Giants GM Joe Schoen Leaves Options Open Regarding James Bradberry

There's a chance, albeit a small one, that James Bradberry will be on the Giants in 2022.

Giants cornerback James Bradberry is on the team until he isn't.

That's the message delivered from both head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen, who spoke to the media Wednesday during Day 2 of the team's voluntary minicamp.

"He's on the roster," Daboll said. "It has not really changed from what Joe has talked about."

The subject of trade rumors given his $21.8 million cap figure, Bradberry has been absent from the team's voluntary program while he presumably awaits a resolution regarding his future.

The Giants, meanwhile, have reportedly looked to trade the 28-year-old cornerback who, after making the Pro Bowl in 2020, came up short last year. However, Schoen isn't particularly keen on simply giving away Bradberry, a player he described as being talented, for nothing, and he didn't rule out keeping the cornerback on the roster.

"I like the kid. I like the skillset. It's just the situation we're in from a financial standpoint. It is what it is," Schoen said. "But there are ways that we can still make it work, and James can be here. People say, 'Why don't you cut or trade him?' Then there's a huge void."

Schoen could be waiting to see what next week's draft haul brings in a potential plug-and-play replacement for the veteran. Such a move would make sense as if the Giants were to move Bradberry without a backup in place, it would be poor roster management.

He could also be waiting to see if any of the teams that reportedly expressed an interest in acquiring Bradberry are indeed serious about it, depending on what they themselves come away within the draft.

There could also be the possibility that the Giants retain Bradberry this year but on a restructured contract that could add additional voidable years to the deal to make it more easily digestible.

• RELATED: How Giants Could Optimize James Bradberry Cap Savings if He's Not Traded

Whatever the case, Schoen, who is also aware of the message being sent to the locker room as this scenario continues to drag out, isn't panicking.

"We're going to play it out, see how the draft goes, see what the roster looks like," he said. "There's still contingency plans where we can keep James on the roster."

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