Tag: Stephon Gilmore

Patriots’ CB Stephon Gilmore is training with a former All-Pro CB this offseason

The CB is working hard to stay atop his game.

How does an elite athlete stay at the top of his game? By continually working on his craft and taking advice from his contemporaries.

New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore is doing just that.

After becoming the first cornerback to win the Defensive Player of the Year award since 2009, Gilmore is taking his offseason training very seriously.

As shown in a video posted on Twitter, the Patriots top corner is spending his days working with former All-Pro cornerback Dré Bly who is now the cornerback coach at North Carolina. Here’s a look at their workout.

Bly spent 11 seasons in the NFL, making two Pro Bowls and earning one All-Pro nomination. While Bly never won a DPOY award like Gilmore, he still has valuable insight that can help Gilmore retain his status as the best cornerback in the NFL.

There’s not much that Gilmore can do to elevate his status (aside from shutting down and shutting up DeVante Parker), but continued success would do a lot for his career resumé. And, with the offense potentially taking a step back without Tom Brady, Gilmore may need to play his best football to keep the Patriots in contention.

It’s great to see the team’s top defensive player working so hard during an offseason that’s been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Stephon Gilmore, NFL stars send powerful message to league about racial injustice

“What if I was George Floyd?”

New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore was among more than a dozen NFL stars who let their voices be heard on Thursday. Michael Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr., DeAndre Hopkins and Jarvis Landry were some of the other players who sent a powerful message to the league.

The killing of George Floyd sparked a countrywide movement to open up conversations about racial injustices. Drew Brees’ comments about disrespecting the flag started a bigger conversation within the NFL. Players are speaking up and allowing the awareness to have the uncomfortable, but very necessary conversations.

The players continued to broach the topic by asking the NFL to “condemn racism” and the “systematic oppression of black people.” They also asked the NFL to “admit wrong” in silencing its players from peacefully protesting.

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Where does Stephon Gilmore rank among NFL’s best players?

PFF ranks Gilmore as the 12th-best player in the NFL. Fair or unfair?

New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore is the 12th-best player in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

Interestingly, Gilmore might have been higher on the list if not for his tough outing in Week 17 against Miami Dolphins receiver Devante Parker, who had eight catches for 137 yards in mostly 1-on-1 coverage from Gilmore. The performance against Parker may have been the only real blemish on Gilmore’s impeccable record and the NFL’s top cornerback in 2019. He had terrific games against Deandre Hopkins, Amari Cooper,

Gilmore finished the second-best defensive player on PFF’s list, behind Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who was the No. 1 player on the list. Here’s what PFF said about Gilmore:

“The closest thing the NFL has in 2020 to a shutdown corner, Stephon Gilmore has taken his game to another level. Last season, Gilmore allowed a passer rating when targeted of just 47.4, notching 13 pass breakups and allowing fewer than 50% of targets to be caught — and that’s despite DeVante Parker ‘Mossing’ him at the catch point a couple of times to ruin his numbers. In single coverage over the past three seasons, Gilmore leads all defensive players and all cornerbacks by a significant distance in PFF grade and has allowed just 41.9% of passes to be caught.”

There is no shortage of quarterbacks ranked above Gilmore, with Drew Brees, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes. And there are a handful of elite receivers above Gilmore: Deandre Hopkins, Julio Jones and Michael Thomas. It’s probably a fair ranking, though you could certainly make the case Gilmore deserves to sit higher on the list.

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Is Texans CB Gareon Conley due for a breakout season?

Houston Texans CB Gareon Conley had the highest percentage of forced incomplete passes in 2019. Will the former first-rounder breakout in 2020?

The Houston Texans found a starting cornerback in Bradley Roby, and are keeping him around for the next three seasons. However, Trader Bill may have acquired a perfect complement in the middle of the 2019 season.

According to data released by Pro Football Focus, Gareon Conely had the highest forced incompletion percentage among cornerbacks from 2015-19 with a whopping 22.5% — better than the likes of Marlon Humphrey, Stephon Gilmore, and Casey Hayward, players who NFL fans have heard of.

The former 2017 first-round pick for the Oakland Raiders arrived in Houston shortly before the two sides’ Week 8 game in 2019. Conley collected 27 tackles and 11 pass breakups for Houston, second only to Johnathan Joseph’s 13 for most on the team.

Coach and general manager Bill O’Brien told reporters on April 16 that the club is “really excited” for the former Ohio State product in 2020.

“Gareon Conley, making plays on the ball, really graded highly in his games with us this year,” said O’Brien.

If Conley can continue to lock down opposing receivers at that high of an incompletion rate, it will partner well with Roby’s ability to make plays on the ball. Quarterbacks will have to pick their poison as they seek completions against new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s secondary.

