Patriots Closing In On Stephon Gilmore

[krunk]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000791751/article/patriots-closing-in-on-top-corner-stephon-gilmore

 

Former Bills first-round pick and 2016 Pro Bowler Stephon Gilmore is closing in on a deal with the Patriots, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Gilmore, believed by some to be the best free agent cornerback available on the market, is just 26 going on 27. He finished last season with a career-high five interceptions for 135 return yards. Gilmore also broke up 12 passes and added 42 solo tackles.

 

Rapoport said the deal will eclipse $14 million per season.

[chad72]

It will be a 2 or 3 year rental like Revis and with their level of coaching, they will get the most out of him. With Butler still playing under a rookie contract, they can afford to pay another man CB like Gilmore that they played against in their division.

 

It is funny that they get Wes Welker from the Dolphins, Chris Hogan from the Bills after seeing how well they separate and run routes playing them twice in their division and now Gilmore, while those lousily coached teams in the AFC East don't know how to maximize their own talent with terrible coaching and sub-par QB play. Adam Gase may be the only one who may buck the trend there, IMO. 

[21isSuperman]

3 minutes ago, chad72 said:

It will be a 2 or 3 year rental like Revis and with their level of coaching, they will get the most out of him. With Butler still playing under a rookie contract, they can afford to pay another man CB like Gilmore that they played against in their division.

 

It is funny that they get Wes Welker from the Dolphins, Chris Hogan from the Bills after seeing how well they separate and run routes playing them twice in their division and now Gilmore, while those lousily coached teams in the AFC East don't know how to maximize their own talent with terrible coaching and sub-par QB play. Adam Gase may be the only one who may buck the trend there, IMO. 

They put a first round tender on him and I heard rumblings about a Butler for Brandin Cooks swap

[chad72]

4 minutes ago, 21isSuperman said:

They put a first round tender on him and I heard rumblings about a Butler for Brandin Cooks swap

 

Does that mean that the Bills can match it? That is what happened with Emmanuel Sanders and the Steelers, I think. Patriots offered something and the Steelers matched that offer.

[21isSuperman]

1 minute ago, chad72 said:

 

Does that mean that the Bills can match it? That is what happened with Emmanuel Sanders and the Steelers, I think. Patriots offered something and the Steelers matched that offer.

Sorry, I was unclear.  The Pats put a first round tender on Malcolm Butler.  Teams can make him an offer, but it would cost them a first round pick if he accepts

[chad72]

They will be getting weaker at safety and most likely lose Josh Harmon, so BB wants to compensate by playing more man than zone that was very effective with his 3 safeties (McCourty, Chung and Harmon). Plus, they will be losing a nickel CB in Logan Ryan that they will try to replace in the draft though they got Eric Rowe who may be used more. 

[dgambill]

1 hour ago, chad72 said:

They will be getting weaker at safety and most likely lose Josh Harmon, so BB wants to compensate by playing more man than zone that was very effective with his 3 safeties (McCourty, Chung and Harmon). Plus, they will be losing a nickel CB in Logan Ryan that they will try to replace in the draft though they got Eric Rowe who may be used more. 

Logan Ryans was pretty dang good for them. He matched up well against those shifty speedy receivers. Obviously they are going to have a pretty stout secondary. I noticed this year Bill transitioning his team back to the defensive side of the ball and running the ball a lot more. He see's Tom is aging and once again focusing back to defense and running the ball with timely passing by Tom. Smart man is an understatement.

[chad72]

44 minutes ago, dgambill said:

Logan Ryans was pretty dang good for them. He matched up well against those shifty speedy receivers. Obviously they are going to have a pretty stout secondary. I noticed this year Bill transitioning his team back to the defensive side of the ball and running the ball a lot more. He see's Tom is aging and once again focusing back to defense and running the ball with timely passing by Tom. Smart man is an understatement.

 

I said it before. The 4 game suspension was the best thing that happened to Tom and that plus the reliance on Blount kept Tom and his arm fresh for the home stretch and the playoffs that mattered the most, much like Peyton squeezed whatever he had when his arm was falling off in 2015 thanks to Brock filling in for several games.

[dgambill]

2 minutes ago, chad72 said:

 

I said it before. The 4 game suspension was the best thing that happened to Tom and that plus the reliance on Blount kept Tom and his arm fresh for the home stretch and the playoffs that mattered the most, much like Peyton squeezed whatever he had when his arm was falling off in 2015 thanks to Brock filling in for several games.

