New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore is currently holding out of the team’s mandatory minicamp with a contract dispute. On more than one occasion, he has been connected to the Arizona Cardinals as a potential trade destination.
Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who has been a recruiter for the team on social media this offseason, wants Cardinals fans to give Gilmore some love, possibly motivating a move to bring him to the desert.
As he did with defensive end J.J. Watt after he was released by the Houston Texans and with receiver Julio Jones when he was on the trading block with the Atlanta Falcons, Hopkins has taken to social media suggesting they should join him in Arizona.
This is the latest from his Instagram account:
Hopkins calls Gilmore, a fellow native of South Carolina, the best cornerback in the game. He tells the Red Sea — Cardinals fans — to show him “it’s love.”
Gilmore, who will be 31 this season, enters the final year of his contract and will make $7 million. He wants a contract extension.
The Cardinals don’t necessarily have a void at cornerback right now, as they have Byron Murphy, they signed Malcolm Butler and Darqueze Dennard and get Robert Alford back from injury.
However, he would immediately be the best player in the room.
He did miss six games last season, but he was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.
Because he is seeking more money, the Cardinals could probably acquire him for not too much — perhaps a second-round draft pick, although they would have to pay him as well.
But adding a player of Gilmore’s caliber to the defense would potentially make Arizona one of the best defenses in the league.
Considering they did not actively pursue Jones before he was traded to the Tennessee Titans, I would not expect the Cardinals to heavily pursue Gilmore. However, it is clear Hopkins would love to have him as a teammate.
And if Hopkins wants something, the team should at least look into it.
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