Former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore is arguably the best free agent left on the open market. While the five-time Pro Bowler is not the player he once was, Gilmore remains one of the better cornerbacks in the league. Last year with the Dallas Cowboys, the defensive back finished the year with two interceptions, 13 passes defended, one forced fumble, 68 tackles, and a 71.2 PFF grade, the 35th-best mark out of 127 eligible players.
Earlier in the offseason, it appeared as though the Carolina Panthers were the clear frontrunners to sign Stephon Gilmore as a free agent. However, the two sides couldn’t make the money work, and this could allow the Kansas City Chiefs to swoop in and steal the two-time All-Pro.
Chiefs, Panthers Fighting Over Free Agent Stephon Gilmore
Seeing as Stephon Gilmore is still a free agent, it’s safe to assume that Carolina’s original offer is still on the table. Gilmore himself admitted that he probably would’ve signed a deal by now if he was a few years younger, but the 33-year-old is looking for a chance to win a ring in his later years. Carolina cannot provide that opportunity, but Kansas City can. After trading L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs are banking on Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson stepping up opposite Trent McDuffie.
Some teams are in a position to take this type of risk with minimal long-term risk. The Chiefs, however, are chasing history as the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Perhaps Williams and Watson are up for the risk, but Kansas City can’t place too much faith in these relatively untested players. The present-day version of Stephon Gilmore is still a downgrade from L’Jarius Sneed, but the free agent can provide a much-needed boost to this defense.
The Chiefs should have an easy enough time winning a relatively uncompetitive AFC West. However, if they want to slow down the other elite AFC teams, they could use a free agent like Stephon Gilmore. Carolina, meanwhile, will need to win games with defense and create a strong unit that won’t put excess pressure on Bryce Young. Gilmore has a good shot of landing with one of these teams, the only question is which one.
The Money
Even though the Chiefs have a substantially better roster, Kansas City somehow has more cap space than the Carolina Panthers. According to OverTheCap, The Chiefs currently have $15.68 million in available spending money, while Carolina has the fifth-lowest spending total with just over $6 million. Seeing as teams need to keep some money available for in-season transactions, the Panthers might not have the money to sign Stephon Gilmore to a big free agent contract.
The Panthers could restructure some contracts to create cap space, but will a team in the midst of a serious rebuild mortgage the future for an aging free agent like Stephon Gilmore? While anything is possible, this decision wouldn’t make much sense. The Chiefs are the better team and have more money, so Gilmore has much higher odds of landing with the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Main Photo: Tim Heitman – USA Today Sports
