Thank Stephon Gilmore for ridding the Patriots of Cam Newton
Hand up, I’m stealing this take. Marc “the Beatle'“ Bertrand had this thought on his radio show yesterday. I am just using it to get into the conversation about Gilmore sitting in for the season. Welcome to click bait city. Do stay a while won’t you?
Stephon Gilmore landed on the P.U.P list on cut day. Just a handful of minutes after the Bombshell that Cam Newton had been cut. Marc’s dot connecting was that they cut Cam Newton when it was clear Gilmore would not be back to start the season. His thought was that the defense with no Gilmore would give up too many points for a Cam Newton offense to keep up. It’s a stretch, I know. More the point, this defense is going to give up more points with out Gilmore.
It’s just a bummer, man. In an offseason jam packed with excitement culminating in officially turning of the page on the franchise QB saga we get Gilmore and the Pats pissing in our Cheerios.
The defense will still be good, but we’ve seen the drop off when there is not a healthy Gilmore on at Left CB. It’s pretty massive. So, instead of a potential top 3 defense in the league you can now bank on a top 10? Still good, but we were really looking at something special if all units were clicking. Who’s to say Steph doesn’t make it back on the field for the final handful of weeks and they end up with that top 3 defense when they need it most? The Patriots better hope that happens or trade for a replacement. The difference of Gilmore and no Gilmore very well could be the Division crown.
Replacing him shouldn’t go over looked. JC Jackson was exposed as a #1 CB last season. We’ve burnt the Stephon Diggs tape, BTW. Jalen Mills was brought in here to be a match up specialist and please keep Joe Juan Williams off your lips. Michael Jackson Hee Hee has proven not to be a full time outside guy. Shaun Wade projects as a slot CB and hasn’t even had a cup a coffee in New England yet. This thin roster position gets flipped into a strength with Gilmore on the field. The front seven better live up to expectations or we are going to see a lot of Belichick’s famous “bend don’t break” Schemes from this secondary.
Of course Gilmore is holding out or “sitting in” due to a contract disagreement. He is scheduled to make $7 Million this season which would make him about the 24th highest paid CB. Gilmore has said publicly he wants to be paid what he’s worth.
"I just want what I'm worth, however that plays out," Gilmore told Anderson. "Every player should be paid what they're worth. That's just how it is."
He’s certainly worth more than 24th. His he still top 5? Probably not.
He’s coming off of surgery for a blown quad and refused to showcase himself this offseason to prove he’s fully healthy. Maybe he isn’t, but I doubt it. In the same interview with Josina Anderson, he mentioned he would be ready physically for Training Camp “if he had to be”. Either way we haven’t seen the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year since 2019 and it’s a what have you done for me lately business.
It’s perfectly acceptable to think Gilmore has lost a step and the Patriots are not willing to commit to an aging CB at top dollar. However, if a pay bump this year got Stephon on the field I think it’s a mistake to let him sit. If the player was asking for an extension then that’s a different story.
Stephon Gilmore has been an awesome Patriot. I see both arguments here and honestly I hope they came to an agreement that he heals up over the next six weeks and gives them 100% in the back half of the season. He’ll be playing for his next and maybe last contract and the Patriots should be fighting for the division. There is mutual ground to be had here and even with the hold out it doesn’t seem like there’s bad blood. Just business.
ENJOY A FREE SAMPLE
NO MEDICAL CARD OR PRESCRIPTION NEEDED
Click for FREE Sample
NATURAL CBD PRODUCTS FOR BETTER HEALTH