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The New England Patriots released cornerback Stephon Gilmore in a surprise move early Wednesday. A former Defensive Player of the Year, Gilmore has been in contract discussions with the Patriots since the offseason and still hasn't played in 2021, as he was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list recovering from the quad injury he suffered last season.
It's a rare sight to see players of Gilmore's caliber become available as a free agent in mid-season. Jaylon Smith was also a surprise release from the Dallas Cowboys, but Smith is no longer a fit for the Cowboys' new defensive scheme.
In Gilmore's case, he's still one of the best defensive players in the NFL and a lot of teams would be interested in trading for him.
With an elite cornerback available to sign, and now healthy, there will be a lot of teams scrambling to sign Gilmore to boost their playoffs and Super Bowl hopes. Check out three possible landing spots for him.
3 possible landing spots for Stephon Gilmore
#1 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It looks like every high-profile player released ends up with the Buccaneers, but Gilmore is one of the examples that makes the most sense.
The Buccaneers have allowed 1,310 passing yards through their first four games, the highest mark in the NFL. The top three cornerbacks from the team are injured, and most of the hopes of fixing the problem are on newly-signed veteran cornerback Richard Sherman, who allowed nine receptions out of nine targets in his season debut against the New England Patriots.
Gilmore would be allowed to return in Week 7 and he would instantly be the best cornerback in the Buccaneers' defense, giving defensive coordinator Todd Bowles more freedom to send his famous blitzes. As for cap space, Tampa Bay would have to make one or two small moves to open up enough space to sign Gilmore, but it'd be totally worth it for a player of his caliber.
#2 - Kansas City Chiefs
Like the Buccaneers, the Chiefs have relied heavily on their offense during the first quarter of the season, because the defense has not been good enough: only the Jacksonville Jaguars (9.1) and the Detroit Lions (9.0) have allowed more net yards per pass attempt than Kansas City (7.9) this season, and the cornerbacks are below-average.
Fortifying the defense would take a lot of pressure off of Patrick Mahomes' shoulders and give the team signs of optimism following their .500 start to the season. Gilmore would fit right in and help the passing defense.
#3 - Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have allowed the fifth-most passing yards (1,170) in the league over the first four weeks and they're having lots of difficulty defending the passing game. Tre Flowers was recently benched after an atrocious start to the season and Sidney Jones, although talented, is not trustworthy enough with health problems.
Gilmore would fill the void left by Shaquill Griffen when the former Seahawks cornerback left for the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. Seattle desperately needs to bolster its defense to give Russell Wilson more help, and the NFC West is full of strong passing offenses with Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray. The Seahawks need to consider this move badly.
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