I think Tom is much healthier than Peyton but there is no doubt my eyes tell me he is falling off some. Granted they throw so many short passes its hard to tell but his deep throws have lost a lot of accuracy. Not sure I understand the Cooks trade if they do it....unless he will be another short throw take it the distance guy. I don't think Tom can expose the deep part of the field enough to scare me anymore.

 

 

[chad72]

Just now, dgambill said:

I think Tom is much healthier than Peyton but there is no doubt my eyes tell me he is falling off some. Granted they throw so many short passes its hard to tell but his deep throws have lost a lot of accuracy. Not sure I understand the Cooks trade if they do it....unless he will be another short throw take it the distance guy. I don't think Tom can expose the deep part of the field enough to scare me anymore.

 

 

 

That would be a bad trade in the long term for the Patriots. It will be Star Wars numbers that will get exposed in the playoffs because those routes outside the numbers take time to form and QBs like Brees, Cousins, Rodgers, and Palmer throw better deep balls outside the numbers than Brady. 

[dgambill]

6 minutes ago, chad72 said:

 

That would be a bad trade in the long term for the Patriots. It will be Star Wars numbers that will get exposed in the playoffs because those routes outside the numbers take time to form and QBs like Brees, Cousins, Rodgers, and Palmer throw better deep balls outside the numbers than Brady. 

I like everything else they are doing. Bringing back Harmon, signing Gilmore, bringing back Butler it appears, blount probably too. If Hightower comes back that defense will be very strong on the backend.

[chad72]

Just now, dgambill said:

I like everything else they are doing. Bringing back Harmon, signing Gilmore, bringing back Butler it appears, blount probably too. If Hightower comes back that defense will be very strong on the backend.

 

For that reason, I hope they lose Butler and Hightower. 

[-JJ-]

28 minutes ago, dgambill said:

I think Tom is much healthier than Peyton but there is no doubt my eyes tell me he is falling off some. Granted they throw so many short passes its hard to tell but his deep throws have lost a lot of accuracy. Not sure I understand the Cooks trade if they do it....unless he will be another short throw take it the distance guy. I don't think Tom can expose the deep part of the field enough to scare me anymore.

 

 

I don't see the drop off in deep pass accuracy because it was never great to begin with. He's always had the arm strength. If anything it seems a tad more accurate last year. It was pretty horrendous years past.

[dgambill]

19 minutes ago, -JJ- said:

I don't see the drop off in deep pass accuracy because it was never great to begin with. He's always had the arm strength. If anything it seems a tad more accurate last year. It was pretty horrendous years past.

Well in his prime he was very deadly. I remember those Randy Moss days. He has a strong arm when he steps into it and drills those 10-20 yard outs etc....which is all the arm he needs honestly...but his deep throws have started to flutter a little on the down the field throws. Nothing horrible mind you but I wouldn't be concerned about someone getting behind me so much. If they are wide open sure that's trouble but getting beat over the top...yeah not so much.

[-JJ-]

48 minutes ago, dgambill said:

Well in his prime he was very deadly. I remember those Randy Moss days. He has a strong arm when he steps into it and drills those 10-20 yard outs etc....which is all the arm he needs honestly...but his deep throws have started to flutter a little on the down the field throws. Nothing horrible mind you but I wouldn't be concerned about someone getting behind me so much. If they are wide open sure that's trouble but getting beat over the top...yeah not so much.

Well that would be Moss going up for it more than Brady  

 

 I would say his accuracy was 35% on deep balls in the past.   He had the arm to get it there- just not so accurate. I was more impressed with his deep balls this year especially in the SB than in the past.

[chad72]

4 minutes ago, -JJ- said:

Well that would be Moss going up for it more than Brady  

 

 I would say his accuracy was 35% on deep balls in the past.   He had the arm to get it there- just not so accurate. I was more impressed with his deep balls this year especially in the SB than in the past.

 

It would make more sense to get someone with a better catch radius than speed for Brady, ala Gronk. Michael Floyd would be a very good re-signing without compromising the integrity of your offense or defense i.e. if you don't lose him to legal issues.

[dgambill]

34 minutes ago, -JJ- said:

Well that would be Moss going up for it more than Brady  

 

 I would say his accuracy was 35% on deep balls in the past.   He had the arm to get it there- just not so accurate. I was more impressed with his deep balls this year especially in the SB than in the past.

He did...had some nice throws to Hogan....then again Hogan was so wide open even PM off his couch could have still made those throws. Its just those more contested tighter throws deep that I don't have faith he can consistently drop it in the bucket. Like Chad said I think he would need a bigger body receiver to go up and fight for those like Peyton had with DT. In the end I don't see you guys going full in on Cooks. I think you focus on re-signing Blount and finishing up those defensive guys like Hightower and Harmon...pretty loaded really.