow corner Darius Slay. They have both excelled in man coverage, with Next Gen Stats detailing how well Bradberry has fared in this area:
Instead, opposing quarterbacks have targeted James Bradberry in man coverage this season.
Bradberry has allowed just 15 receptions for 129 yards on 45 targets in man coverage (27.3% target rate).
Those numbers are significant for a Giants defense heavily reliant on man coverage. The unit also blitzed at a rate of 39.7 percent, the highest in the NFL.
All the blitzing and one-on-one coverage are features of defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale’s schemes. He’s been heavily linked to the vacant head-coaching job with the Indianapolis Colts, but Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post believes Henderson could be in line to replace Martindale if he leaves.
Henderson’s elevation would only boost the Giants’ chances of reuniting with Bradberry. Especially since Slay admitted it will be tough for the Eagles to keep Bradberry, per Brookover: “It might be hard (to keep Bradberry), because he’s always been a number one corner in my eyes. We’re just 1-A and 1-B. He’s not concerned what he’s going to do in the offseason right now because he’s focused on this game, but he has a real, real big payday coming.”
Whether Bradberry truly wants the Giants to offer that payday is another matter. Like Toney, he’s moved on after this regime was content to let him walk.
Former Giants Ready for Super Bowl
Bradberry doesn’t harbor any ill will toward Schoen for his release. He made that clear to reporters (h/t Michael Eisen of Giants.com) during Super Bowl Opening Night: “I was looking at it from a business standpoint. I knew the salary cap was what it was and where I fell on it. So, I knew either they were going to have to trade me or release me.”
While Bradberry described his time with the Giants as “a rough little stint,” he may have been referring to how much the team struggled. The Giants went 10-23 during Bradberry’s two seasons at MetLife Stadium.
His arrival from the Carolina Panthers in 2020 could do nothing to reverse a losing tide. Nor could drafting Toney 20th overall the following year.
Injuries and inconsistency plagued the roving playmaker as a Giant, but Toney insisted leaving wasn’t his idea, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post: “At the end of the day it wasn’t my decision. I’m in a position where I’m just grateful to be here. God’s got a plan and I just stick to it, regardless. I don’t have any comments about [the trade], it is what it is. I don’t run the business side, I just play.”
Just as the Giants would love to have a cornerback as accomplished as Bradberry, they’d probably dearly love to have a weapon like Toney. He’s been making plays as both a receiver and a runner for the Chiefs, with the latter quality helping to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round:
Toney and Bradberry are experiencing their first Super Bowl, but Joseph is finally back in a second. The Giants’ second-round pick in 2010 won it all after helping Big Blue beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI.
Joseph joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 and had a stint with the Los Angeles Chargers before signing with the Eagles back in November. He told Schwartz: I’m back. It took 11 years. It does feel good. The first one happened so fast, I was young, and this one, I’m soaking it all in. I want to be able to enjoy it with my family. It’s a little extra kick.”
It’s going to be strange for the Giants to see so many familiar faces vying to win a championship, but there doesn’t have to be any regrets. Schoen made some tough personnel decisions to provide salary cap relief, load up on draft picks and give different players the chance to buy into a new culture.
The plan is for those players to eventually be where Bradberry, Toney and Joseph are now.
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Super Bowl 57 Participant ‘Open Minded’ About Giants Return