Carolina Panthers: Stephon Gilmore trade keeps aggressive approach
Initially, the New England Patriots intended to release Stephon Gilmore, but the Carolina Panthers came in late and made a deal.
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore was a star for the New England Patriots and was just released — or was he? Not unless the Carolina Panthers have something to say.
Carolina’s late deal involving a 2023 sixth-round pick lands them a former All-Pro cornerback who has been dealing with a quad injury thus far. Meanwhile, New England ends up with some form of compensation that would not have come had they had just released the former Super Bowl champion.
The Panthers are very fortunate and very aggressive at that. Their defense is filled with talent, and adding a veteran like Gilmore with championship and Pro Bowl experience can only help the cause.
Additionally, Sam Darnold and the offense can breathe a sigh of relief as well knowing that they have a player on the opposite side of the ball that can help them land more chances at scoring points. That is critical given that they are in a division with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Stephon Gilmore will eventually be healthy and give the Carolina Panthers a great shot at making the playoffs.
Since being drafted by the Buffalo Bills out of South Carolina back in 2012, Stephon Gilmore has been one of the league’s better cornerbacks, making the Pro Bowl following the 2016 season. In 2017, the Patriots signed Gilmore to a five-year, $65 million contract that included $31 million guaranteed.
Safe to say, that deal worked out quite handsomely. New England made the Super Bowl in his first season, a 41-33 loss to Philadelphia. In 2018, Gilmore made the Pro Bowl again, the first of three consecutive runs, and picked off a late pass against the Los Angeles Rams to earn his first Super Bowl ring with a 13-3 victory.
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Ultimately, Gilmore could not agree on a restructured contract with the Patriots that eventually led to his departure. On the other hand, it’s Carolina’s gain, and though his injury will still keep him out for a while, his presence in the lineup is enough to keep offenses guessing, and the Panthers will gladly accept that for a small price.