How much tread do you have on the tire? What does it feel like to remove the straddle cable and turn the wheel?

The front tire should pull the brakes forward, so less likelihood to get parts jammed under the fork crown.

Cables do break from time to time. I think the last couple of shifter cables I broke came apart cleanly. The last brake cable that broke may have disintegrated and stretched, and was even partly functional for the rest of the ride. I think the vintage split cable keeper at the brake lever also had widened, so that may have been part of the issue.