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October 6th, 2021 will be a date that lives in infamy for Patriots fans as the day Bill Belichick traded Stephon Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers for a measly 2023 sixth-round pick. Not only were the Patriots moving on from Gilmore, but they were getting almost nothing in return for the four-time Pro Bowler.
The trade was so lopsided that eyebrows were perking up across the NFL.
Of all the divisions to be sent to, why was Gilmore traded to the Panthers and why was he sent there for pennies on the dollar? Was Belichick playing chess while pundits and analysts were playing checkers?
Here's a look at why the Patriots' head coach and general manager may have decided on such a move.
Why did Bill Belichick trade Stephon Gilmore to the Panthers?
Just days after losing on Sunday Night Football to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Belichick decided to make some roster changes. He wanted to get the recently released Jamie Collins to beef up the middle of the defense, but didn't have the cap space to make it happen. So he decided to move on from Stephon Gilmore.
At this point, Belichick was probably reviewing all of his trade options. He was likely hoping to get the most bang for his buck with Gilmore. There may have been better offers for Gilmore than a sixth-round pick.
But could Belichick have had something more sinister in mind...like trading the star cornerback to the Panthers, who are in Brady's division?
Odds are that Belichick may have seen value in bolstering Brady's strongest competition within his division as a small form of revenge for defeating him on Sunday Night Football. It may seem juvenile to forgo draft capital, but Belichick has done something similar to another team: the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seattle Seahawks nearly beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 44. If not for a Malcolm Butler interception, the Patriots would have five championship rings instead of six.
Belichick may have wanted to avoid playing the Seahawks again in the big game, as they were talented enough to make another run at the Super Bowl.
During that time, he was also feeling pressure to trade Jimmy Garoppolo by Patriots owner Robert Kraft. As such, Belichick decided to feel out some offers. There's a good chance Belichick knew that sending Garoppolo to the 49ers would severely damage the Seahawks' chances of winning the division.
If the Seahawks couldn't win the division, they wouldn't get the best seeds in the playoffs. Therefore, it would hurt their ability to face the Patriots in another Super Bowl. One could argue that Belichick was one of the reasons the San Francisco 49ers are as competitive as they have been over the last few years.
In a vacuum, NFL trades sometimes feel like a bad deal. However, when looking at things in totality, Belichick's thought process may have a pattern of sabotaging top teams whenever possible with roster moves.
