For the second time in as many days, we have a surprise.
After failing to agree to a restructured contract, the Patriots decided to trade four-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore to the Panthers for a 2023 6th round pick.
The 31-year-old corner is currently on the physically unable to perform list with a torn quad that required offseason surgery. He was eligible to return to play after Week 6.
Original reports said that Gilmore was released by the Pats prior to his return from the PUP list, which was the initial plan after they failed to come to terms on a restructured contract. He immediately became a hot topic for a number of teams around the league, and among that list included the Ravens, Chiefs, Packers, and Buccaneers.
Per Adam Schefter, the Pats were $54,000 under the cap and they needed financial flexibility. His contract came at a base salary of $7.2M, and with the trade, the Pats free up about $5.8M in cap space. He was in the final year of a five-year, $65M deal he signed back in the 2017 season.
It’s a surprise move, of course, but not really all that shocking. There was tension between Gilmore and the Pats for some time. He played just 11 games last season, and entered the 2021 season dissatisfied with the situation. His base salary is half of what cornerbacks of his level are making. He was not happy with that, so he sat out of mandatory minicamp in June, and was fined $94,000.
The Patriots opted to give him a raise, but wanted to see him healthy. Instead, off to the PUP list he goes. The tension rose until his release.
During the time when he was out, JC Jackson and Jalen Mills served as the Patriots’ starting cornerbacks, with Jonathan Jones as a top option in the slot.
Gilmore has the highest grade among any cornerback in the NFL since 2018, with 90.4, per Pro Football Focus.
With the trade, the Panthers are getting all the help they can get in the secondary with Jaycee Horn lost for the season with a broken foot. GM Scott Fitterer decided to make a deal when the Panthers traded for former 2020 1st round pick CJ Henderson to help replace Horn. However, with the acquisition of Gilmore, he brings veteran experience to a young Panthers secondary, headlined by Donte Jackson and Jeremy Chinn.
However, they were relying on a mixed bag last week after Horn’s season-ending injury. Juston Burris is also on the IR because of a groin injury. They are still easing Henderson into his role as well.
Gilmore has yet to play this season, with his last time seeing game action being in Week 15 of last season, where he suffered a partially torn quad. He will still be eligible to come off the PUP list in Week 6. The Panthers currently have the 3rd-ranked defense in the league in terms of total yards allowed per game, and they are looking to keep pace with that.
He is not far from removed from being an elite player at his position where every team seems to need help. He was the first player in 10 years to be named Defensive Player of the Year when he won the award in 2019. He led the NFL with 20 passes defensed and six interceptions in his award-winning season, and had at least 12 passes defensed four times in five season from 2015 to 2019.
Gilmore is a native of Rock Hill, South Carolina, and is a former South Carolina Gamecock, and the Panthers are just 35 minutes from where he grew up. It all makes sense here, as Gilmore essentially plays for his hometown team and the Panthers would feel much better about their secondary depth.
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