Getty Stephon Gilmore #24 of the New England Patriots walks to the field before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
The New York Giants have done wonders over recent seasons to build what some would argue is one of the league’s premier secondaries.
Prior to Dave Gettleman’s arrival in East Rutherford, the team was trotting out the likes of Ross Cockrell and Darian Thompson on a weekly basis. Since then, the Giants GM has worked endlessly to bolster the backend of his defense, adding the likes of Adoree’ Jackson, Jabrill Peppers, Logan Ryan and James Bradberry via either trade or free agency. He’s also pulled the trigger on a handful of intriguing prospects over the past two drafts, selecting Darnay Holmes, Aaron Robinson and Rodarius Williams.
With that type of personnel at their disposal, one would think the team is all but set in the secondary. However, if you’re gifted the opportunity to potentially add a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year into the fold, you have to at least entertain the idea — right?
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Trade Proposal Ships Stephon Gilmore to New York
The New England Patriots just wrapped up their mandatory minicamp. Yet, star cornerback Stephon Gilmore was nowhere to be found. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss detailed, the four-time Pro Bowler’s holdout is likely “making a statement about his contract, as he is scheduled to earn a base salary of $7 million in 2021.”
With the two sides seemingly at odds, Bleacher Report’s Chris Roling has called on the G-Men to swoop in with an offer the Patriots can’t refuse, calling a deal for Gilmore the one trade the Giants “should make” before training camp. Here’s how the proposal shapes up:
- New England Patriots Receive:
- 2022 3rd-Round Pick
- New York Giants Receive:
- Stephon Gilmore, CB
The New York Giants went all-in on insulating Daniel Jones with weaponry like Kenny Golladay this offseason, but it couldn’t hurt to keep an eye out for defensive upgrades, too. One of those could be Gilmore of the Patriots, who hasn’t reported to mandatory minicamp in New England following an offseason of speculation that the team could move him.
Even after a rocky season last year, Gilmore only let up a 57.1 completion percentage on 49 targets, so the Giants shouldn’t be too gun shy about throwing out an offer for the veteran even if it means having to work out an extension right after a trade. Gilmore, along with James Bradberry and others, would make for a rather formidable secondary as the Giants try to straddle that gap between the long-term and winning now.
Should the Giants Bite?
On the surface, this deal makes a lot of sense from a Giants perspective. For starters, Gilmore is just 17 months removed from being categorized as the best defender the NFL has to offer, earning 2019 Defensive Player of the Year honors. Furthermore, the team also has two 2022 third-round picks to dangle in this scenario — thank you, Trader Dave. Surrendering one mid-round pick for one of the league’s most established cover corners sounds like a home run deal. Let’s get Joe Judge to call up his old friend Bill Belichick and hammer this thing out now, right? Well, not so quick.
There are potential drawbacks. Mainly, would the Patriots really settle for a mere third-round pick? Yes, Belichick is known for moving on from aging veterans and recent trades have shown that established players don’t carry nearly the type of value on the trade market that one might think. However, it seems a bit too overzealous to expect the Pats to quickly jump at such an offer, even with Gilmore nearly 31 years of age.
On top of that, the main reason for Gilmore’s holdout appears to be due to money, ie; wanting more of it. The Giants just handed the aforementioned Adoree Jackson the NFL’s 12th-highest-paid contract for a cornerback based on per-year average — fittingly enough tied with Gilmore. As for James Bradberry, he tops both players with an average yearly pay of $14.5 million.
After the Giants’ spending spree this offseason, you should never say never. With that said, chances are Gettleman would likely prefer to use the remainder of his salary cap on building out the weaker links of his roster, such as with a potential signing of guard Trai Turner.
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