What the Gilmore Trade Means for the Panthers' Cap Space, Donte Jackson, + More
The Carolina Panthers are all-in on winning right now. Wednesday afternoon, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer made a trade with the New England Patriots to support that claim. Carolina sent a 2023 6th round pick to the Patriots in exchange for veteran cornerback, Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore brings experience to what is a very young but talented secondary. He has been in the league for nine years and is considered to be one of the best lockdown corners in all of football.
Two weeks ago, the Panthers lost rookie Jaycee Horn to a broken foot which will sideline him for approximately 2-3 months. Last week, Carolina agreed to send TE Dan Arnold and a 3rd round pick to Jacksonville for CB C.J. Henderson who the Jaguars selected ninth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
With a 3-1 record, Carolina sits atop the division with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The first half of their schedule remains favorable meaning that the Panthers are in a great position to make the postseason in just year two of the Matt Rhule era. When Fitterer made the move for Henderson, that was a long-term play. The deal for Gilmore isn't necessarily viewed the same way. A team source said that they want to get Gilmore to Carolina, see where he is at with his injury, see how he plays, and if it makes sense, they will extend him. A long-term deal might not happen until the end of the season. There are other guys that they want to get deals done with first such as WR DJ Moore, CB Donte Jackson, DE Brian Burns, and possibly QB Sam Darnold.
Surprised to see the Panthers interested in keeping Donte Jackson? That is their hope. The Panthers would like for Jackson to be a part of their future and has been labeled a "priority". Donte is not affected by this trade at all.
With that said, this gives the Panthers plenty of options moving forward in the cornerback room. A.J. Bouye, Stephon Gilmore, Donte Jackson, and Rashaan Melvin are three veteran guys that will be able to mentor the youngsters - Jaycee Horn, C.J. Henderson, and Keith Taylor Jr. Gilmore, Jackson, and Melvin are all in the final year of their current deals. Meanwhile, Bouye is under contract through the 2022 season. With the acquisition of Gilmore, the Panthers have roughly $15 million remaining in cap space which gives them plenty of room to work another deal if needed.
As for when Gilmore will see the field, it won't be for a couple of weeks. Had the Patriots released Gilmore, he would have been able to practice right away. Since he was traded while on the PUP list, he will not be eligible to participate in practice until after week six. The team does expect him to be available for their week seven matchup on the road against the New York Giants.
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