Top Free Agents by Position: Cornerback Edition
Byron Jones
Chris Harris
James Bradberry
Bradley Roby
Kendall Fuller
Honorable Mentions
Jimmy Smith
Darqueze Dennard
Logan Ryan
Aqib Talib
Trae Waynes
Byron Jones
Probably the most talented player of this group of free agent cornerbacks is Byron Jones of the Dallas Cowboys. While Dallas’ defense struggled last year, Jones was as consistent as you can be. The dilemma that Dallas is facing is that Jones is one of the three top tier free agents the Cowboys have. The others being quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper With Dallas’ focus mainly on those two free agents, it looks like Jones may walk away from the Cowboys. For Jones, the team that needs him the most is the Philadelphia Eagles, who had one of the worst secondaries in the NFL last season. Reports have surfaced that Jones is expected to go for $18M per year, which would be a big hit to the Eagles cap space, but one that they should gamble on. The Giants would also fit Jones, but the Eagles are a better team, and that may draw Jones to Philly over the G-Men. With that being said, Jerry Jones has been known to surprise people in the past. Don’t be surprised if Byron Jones is wearing a Cowboy uniform next season, but there is a good chance that he won’t be.
Chris Harris
Next up is Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris. The 30-year old corner is most likely done in Denver, especially since the Broncos just traded for A.J. Buoye and are looking to get younger. Harris reacted quickly to this move, telling the Chiefs to “call his people”. Harris to the Chiefs would make a lot of sense as the Chiefs prepare for another Super Bowl run. Harris would be teaming up with Safety Tyrann Mathieu to create a veteran secondary with a young defensive line. Harris, mostly a slot corner, would play a similar role in Kansas City to his role in Denver. If this doesn’t happen, some possible landing spots would be the Jets, who are trying to become relevant, or the Eagles, who we spoke about earlier. Another interesting team would be the Raiders, who I feel would be a perfect fit. The Raiders have a young defense , with defensive ends like Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby. Harris would be able to complement the young talent and give them a boost in their secondary. Also, moving to Las Vegas won’t hurt in the free agency process. It should be an interesting market for Chris Harris, but he should go to a team that is either on the brink of winning or already there.
James Bradberry
One of the more under-the-radar players in free agency is James Bradberry, who played for the Carolina Panthers from 2016-2019. In 2019, Bradberry had three interceptions, a career-high, and has a total of eight in four years. Bradberry has been extremely consistent, but it is unclear whether Carolina is going to be able to sign him. There are rumors that Carolina might franchise tag Bradberry, which would lock him up for at least one more season, but Bradberry has been open about signing a long-term deal. Two teams that have been reported to be interested are the Jets and the Redskins. For the Jets, it would be similar to signing Byron Jones because both players are looking for a long-term deal, but the Redskins would make the most sense for Bradberry since Josh Norman just got released. Bradberry would also be very comfortable in the system, as his old coach Ron Rivera is now the coach for the Redskins. It would be like he never left. Will Bradberry stay? Or look for a change of scenery for the rest of his career.
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