Patriots release CB Stephon Gilmore, who could be a major addition for a contender

Former Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, released by the team on Wednesday, could be an important addition to any contending team.

On Wednesday morning, former Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore announced on his Twitter account that the team had released him. Gilmore, who signed a five-year, $65 million contract with the Patriots before the 2017 season, was due a $7 million base salary in the final year of his contract, and he was set to be a $16,265,503 cap liability had he stayed on the roster. Per OverTheCap.com, the Patriots will save $5.055 million in cap money for the rest of the season with the release, taking a $10,474,563 total cap charge.

Gilmore was on New England’s Physically Unable to Perform list with a quadriceps injury he’d been dealing with since the 2020 season. He had not been part of the team’s mandatory minicamp in June, as he and the Patriots had been in a contract dispute that also had the team previously talking with potential trade suitors.

Gilmore was the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year after a season in which he allowed 48 catches on 97 targets for 628 yards, 218 yards after the catch, one touchdown, six interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 48.0. But injuries limited his participation to just 11 games in the 2020 season, and he allowed 27 catches on 42 targets for 354 yards, 112 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, one interception, and an opponent passer rating of 96.7.

But if the 31-year-old Gilmore is fully healthy, he could be a great short-term addition to any contending team. He’s been the league’s best man coverage cornerback over the last couple years when at full strength, and he’s not too bad in zone coverage, either. His on-field range combined with his head for coverage make him a formidable opponent, as Dallas’ Amari Cooper could attest.

And it was Gilmore who sealed Super Bowl LIII for the Patriots with this interception of a Jared Goff pass to Brandin Cooks with 4:24 left in the game, and the Patriots up on the Rams, 10-3.

Which teams might look at Gilmore now that he’s a free agent? The easy answer would be “Every team not named the Patriots.” but any contender with coverage issues — which would include a certain defending champion in Tampa, and may have to go beyond their recent signing of Richard Sherman to plug up a injury-riddled secondary — and the Chiefs team the Buccaneers beat in Super Bowl LV. Right now, each of those teams have a bit more than $3 million in cap room, so moves would have to be made. The Seahawks, Panthers, Football Team, and Packers could all use secondary help, and have more financial weight to swing at the present time.