New England Patriots Should Trade for CB Justin Gilbert

By Dan Schmelzer | Sep 24, 2015

With an offense that appears to be ready to wreak havoc throughout the entire NFL, and an impressive defensive front seven, the New England Patriots are clearly major Super Bowl contenders this season. That being said, their defensive backfield leaves plenty to be desired, especially at the cornerback position.

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Malcolm Butler and Tarell Brown have played solid throughout the first two games, but neither player is anything close to a shut-down corner type. On top of that, the depth at the position is clearly lacking, with both Bradley Fletcher and Logan Ryan showing little promise at the position right now. One thing is for sure, Darrelle Revis is not walking through that door to bail them out.

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For a team in clear win-now mode, it would be wise for the Patriots to consider trade options at the cornerback position. With such elite talent throughout the rest of the roster, the Patriots should be able to get by with Butler and Brown this season. That being said, the nickel and dime cornerbacks are a serious issue, not to mention how terrible the defensive backfield would look if Butler or Brown were to go down with injury.

Finding a talented player with upside who could step in and make a difference would be wise for the Patriots, and Cleveland Browns cornerback Justin Gilbert feels like an obtainable piece who could be a fit.

Gilbert was a first round pick by the Browns (eighth overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft. His rookie season was a disaster as he immediately struggled with injuries and inconsistent play on the field. Gilbert did not see much playing time throughout the 2014 season, but was pushed into a starting role towards the end of the year.

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Justin Gilbert (Oklahoma State) poses with Roger Goodell after being selected as the number eight overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

His results were mixed, but he was mostly a poor player who clearly have issues locating the ball in coverage. Gilbert has all of that natural talent in the world, but his ball skills are lacking.

Taking a shot on his raw talent would be the play here for New England. Gilbert was taken in the top ten of the 2014 draft after an impressive combine performance that shot him up team’s boards. At the scouting combine, Gilbert ran an 4.35 40-yard dash, had a 35.5 inch vertical leap and a broad jump of 10 feet six inches.

To go along with his obvious speed and athleticism, Gilbert has nice size for the position at 6-foot-tall, 202 pounds. It is easy to see why the Browns were enticed by his upside in the top ten.

Now however, Gilbert seems to be buried on their depth chart. He has missed the first two weeks of the season with a hip injury, but he seems ready to return to the field in Week 3.

That being said, Gilbert will still undoubtedly be behind Joe Haden and Tramon Williams on the Browns’ depth chart, and is relatively unlikely to replace K’Wuan Williams or even Pierre Desir as the main reserves at the position. When it comes down to it, Gilbert is buried deep on the Browns’ depth chart, and with the bad taste the franchise has in their mouth about him, I doubt that changes anytime soon.

Because of this, the Browns would undoubtedly listen to offers for Gilbert.

This could become a nice buy-low opportunity for the Patriots. Obviously, Gilbert’s performance in his early NFL career does not allow for much confidence in him, but a shot at the upside is worth it for a low price. Gilbert still has an obvious skill-set, and he would bring nice insurance to the Patriots at a position of need.

I am not saying to sell the farm for a seemingly busted top ten pick, but Gilbert still has plenty of time to prove himself. Offering the Browns a fourth round pick for his services may not be a terrible idea. He was valued much higher than that only a year-and-a-half ago.

Also, getting him under the umbrella of Bill Belichick and the rest of the Patriots’ coaches would be a great thing for Gilbert’s career. With all due respect to Browns’ coach Mike Pettine, Belichick would have a better chance of turning Gilbert into a productive NFL cornerback.

The Browns appear to have no interest in playing Gilbert, and the Patriots have a need. This feels like a strong fit, and something the Patriots should be considering.

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