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The New England Patriots‘ Stephon Gilmore is no fool. He sees the trade rumors, knows his contract situation, and the history of his head coach and general manager. Gilmore appears to know his time with the Patriots might be coming to an end soon.
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According to the official Twitter account of WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show, the Patriots’ star and reigning Defensive Player of the Year has put his house up for sale.
That doesn’t have to mean that he’s expecting to be traded or allowed to walk in free agency, but because of the timing of this news, it’s hard not to see it this way.
Head coach Bill Belichick gave Gilmore a vote of confidence on Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.
Stephon Gilmore is an Expendable, and Valuable Trade Asset
Gilmore is unquestionably one of the best in the NFL at his position. However, he is 30 years old, which isn’t ancient, but it’s a touch past prime years. He’s also set to make $17.7 million in 2021, which is higher than the Patriots would traditionally pay any player not named Tom Brady.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the Patriots have two players in J.C. Jackson and Jonathan Jones who are arguably ready for a bigger role. That’s especially the case for Jackson who consistently grades as one of the best at his position as well.
When you couple that with the team seemingly on the cusp of falling out of a position of reasonable contention, the Patriots might well be interested in moving on from Gilmore if they can get a team to offer them a first-round selection and perhaps a third-round pick.
Last year, the Los Angeles Rams gave up two first-round picks to secure Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s not a complete apples-to-apples comparison, but it’s close enough to intelligently speculate on a possible return should the Patriots make Gilmore available to the highest bidder.
Potential Takers for Gilmore
How many teams need a cornerback who would be the best at his position just about anywhere he lands? I’d say the list is probably long, and the fact that he’ll be under contract for next season only makes it more attractive.
That said, giving up multiple high-round picks is a stiff price to pay for anyone. Because of that, I think we might have to look at a contending team who believes the addition of Gilmore could push them over the top.
The Kansas City Chiefs might be a team that would consider such a move. If the Chiefs have noticeable weaknesses, you could argue it’s at the corner position where they don’t have a player who ranks higher than 16th in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. For that matter, Gilmore is ranked only 50th at the moment on the site’s scale, but his reputation suggests he’s still far more valuable.
We just don’t know if the Chiefs would part with such assets to get Gilmore considering they’re already one of the favorites to win it all. The Tennessee Titans might be another team willing to deal.
Ex-Patriots great Mike Vrabel runs a system very similar to the one Gilmore is already in, and while he has a strong defense, you could argue Gilmore could come in and elevate them to another level. Keep your eyes peeled as we move closer to the November 3 deadline.
Also Read:
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