James Bradberry: Giants 'Came out of Nowhere' with 3-Year, $45M Contract Offer

The New York Giants made a big move by signing James Bradberry on March 18, but the offer was a surprise to the cornerback.

Bradberry discussed the process involving Giants general manager Dave Gettleman in a conference call Friday:

"[Gettleman] reached out to my agent. They came out of nowhere to make an offer. I didn't expect them to come and make an offer. He already knew the type of guy I was, and I already knew the type of guy he was. I already knew what type of organization he was trying to build over there in New York. I knew it was nothing but positive."

The sides eventually agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal with $32 million guaranteed.

His $16 million cap hit for 2020 is the second-highest among cornerbacks in the NFL, behind only reigning Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, per Spotrac.

This seems like a significant risk for the Giants after not even meeting with the player, but Gettleman already knows Bradberry because he drafted him in 2016 with the Carolina Panthers.

The GM spent five years in Carolina before joining New York in 2018, giving him two years to see Bradberry blossom into a high-level cornerback.

The Giants believe this signing as well as other additions, such as Blake Martinez, Kyler Fackrell and David Mayo, will help improve a defense that finished last season with the third-most points allowed in the NFL.