Redskins free agency head-to-head: Byron Jones vs. James Bradberry

Preference

Think, Ron, think.

This is actually a much tougher decision than I anticipated, so for the next three to four paragraphs, I’m going to adopt a “stream of consciousness” strategy, so you can see the decision making process in real time.

Jones is comfortably the better player at this point, but that’s not to say Bradberry isn’t a stud with similar lockdown potential in his remaining prime years. Jones’ athleticism is simply second to none, and he backs it up with nuance and quick processing on the field. Jones would cost a lot, but the Redskins have the money to overpay for a player, and Jones is one of the few who might deserve it.

That said, Jones is going to be 28 years old in September, and the last time the Redskins signed a 28-year old blue-chip cornerback, they watched as his peak years faded, and he steadily regressed until he was released in February of 2020, with one year remaining on his deal.

Josh Norman can provide a cautionary tale for teams looking to sign a cornerback growing closer to the cliff. There’s no guarantee Jones will hit the cliff as soon as Norman did, and there’s no question that he’d be the Redskins best cornerback from Day 1. But timing is important, and ideally, the Redskins want this cornerback acquisition to be around as long as possible.

Sure, it’s only a year’s difference between Jones and Bradberry, but with Dwayne Haskins still developing, and with the team still adding pieces, that year could be the difference between almost being there and everything finally clicking. With this amount of money in play, and with prolonged contention potentially at stake, I want that extra peak year in my pocket.

For that reason, I lean slightly toward James Bradberry in this debate. Bradberry is a very good athlete in his own right, with better size, length, and dynamic aggressiveness when making plays on the ball than Jones. Jones is more consistent from snap to snap, but Bradberry is younger, has more growth potential at his current juncture, and ultimately fits the team’s contention window better. Bradberry also has familiarity with Rivera’s coaching style and scheme, so he’ll be able to hit the ground running behind Washington’s building defensive front.

Jones will be a godsend for a team looking to compete in one to two years, and he could ultimately alleviate the age concerns and play well into his 30s. Choosing him is an equally valid choice for the Redskins. It’s going to come down to the fine details, because Jones and Bradberry are both excellent candidates at the cornerback position. Who do you pick in this head-to-head?