4 former Panthers would could make the Pro Bowl this season
By Dean Jones
James Bradberry – CB
The Carolina Panthers might have dropped the ball with James Bradberry. He was a hotly coveted free-agent that eventually ended up signing a big-money deal with the New York Giants, which was met with derision by certain sections of the team’s fanbase.
Bradberry has been nothing short of sensational this season. He seems to be playing at a much higher level than we ever saw in Carolina and he currently leads the NFL in forced incompletions with 15.
Carolina made plenty of bold moves in free agency during the first year of what is undeniably a substantial rebuild. Bradberry’s deal with the Giants was something that the Panthers weren’t really able to match at the time. But it might have made all the difference to a group that has had trouble when tasked with man coverage this season.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing to have.
Nobody envisaged Bradberry emerging as one of the league’s premier shutdown corners. And his Pro Football Focus grade of 74.7 is a further indication of just how much he is thriving in a new environment.
If Bradberry keeps this up for the remainder of the campaign, then a Pro Bowl selection won’t be far behind.