Before the start of last season, the New England Patriots shocked the world by signing Stephon Gilmore to a five-year, $65-million contract. While everyone else was worried about the Malcolm Butler situation, the Patriots made one of their rare “big signings”, for a cornerback who many believed wasn’t worth his price tag. Many fans believed he was prone to dropping coverage and letting receivers burn him.
In fact, back in 2016, another former Buffalo Bills player – Chris Hogan – did just that. On a 53-yard bomb from Tom Brady, Gilmore had a perfect opportunity to tackle Hogan just shy of the end zone. Instead, he slowed down and surrendered the play, allowing Hogan to run in for a touchdown. The Patriots would defeat go on to defeat the Bills 41-25 that day. But we’re not here to relive the past – we’re here to evaluate Gilmore’s future.
While his first season with the Patriots got off to a rocky start, as the 2017 season progressed, Gilmore began to show his true skill as a cornerback. When Butler was benched in Super Bowl LII (a decision that still makes us scratch our heads), Gilmore stepped up. Now that Butler belongs to the Tennessee Titans, Gilmore has become the Patriots true top corner. Can he live up to the challenge?
New England Patriots X-Factors: Stephon Gilmore
Rocky Start Leads to Return on Investment
When you’re paired up with a Super Bowl hero like Butler, it can be admittedly difficult to make a name for yourself during your first year with a team. Then again, with a contract as large as Gilmore’s, you expect a certain caliber of performance. It took nearly half a season for Gilmore’s talent to heat up, but by week 10 the team had started to see their return on investment. By the end of the regular season, he had started and played in 13 games, racked up 47 solo tackles, nine pass deflections, and two interceptions returned for 59 yards.
On paper, Gilmore’s playoff performance was nothing spectacular, but he is responsible for my single favorite defensive play from the postseason. On 4th-and-14 during the AFC Championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with less than two minutes remaining, Blake Bortles threw deep to wide receiver Dede Westbrook. Gilmore leaped into the air for a miraculous sideways pass deflection – images of which belong in a museum, or at the very least, the Hall at Patriots Place. It was this key play that cemented Gilmore’s future as the leading corner on the team.
GILMORE! #JAXvsNE #NFLPlayoffs https://t.co/hIahSIjBHr
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2018
Entering 2018…
With the loss of Butler, Gilmore has become the team’s leader at the position. The veteran has years of experience and insight to offer a group of younger, less experienced corners, including rookies J.C. Jackson, Duke Dawson, and Keion Crossen. Additionally, he’s joined by fellow Patriots sophomores Jonathan Jones and Eric Rowe, who’s entering his third year with the team. Jason McCourty – Devin McCourty‘s twin brother – was also signed to the team in free agency, and Cyrus Jones should be returning from a season on the injured reserve list. In total, the current group of cornerbacks has grown to a pool of 10. While there is a lot of talent here, we know that not everyone will make the final roster.
Obviously, Gilmore’s a lock. He’ll assume Butler’s position on the depth chart, and it’s expected that Rowe and Jones will line up take up two other spots on the roster. Dawson and Jackson are our other favorites, and we’d like to see McCourty stir up some double trouble on the field as well.
Jones, who has battled injury and inconsistency, could be nearing his final days in New England. Crossen is also an unlikely option, but stranger things have happened.
Last Word on Stephon Gilmore
Make no mistake: While Gilmore wasn’t a star cornerback in Buffalo – nor was he one during the first few months with New England – he has emerged as the most capable corner on the team, and not just because of Butler’s absence. Even as last season progressed, he began to outpace and outperform Butler.
Gilmore’s second-year leap is expected to stun crowds after impressive, damn near dominating performances during offseason activities.
If you guessed Stephon Gilmore as the answer to the first player on the field for the first practice, you are correct. pic.twitter.com/1WLgIxTfvU
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 26, 2018
Linebackers coach Brian Flores hasn’t officially assumed the mantle of defensive coordinator after Matt Patricia‘s departure, but he did wear the headset when the team’s training camp opened up on July 26. Dont’a Hightower, the team’s other star defensive player, told reporters that Flores’ style was a little easier for the younger defensive players to learn:
“The way that the guys kind of absorb it a little bit different. We meet a little different, talk about things a little different. It’s just small, quirky things that you can’t necessarily put a finger on, but it’s obvious whenever you can kind of have first-year guys come in or even guys who maybe got signed [as free agents] that can pick things up.’’
Considering the biggest issue with Gilmore last year was miscommunication, it’s likely that Flores’ new style – and more time to learn the playbook – will provide a bump in performance. So much so, in fact, our own David Latham has named Gilmore as the number-four “Most Important Patriot” this year. Additionally, heading into 2018, Pro Football Focus listed Gilmore as a top-15 cornerback, just behind Richard Sherman.
Behind Hightower, Gilmore is the most important piece of the Patriots defense. If he can become the shutdown corner we all need him to be, he’ll be delivering some very important plays against some of the very talented receivers the team is set to face off against in 2018.
