5 players John Lynch, 49ers would absolutely trade for in 2022
By Peter Panacy
49ers trade target No. 2: Cornerback James Bradberry, Giants
Guess what? Another team looking to trade off a player that happens to be over the salary cap, in this case the New York Giants.
Again, nowhere as severe as the Saints or Packers. But there are already reports the G-Men are willing to be sellers this offseason, and the latest rumors from NFL Network suggest it’s cornerback James Bradberry, not running back Saquon Barkley, who could be moved, as Ian Rapoport pointed out:
"One player who may end up getting traded and certainly will be the subject of trade calls is James Bradberry. The big-ticket free agent from several years ago still playing at a very high level. … He is expected to be a player teams are going to call and potentially the Giants will listen."
Sticking with San Francisco’s theme of needing cornerbacks, the 28-year-old Bradberry registered four interceptions for New York’s defense a year ago and would vastly boost a 49ers secondary that struggled to pick off the ball last season.
Read More: 4 former Niners players San Francisco should bring back in 2022
Good cover corners always have a good market, though, but the Niners would surely entertain a second- or third-round pick in exchange for Bradberry (probably in addition to some other compensation, too) in order to land a day-one starter instead of taking a risk on an unknown cornerback prospect in the draft.
If traded, San Francisco would absorb a mere $12.1 million in Bradberry’s 2022 contract, while the Giants would have to eat the remaining $9.7 million in dead money.
That $12-plus million is cheap for a high-quality starting cornerback.