NFL Analytics Expert Matches This Free Agent With Patriots

Although the Patriots have more glaring needs at other key positions, New England probably should be in the cornerback market this offseason.

The Patriots very well could lose Jonathan Jones once the new NFL year kicks off March 15. Jack Jones, who initially was putting together a promising rookie campaign in Foxboro, might be in Bill Belichick’s doghouse after a late-season suspension. As such, Jalen Mills and Marcus Jones could end up being New England’s only trusted corners entering the 2023 season, and the latter still hasn’t really proven himself as an NFL DB.

Fortunately for the Patriots, the open market is about to feature some appealing players who make their keep in the secondary. One of them is James Bradberry, who NFL.com analytics expert Cynthia Frelund believes could be a great fit in New England.

“As my second-highest rated corner in this year’s free-agent class, Bradberry should command a lot of attention, with very high projected win-share values when paired with the Cardinals, Lions, Jaguars, Raiders, Vikings and — as you can see above — the Patriots,” Frelund wrote. “In 2022, Bradberry allowed a completion percentage of 46.0 in coverage, per PFF, rated as the fourth-best mark among NFL corners; he also forced 19 incompletions, which was the second-most. And according to PFF, 2022 marked Bradberry’s second consecutive season of playing at least 1,000 defensive snaps, and his fourth with 965-plus. Last offseason, the Pats allowed J.C. Jackson to leave via free agency, and their secondary play suffered. Bradberry’s consistency matches New England’s game plan and forecasts to be a problem for opposing offenses, especially in the AFC East.”

The Patriots’ interest in Bradberry probably will come down to money, as they might want to use the majority of their cap space on more pressing needs. But the 2022 second-team All-Pro might not be too expensive as he enters his age-30 season, so maybe New England could land him at a reasonable rate.