Giants Could Extend CB James Bradberry
Throughout the offseason, it has sounded like the Giants and James Bradberry were heading toward a divorce. However, if the Giants are unable to find a trade partner, they could reverse course and extended their star cornerback instead. Per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, GM Joe Schoen has expressed a willingness to extend Bradberry “as a last resort.”
Why a last resort? The Giants aren’t trading Bradberry because of reduced play or anything. Rather, the cornerback is set to count for $21.8MM against the cap, and the Giants could save $12.1MM in space by trading the player. The pricey cap hit is the Giants’ primary motivation for exploring a trade, but it sounds like Schoen will clear up some cap space one way or the other.
An extension would decrease Bradberry’s cap hit in 2022…but it would dig into future space, something Schoen and the Giants front office has tried to avoid. The Giants continue to seek a third-round pick for the cornerback, and it will be interesting to see if a team is willing to bite on a trade as the draft approaches. The Chiefs were recently connected to Bradberry.
Despite a down year in 2021, Bradberry should still hold interest for cornerback-needy teams. He’s not too far removed from a Pro Bowl appearance in 2020, when he posted the lowest passer rating of any CB in the league, per PFF. This past season, the 28-year-old finished with 47 tackles and four interceptions.
Jets, Giants Eyeing CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner
It sounds like the two New York teams could be eyeing the best cornerback in the draft. According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv, both the Giants and Jets have “strong interest” in Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. Both organizations will host the cornerback on a top-30 pre-draft visit.
The Giants and Jets were present for Gardner’s Pro Day last week, with the Giants going as far as to take the cornerback out for dinner. The two organizations also met with the player at the NFL scouting combine earlier this month. Of course, the Jets and Giants aren’t the only teams to show interest in Sauce; per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com, the Eagles, Lions, and Seahawks will also host the player on a top-30 visit.
Gardner is one of the draft’s top prospects, and for good reason. Standing at 6-foot-3, the cornerback ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, and after allowing only 6.6 yards per reception last season, he earned consensus All-American and conference Defensive Player of the Year. In 33 games with Cincinnati, the cornerback had nine interceptions.
As Vacchiano notes, many believe Sauce won’t get past the Giants at No. 7. That means there’s little chance that he falls to the Jets at No. 10, so the team may need to use pick No. 4 if they hope to roster the best cornerback in the draft.
Patriots To Sign Jabrill Peppers
After visiting with the Patriots, safety Jabrill Peppers has decided to join the team. He is signing a one-year contract with New England, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). His colleague Field Yates tweets that the deal has a maximum value of $5MM. 
The 26-year-old met with the Patriots yesterday, signalling that a deal could be imminent. Now, he is set to join a new NFL team for the second time in his career. The former first rounder played two seasons in Cleveland, but wound up with the Giants as a result of the Odell Beckham Jr. trade.
He played in the Big Apple for three years, starting in 30 of his 32 appearances. Over that time, the former Michigan Wolverine totalled 196 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and 17 pass breakups. While his numbers in terms of pass coverage have never been favorable, he has established himself as an effective safety defending the run, and contributed on special teams as a returner as well.
By signing in New England, Peppers will reunite with Joe Judge, his head coach in New York. The longtime Patriots assistant – whose background is in special teams – will work to replace Josh McDaniels‘ contributions on offense this season. While he and Peppers likely won’t work as closely together in New England, therefore, there is still a high degree of familiarity between the two.
Peppers will join a Patriots safety room already featuring the likes of Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips and Kyle Dugger. Schefter reports that he is expected to be recovered from a torn ACL in time for this season’s training camp. The Giants, meanwhile, will likely turn to Xavier McKinney as Peppers’ replacement.
Chiefs Interested In Trading For James Bradberry?
After the plethora of cost-cutting moves the Giants have made in Joe Schoen‘s first year as general manager, the biggest question surrounding the team remains the future of cornerback James Bradberry. According to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, the Chiefs have emerged as an interested party trying to trade for him.
[RELATED: Giants Could Keep Bradberry Past The Draft]
Wilson reports that there are “ongoing trade discussions” between New York and Kansas City. He is quick to add, though, that “varying degrees of confidence” exist on “if and when a deal is ultimately struck”, and that nothing is imminent at this time.
The news comes one day after Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reported that the Giants were looking to have a trade consummated “before the end of the NFL draft”. He also named the Chiefs as a potential destination, along with the Colts and Texans. The Giants’ asking price had reportedly included a third-round pick, but that may no longer be the case.
