When you hear about the top cover cornerbacks in the league today, usually it’s names like Stephon Gilmore and Jalen Ramsey. You won’t hear about James Bradberry in that conversation much, if at all. Things are changing, though and Bradberry is beginning to get some national recognition for his outstanding play this year.
Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire has named Bradberry one of the 22 most underrated players in the first half of the 2019 NFL season.
“As 2016 was also Bradberry’s rookie season, he had his share of rough spots, learning the Panthers’ advanced zone coverage concepts on the fly and allowing four touchdowns in his inaugural campaign. But he’s been one of the league’s better cornerbacks since, and he’s really come into his own in 2019. . . This season, he’s allowing just 22 receptions on 41 targets for 294 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions, and an opposing passer rating allowed of 46.2.”
The team should be extremely pleased with Bradberry’s progress. It’s also going to cost them, though.
Bradberry is playing in the last year of his rookie contract. If Carolina had signed him to an extension last offseason like some critics have suggested, the team likely could have saved itself millions. Now, Bradberry is set to cash in this coming spring.
The Panthers will either pay him elite cornerback money, or they’ll watch him walk and get it from somebody else.
