Should Lions Call Patriots to Trade for CB Stephon Gilmore?
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In his latest MMQB column, Albert Breer writes that teams needing a cornerback should contact the New England Patriots to inquire about the availability of veteran Stephon Gilmore.
The All-Pro cornerback may be available, as the Patriots continue to shed salaries this offseason.
"It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Patriots corner Stephon Gilmore. New England needs cap space—and Gilmore has an $18.67 million cap hit for this year and a $19.67 million cap hit for next year, after a 2019 restructure. But he’s only taking home $11 million in cash this year, $12 million next year, and, after that, he’s up. Gilmore’s deal, at $13 million per year, was near the top of the corner market when he signed it. Since then, he’s gotten better, and the market for defensive players has exploded. He’s now around $10 million per year short of fellow DPOYs Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald.
And it stands to reason that if the Pats went to him looking for cap relief, he’d want something in return—and he might want a correction anyway. He’s New England’s best player. He turns 30 in September. The Patriots are retooling. If you’re a corner-needy team, you might want to give them a call just to check in."
In 2019, Gilmore secured six interceptions and was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year.
Detroit has already secured the services of former Patriots defensive tackle Danny Shelton, safety Duron Harmon and linebacker Jamie Collins this offseason.
If Gilmore is indeed on the market, it would be worth it for the Lions to inquire about the Patriots best cornerback.
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