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With rumors about Stephon Gilmore's future circling the NFL, it makes one wonder where he would be a great fit.
The Arizona Cardinals feel like they are one top player away from being a force in a competitive division. They landed DeAndre Hopkins last year. Could they land another top player on the other side of the ball? Here's why they should open a dialog with the Patriots to sign their star cornerback.
Why Stephon Gilmore makes a great fit in Arizona
The Malcolm Butler situation
The Arizona Cardinals signed Malcolm Butler after his three-year stint with the Tennessee Titans. Butler and Gilmore were in New England at the same time.
They shared a secondary that played in the Super Bowl. Pairing Gilmore with Malcolm Butler would smoothen the transition should they make a move for the All-Pro and get the secondary on track in time for the season.
Cardinals cornerbacks need another boost
Malcolm Butler was a great addition for the Arizona Cardinals. He's coming off his best season, in which he earned four interceptions and 100 combined tackles. However, after the loss of Patrick Peterson, the Arizona Cardinals could still see some regression in 2021.
Lining up opposite Malcolm Butler is Byron Murphy, who's coming off a season in which he earned a 64.7 PFF grade. While Murphy is serviceable, he could use some competition. If the Arizona Cardinals were to add Stephon Gilmore, it would move Byron Murphy to facing third-string receivers, which would be a game-changer.
Vance Joseph's scheme requires top talent
Vance Joseph relies on heavy man-blitzes to force quarterbacks to throw under pressure. While this creates a lot of sacks, it puts extra pressure on the secondaries because if the pass rush doesn't get to the quarterback quickly, every cornerback and safety needs to hold up.
Usually, there is a breakdown with one matchup which allows the receiver to get open and allows the QB to hit the open receiver. Put simply, Vance Joseph's scheme requires an air-tight cornerback room. Currently, the secondary, while servicable, may not stand up to the pressure of repeated blitzes.
Stephon Gilmore will help Vance Joseph's scheme work much more effectively on those plays when the pass rush does not immediately reach the quarterback. Gilmore's addition would make the Arizona defense similar to the one Vance Joseph had in Denver when he was head coach.
In Denver, Vance Joseph had Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. as a top-tier cornerback duo and the secondary was able to stand up to repeated blitzes. The addition of Stephon Gilmore could see Arizona replicate that pairing. It turns out Stephon Gilmore ticks a lot of boxes for the Cardinals.
