Getty Matt Judon #9 of the New England Patriots celebrates after a game against the Buffalo Bills.
M
atthew Judon has been a one-man recruiting machine so far this offseason and his latest target will be a familiar face to New England Patriots fans.
The pitch started on Sunday evening, April 10, when Stephon Gilmore said that he lost his wallet at the park today. Patriots cornerback was quick to comment that if he finds it he will leave a dollar in it but Judon added that “I stole it and put it in his locker..”
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The Patriots linebacker continued his efforts on Monday afternoon. After Gilmore complained about hotel check-out times on Twitter, Judon said that he could make some magic happen in New England. “We can get late check out for you in Boston,” Judon said.
In a separate tweet by Gilmore expressing frustration over losing his wallet, Judon, along with current Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones, jokingly responded that he “stole it and put it in his locker 😬. See you soon,” earning a “Ya’ll funny lol” reply from the former Patriots cover man.
Do the Patriots Need Gilmore?
The Patriots are in the market for a new No. 1 cornerback. After J.C. Jackson signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, New England’s secondary isn’t as scary as it once was.
The only move that the Pats have made so far is bringing in veteran cornerback Malcolm Butler. The 32-year-old didn’t play in the 2021 season and dropped off after leaving New England in 2017.
Still, in his last pro season with the Tennessee Titans in 2020, Butler played 16 games and had 4 interceptions. That was his most since his spectacular 2016 season with New England.
There are some questions as Butler is coming off a year off. Will he be refreshed after a season of rest or will he be a step behind after not playing in 2021?
After Butler, Jonathan Jones will have a major role in the secondary as well. Jones only appeared in six games last season and recorded one interception.
The Patriots also brought back Devin McCourty at safety. While McCourty will go down as one of the best members of New England’s secondary, he is now 34 years old and far from the player he once was. In 17 games last season, McCourty recorded 60 tackles and 3 interceptions.
Can New England Afford Gilmore?
Gilmore is coming off a down year. The five-time Pro Bowler only appeared in eight games and had 2 interceptions.
Still, a combination of Butler and Gilmore wouldn’t be too bad for New England. Gilmore would take some of the pressure off of Butler who doesn’t seem capable of being a top corner in the NFL.
While a reunion might be nice, Gilmore’s relationship with New England didn’t end on great terms. He was unhappy with how handled his quad injury in 2020.
“I didn’t like how they handled my situation with my injury,” Gilmore said. “A lot went on with that that I didn’t agree with, and now that I’m (in Carolina), I’m able to do the things I have to do to get me back ready to where I need to be.”
The Patriots will need to once again break out the checkbook if they want Gilmore to come back to Gillette Stadium. With the offseason being relatively quiet with New England only bringing in the likes of DeVante Parker, Mack Wilson and Ty Montgomery, Gilmore would be the biggest splash of the offseason so far.