Carolina Panthers: James Bradberry facing pivotal contract year
By Jake Wexler
A Reasonable Comparison
Colts cornerback Pierre Desir fits the bill well. Desir signed a three year $25M deal ($12M guaranteed) with Indianapolis this March after signing a one-year, $1.75M prove-it deal just last year.
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James Bradberry – 2018
1 interception
70 tackles
66.4 PFF Grade (#60 CB in the NFL)
Pierre Desir – 2018
1 interception
79 tackles
77.7 PFF Grade (#18 CB in the NFL)
Judging off the balance between Desir’s perceived value relative to Bradberry’s versus their age difference (Desir is 28, Bradberry is 25), this seems a fair benchmark for what the Panthers could potentially offer their soon to be free agent cornerback.
Considering inevitable market inflation due to increases in cap space league-wide, I think Bradberry could be looking at a extension of three to four years where he makes an average of $8.5-9.5M per year.