Vacchiano states that the Giants “are willing to pick up some of Bradberry’s $13.4MM salary” to help facilitate a trade. Moving on from the 28-year-old – either through a trade or release – would save the Giants eight figures in cap space. Knowing that, most other teams are said to waiting to sign him as a free agent, rather than paying with draft compensation. The Chiefs, Wilson notes however, are “extremely interested” in trading for the Pro Bowler with a deal which could include “swapping picks in the middle rounds”.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll referred to Bradberry’s circumstances as “a fluid situation”. Depending on how trade negotiations go, that situation could have a resolution sooner rather than later.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/28/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Re-signed: RB Qadree Ollison
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-signed: WR Stanley Morgan (two-year deal)
New York Giants
- Re-signed: RB Sandro Platzgummer
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: LS Zach Triner
OL Max Garcia To Sign With Giants
The Giants are set to add another veteran to their offensive line. The team announced the signing of Max Garcia to a one-year deal. 
Garcia was a fourth-round pick of the Broncos in 2015. He played four years in Denver, starting 41 of 57 games and establishing himself as the team’s top option at left guard. Over the course of his career, the 30-year-old has also played at right guard and center. He has four playoff appearances to his credit, including the run to Super Bowl 50 with Denver.
After his rookie contract expired, he joined the Cardinals in 2019. He played a combined total of just 67 offensive snaps during his first two years there, however. That changed significantly last season, as Garcia registered 11 starts in his 15 appearances. Playing 809 snaps – the third-highest total of his career – he committed four penalties and allowed four sacks. That led to a PFF grade of 56.3, which is closer to his career norms than the 72.2 mark he received in 2016.
Garcia is the latest addition to the Giants’ offensive line this offseason. The team has already added Mark Glowinski, as well as Jon Feliciano following his release from the Bills. Upgrading the unit has been one of the team’s top priorities over the past few weeks.
By signing with the Giants, Garcia essentially completes an indirect swap of veteran interior linemen between them and the Cardinals. Earlier today, Arizona signed Will Hernandez, who had previously spent his entire four-year career in New York.
Cardinals To Sign OL Will Hernandez
Will Hernandez has reportedly found his second home in the NFL. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the guard is signing with the Cardinals (Twitter link). A team announcement has confirmed that it is a one-year contract.
Hernandez, 26, was a second-round pick of the Giants in 2018. He started right away, and remained the team’s top left guard throughout the majority of his time there. Durability generally wasn’t a concern, as he only missed three games, all of which were in 2020.
Hernandez’s performances didn’t live up to his draft stock, however. His 67.9 PFF grade during his rookie season was the highest of his career. Of his 15 total sacks allowed, seven came this season. 2021 also saw him commit six penalties, again the worst mark in a single season during his NFL tenure.
The Giants have made a number of changes to their offensive line this offseason, after the unit continued its recent struggles in 2021. They signed former Colt Mark Glowinski and brought in Jon Feliciano following his release from the Bills. Projected to be starters along the interior of the line, that left Hernandez in need of a new team.
Last week, the Cardinals hosted Hernandez on a free agent visit. Between that, and the reported loss of starting guard Max Garcia to the Giants, this move doesn’t come as a surprise. Hernandez will now look to rebuild his value while joining not only his former positional coach in Sean Kugler, but one of the NFC’s top teams in general.
Giants Ownership Backs Daniel Jones As Starting QB
Many view 2022 as a make-or-break year for Daniel Jones. While there are questions surrounding his future beyond the upcoming campaign, he at least has the support of ownership for the present. 
As noted by Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, John Mara reiterated the team’s commitment to their incumbent starter amidst the flurry of big-name moves which have taken place at the QB position this offseason. As Mara said, “people are realizing it’s by far the most important position in sports and either you have one or you don’t. We think we have one.”
Schwartz does note that the Giants have made a move at the position already. The team signed veteran Tyrod Taylor earlier this month, adding an experienced backup with extended time as a starter in his previous NFL stops. The particulars of the deal (two years, $11MM) open the door to a competition for the starters’ job, but Mara remains confident that Jones can be successful under the right circumstances.
“We still have a lot of confidence in Daniel and think he’s going to be a very good quarterback if we just put the right pieces around him and give him a little bit more continuity and stability”, he said. “He hasn’t had that since he’s been here. Let’s give him a chance to prove himself. He’s shown flashes of it, for sure.”
In three years with Big Blue, the former sixth overall pick has a 12-25 record, 50 total touchdowns and a combined 57 turnovers. Instability at the coaching level, as well as injuries – including to the Duke alum himself this past year – throughout the offense have plagued his NFL career to date. It’s not a surprise, then, that the team is expected to decline his fifth-year option. Nevertheless, Mara said that a second contract for Jones “is certainly our hope”.
With sufficient improvement in 2022, Jones could very well see himself as the team’s starting signal-caller for the foreseeable future. Despite the evidence pointing to that being unlikely, that scenario is clearly still the team’s preference as of now.
