New England Patriots: 3 big questions Bill Belichick avoided this week
The contract status of New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore
Will Bill Belichick end up trading Stephon Gilmore?
As a contract extension remains stagnant between the cornerback and New England Patriots, one has to one if there is a reality that Belichick will pull the trigger and trade the star if he doesn’t feel they can reach an agreement that fits the best interest of the team.
Obviously, the best interest of the team and the defense overall is Gilmore back on the field holding down that shutdown corner role, but they can survive without him. Belichick’s defenses have been okay and won Super Bowls with less at the position, so he knows what’s possible, especially with a younger option in J.C. Jackson thriving to be the man.
Wo, what’s up with Gilmore? When asked, Belichick focused on what his top cornerback has been doing to help the team while he remains on the sidelines.
"“I know that Steph’s been working extremely hard,” Belichick said on Monday. “See him in here all the time, and he’s doing other things while we’re practicing, so we don’t really see him on the practice field, but you know, he’s been doing everything he can do. The things he hasn’t been able to do, he hasn’t been able to do. I’d say it’s day to day. We just keep trying to put days together and stack them together. When he’s ready to be out there, then he’ll be out there. If he’s not ready to be out there, then he’ll work on the things that he can work on to try to get ready to be out there. We’ll just take it day to day.”"
Here Bill Belichick makes it sound like it’s more of a physical limitation that has Gilmore not on the practice field, but it really is deeper. It’s about value. As one of the top cornerbacks in the league, no one can fault the 31-year-old cornerback about wanting to get paid like that for a team he certainly values.
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While this doesn’t appear to be one of those contract battles on the level of Logan Mankins or to go further back Lawyer Milloy, but any day now it can end with a trade or like Vince Wilfork it could result in a nice extension for a cornerstone defensive player.
Let’s hope it’s the latter.