New York Jets should pass on James Bradberry, chase Byron Jones

Michael Nania explains why the Jets should avoid James Bradberry and instead go the extra mile for Byron Jones.

Free agency is closing in quickly. The legal tampering period begins next Monday at 4 p.m. ET. Thus, as is traditional during this time of year, steaming-hot rumors are beginning to make the rounds. On Tuesday, this nugget from Connor Hughes was the biggest bombshell regarding the New York Jets.

Based on what I’ve heard, I’d expect #Jets to be in the final running for #Panthers CB James Bradberry. #Redskins might not be as invested in him as many originally believed. #Giants & Dave Gettleman are interested, but from what I’ve heard, they won’t pay near what others will

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) March 10, 2020

Handing out top-tier cornerback money to James Bradberry would be a tremendously questionable allocation of resources. It feels all too reminiscent of a relationship the Jets are about to officially end in a matter of days—the Trumaine Johnson signing.

If the Jets are planning on spending big money on a cornerback, I think it would be in their best interest to stay away from Bradberry and instead focus on winning the bidding war for Byron Jones.

A simple comparison of their career track records makes it obvious how each cornerback should be valued.

In each of his three seasons playing cornerback (2015 and 2018-19 – Jones played safety from 2016-17), Jones has ranked in the top-half among cornerbacks in all five of the above categories. Bradberry, on the other hand, has been mostly below-average in every area besides the tackling department.

When we look solely at the past two seasons, Bradberry and Jones are even further apart. Jones had a solid rookie season, but he has been downright elite since moving back to cornerback in 2018. Bradberry had his best season as a rookie and has seen his numbers decline since then.