5 NY Giants players the front office gave up on too soon

4. CB James Bradberry

The Giants found a hidden gem when they signed Carolina Panthers cornerback James Bradberry to a three-year, $45 million contract in 2020. The veteran defensive back posted 54 total tackles, three interceptions, 18 passes defended, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in 15 starts with Big Blue. Bradberry's performance in the 2020 season led to his first career Pro Bowl, and he ranked 74th on the NFL Top 100 Players for 2021, a list voted on by players in the league.

In 2021, Bradberry returned to the G-Men despite the team working to reconstruct his contract. He had 47 total tackles, four interceptions, 17 passes defended, and two fumble recoveries in 17 games. While Bradberry continued to succeed in New York, the team struggled to restructure his contract to get under the salary cap. Big Blue also failed to find a trade partner and was forced to release Bradberry following the season.

Bradberry would end up signing with the NFC East rival Eagles, who played a crucial role in leading Philadelphia to the Super Bowl. Bradberry started all 17 games and finished with 44 total tackles, three interceptions, and 17 passes defended. While Bradberry performed well during the regular season, he would be remembered for a controversial holding call on Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster to set up a Harrison Butker game-winning field goal.

After the Super Bowl, the Eagles signed Bradberry to a three-year contract extension. In 2023, he made 16 starts and had 54 total tackles, one interception, 13 passes defended, and one forced fumble. The 30-year-old cornerback is entering his third year with Philadelphia, hoping to return to the Super Bowl. If only the Giants had figured out Bradberry's contract or found a trade partner, they wouldn't have given him up to a divisional rival.