The Washington Redskins are expected to be very active in the free-agency cornerback market this spring, and it appears that one of their top targets is going to be up for grabs.
That is if they are willing to pay the price for him. Carolina Panthers CB James Bradberry is reportedly going to avoid the franchise tag in Carolina, and he is likely to hit the open market, where he wishes to be paid as one of the top CBs in the NFL, with $15 million per season as a starter. For reference, Minnesota Vikings CB Xavien Howard earned $15.3 million in 2019.
Bradberry has had a strong career in Carolina, and he topped it off with his best year yet in 2019, with three interceptions, 12 passes defended, 65 tackles and one sack. On top of that, Bradberry has also been on record as saying he would love to play for his former coach Ron Rivera again in Washington.
Though Bradberry may not be one of the top 3 free-agent CBs on the market this spring, that might not stop the Redskins from signing him to a deal that makes him paid as such. While that seems like a big cap-hit at the moment, The Athletic‘s Mark Bullock points out that it could all change once a new CBA is approved.
We don’t know yet how much the salary cap will go up under a new deal, but there’s a good chance that signing a mega-deal now will be a lot more appealing to the team than it would a couple of years down the road.