Contract Details: Seals-Jones, Williams, Tomlinson, Jones, Montgomery, Gardeck, Singleton, Carter
Here are the latest details from contracts recently agreed to across the league:
- Ricky Seals-Jones, TE (Giants): One-year, $1.19MM. The deal, tweeted out by Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, has a $352,500 amount guaranteed at signing. The guaranteed amount includes a signing bonus of $152,500 and $200,000 of his salary worth $1.04MM.
- Maxx Williams, TE (Cardinals): One-year, $1.27MM. The deal has a salary of $1.12MM, according to Wilson. Regardless of whether or not he is active, he’ll receive a $15,000 bonus for any game for which he is on the roster. If he is active for any game, he’ll receive an additional $52,500 roster bonus. He’ll also receive a per game active bonus of $5,000 for a potential season total of $85,000.
- Eric Tomlinson, TE (Broncos): One-year, $1.44MM. The deal has an amount of $1MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The guaranteed amount includes a $400,000 signing bonus and $600,000 of his salary worth $1.04MM.
- DaQuan Jones, DT (Bills): Two-year, $14MM. The deal has an amount of $10.63MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The guaranteed amount consists of a $5.5MM signing bonus, the full first-year salary of $1.75MM, and $3.38MM of the second-year salary, which is set at $6.75MM. The contract includes a voidable year for 2024 that voids automatically 23 days before the 2024 league year begins.
- Ty Montgomery, RB (Patriots): Two-year, $3.6MM. The deal has an average annual salary of $1.8MM with an amount of $300,000 guaranteed consisting entirely of the dual-position player’s signing bonus, according to Wilson. Included in that AAV of $1.8MM are a first-year salary of $1.16MM, a second-year salary of $1.36MM, roster bonuses of $280,000 in year one and $340,000 in year two, and workout bonuses of $50,000 in each year. The former wide receiver will earn a per game active bonus of $20,000 for a potential season total of $340,000. The deal holds an annual playtime incentive of up to $300,000. The deal also holds a potential out after the 2022 NFL season that would leave a dead cap number of $150,000.
- Dennis Gardeck, LB (Cardinals): Three-year, $10MM. The deal has a guaranteed amount of $3.75MM, according to Wilson. $3.25MM of that amount is guaranteed at signing with a $2MM signing bonus and the first-year salary of $1.25MM being fully guaranteed. $500,000 of the second-year salary, worth $3.27MM, guarantees on the fifth league day of the 2023 season (injury guaranteed at signing). The third-year salary is worth $2.46MM. Gardeck will also receive a per game active bonus of $20,000 for a potential season total of $340,000. The deal includes an annual playtime incentive of $250,000 and an escalator based on sack total that can be worth up to $625,000. A potential out after the 2022 season would leave a dead cap number of $1.33MM.
- Alex Singleton, LB (Broncos): One-year, $1.12MM. The deal has a salary of $965,000 with a guaranteed amount of $150,000 fully consisting of Singleton’s signing bonus, according to Mike Klis of 9News. Singleton will have a playtime incentive based on snap-percentage. At the end of the year, if he has played 65% of the team’s defensive snaps, he’ll receive $250,000, $500,000 if he plays 70%, and $750,000 if he plays 75%.
- Lorenzo Carter, OLB (Falcons): One-year, $3.5MM. The deal has a salary of $1.5MM with a guaranteed amount of $2MM fully consisting of Carter’s signing bonus, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN. The deal includes a 2023 dummy year that will be voided 23 days before the 2023 league year. It will leave the Falcons with a dead cap number of $1M for Carter.
Giants Willing To Trade One First-Round Pick
The Giants are one of two teams (the other being the Jets) currently in possession of two top-ten picks in this April’s draft. The team could change that situation in the near future, however.
According to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, New York is “open to trading” either the fifth or seventh overall selections. He adds that the package they would be seeking in return would include a 2023 first-rounder. The list of potential trade partners, of course, would likely include teams looking to draft a quarterback.
While this year’s class is generally seen as underwhelming, there is a chance Kenny Pickett and/or Malik Willis have generated enough interest to warrant interested teams (such as the Panthers and Falcons, slated to pick sixth and eighth, respectively) leapfrogging the Giants to select them. That could lead New York to move down towards the middle of the round in a mutually-beneficial trade.
As Vacchiano notes, finances could play a role in the Giants’ decision-making on this front. Having only one top-ten pick would save the team millions in terms of the overall cost of the year’s draft class. To that end, the Giants “might be willing” to move the traded pick out of the 2022 first round altogether.
Another important factor is the status of incumbent starting QB Daniel Jones. It is widely expected the Giants will not exercise his fifth-year option, meaning New York could be in need of a new franchise signal-caller next offseason. An extra pick in the top round of that draft – which is projected to have a stronger QB class – could make the process of replacing him more feasible.
While much is still to be determined in free agency, what the Giants plan to do in the draft is sure to remain a storyline worth watching in the coming weeks.