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Stephon Gilmore was a no-show for the New England Patriots' mandatory minicamp. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick knew it was likely that a holdout was coming with Gilmore. The veteran cornerback feels he's worth more than his 2021 contract of $7 million.
Stephon Gilmore's name has floated around trade rumors since last season. Now that Gilmore is a no-show, his time in New England could be coming to an end.
Bill Belichick doesn't shy away from trading veteran players. When Belichick spoke about the Stephon Gilmore situation, he gave a typical Bill Belichick answer.
"I don't expect him to be here, and we'll just focus on the guys who are here."
Bill Belichick is great at many things. Dodging the media's questions about in-house problems is his specialty.
The question now is, what will the New England Patriots do with Stephon Gilmore? Will they trade one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL? Who can afford Gilmore's contract? Let's examine five teams that can take on Stephon Gilmore and sign him to a new deal.
Who can afford Stephon Gilmore?
Stephon Gilmore is entering the final year of his five-year, $65 million contract with the Patriots. Gilmore will make roughly $7 million during the 2021 season. There isn't a single New England Patriots fan who can blame Gilmore for holding out and wanting more money.
The problem now is which NFL teams can afford to trade for Stephon Gilmore.
#1 Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have more than enough cap space to make a trade for Stephon Gilmore. Los Angeles also has the first-round draft picks for Gilmore. It's just a matter of what Bill Belichick and the Patriots want for their top corner.
The Chargers made massive upgrades to their offensive line during the 2021 off-season. They made an excellent draft pick with Asante Samuel Jr. Who better for Samuel Jr. to learn from than Stephon Gilmore?
#2 Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are another team that has Stephon Gilmore on their radar. Minnesota can also afford Gilmore if the Patriots make him available. Gilmore would be the second top-ten corner Minnesota has acquired this off-season.
The Vikings signed former Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson this off-season. Minnesota could potentially have two lockdown corners heading into the 2021 season. The NFC North is wide open if Aaron Rodgers sits out the season, and having Patrick Peterson and Stephon Gilmore will work miracles for the Vikings.
#3 San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers will need to do some maneuvering to make the Stephon Gilmore trade work, but it's something to explore. New England will want a first-round draft pick for the veteran cornerback, which hurts the 49ers. San Francisco doesn't have a first-round selection until the 2024 NFL draft.
The 49ers need a stable corner after losing Richard Sherman. Stephon Gilmore doesn't only give the 49ers a stable corner, he will give San Francisco an upgrade at the position.
#4 Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones is a businessman and has the opportunity to make a great business decision with Stephon Gilmore. The Cowboys have been looking to upgrade their defense, and Gilmore would give the Cowboys a massive upgrade.
Like the 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys may have to trim some contract prices for Gilmore. They do have a few first-round draft picks to complete the deal for Gilmore, but they'll need to work on the financial side of the trade to make it happen.
#5 Las Vegas Raiders
If there's one team that needs Stephon Gilmore more than the others, it's the Raiders. Las Vegas had a horrible draft and their free agency period wasn't the best. Jon Gruden needs to win now.
Stephon Gilmore will not help the Raiders' win-now problem, but it's a step in the right direction. Gilmore will walk into the Raiders locker room and instantly become the best player on the team. Jon Gruden could save his job if he can land Gilmore through a trade with the Patriots.