Adam Schein makes bold prediction for Chargers player in 2020

The Los Angeles Chargers made the NFL analyst’s bold prediction list for the 2020 season.

Coming off an outstanding rookie season, the expectations were at an all-time high for Chargers safety Derwin James. Unfortunately, his campaign was put to a halt after he sustained a foot injury right before the season that kept him out for the majority of the year.

Even though the defense was still solid, his absence was evident. Upon returning to the action, his impact was felt immediately. James, the chess piece on the defensive side of the ball, made plays in coverage, against the run and as an additional blitzer.

In just five games, he posted 34 tackles, three tackles for loss and one pass deflected.

Now healthy heading into his third season, James will be looking to repeat the same type of success in Year 1 plus more. The former Florida State product will be a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, but Defensive Player of the Year is not out of reach.

NFL Media’s Adam Schein listed his bold predictions for the upcoming season and one of them included James earning the honors of being named the best defensive player in the league in 2020.

The league is loaded with talented defensive players, which include Rams’ Aaron Donald, 49ers’ Nick Bosa, Steelers’ T.J. Watt, Bills’ Tre’Davious White, Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore, among others. But only with two years under his belt, James has proven to be in that same tier.

“To me, James is already the best safety in the NFL. With a Swiss Army Knife skill set, he makes plays and wrecks games. And I envision him taking his game to a whole other level in Year 3,” Shein said.

The sky is the limit for the former Seminole.

Eagles CB Darius Slay omitted from a list raking the NFL’s 10 best in coverage

Darius Slay omitted from a list raking the NFL’s 10 best in coverage

The Philadelphia Eagles were able to address their biggest need this offseason, acquiring cornerback Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions for draft picks.

Slay is one of the NFL’s top cover men, yet he’s been disrespected on more than one occasion this offseason. Slay previously stated that he felt his 2019 season was “fantastic” despite critics and analysts suggesting that he was statistically one of the worst in the league.

Now in a list of the top players in coverage from NFL.com, Slay was again omitted for some lesser-known talent.

Using metrics that included passer rating allowed, catch rate allowed below expectation, tight-window percentage, target rate, and average separation yards.

Stephon Gilmore of New England was the No. 1 player on the list and deservedly so. Gilmore was followed by the Patriots J.C. Jackson, Justin Simmons, Tre’Darius White, and Bears safety Eddie Jackson rounded out the top-5.

In 2019 Slay managed a coverage grade of just 56.9, which ranked 92nd in the NFL as he racked up 36 total tackles, 13 pass deflections, two interceptions, and 0 forced fumbles.

Slay allowed 346 yards on 162 press coverage snaps, and 177 yards on 214 off-man coverage snaps.

The numbers are misleading and don’t really tell the full story as Slay was on a Lions team that had the worst pass defense in 2019, giving up almost 2845 yards per game. The Lions also had the second-lowest sack rate (28) in the league, thus forcing Slay in coverage longer than expected.

Even with the numbers, Slay was still one of the best in overall coverage and should make the list on merit alone and should definitely add fuel to his already growing fire.

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The NFL’s best cornerbacks in man coverage

The ability to play man coverage has always been highly important in the NFL. Who’s best at it coming into the 2020 NFL season?

Through the NFL’s eras, the ability to play man coverage at a high level has separated the best defenders from the rank and file in the minds of many. Al Davis built several historically great defenses on the backs of great man cornerbacks from Willie Brown to Lester Hayes. Deion Sanders’ ability to erase his section of the field without boundary help allowed his defensive coordinators to take all kinds of risks in other areas.

And today, the NFL’s best secondary belongs to the Patriots, who have combined the ideal man coverage defensive backs with a high rate of Cover-0, Cover-1, Cover-2 Man, and certain kinds of combo coverages that allow those players to bring out their best attributes. When you have NFL offenses relying more and more on quick-game passes, one-step drops, and RPOs, playing quality man coverage, especially at the short and intermediate levels of the defense, it just as important as it’s ever been, albeit for new and challenging reasons.

Who are the NFL’s best man coverage cornerbacks heading into the 2020 season — the ones who play with a unique combination of speed, quickness, aggressiveness, and a convenient amnesia to move on to the next play when things go wrong? Based on tape study and metrics from Sports Info Solutions and Pro Football Focus, here are the league’s most efficient defenders when it comes to this highly valuable skill.

Kevin King | Marcus Peters | William Jackson III | Bradley Roby | Quinton Dunbar | Steven Nelson | Tre’Davious White | Tre Flowers | Stephon Gilmore | Jason McCourty | J.C. Jackson

11. Kevin King, Green Bay Packers

(© Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-W, Appleton Post-Crescent via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

Last season, the Packers played man coverage on 32% of their snaps, 18th-highest in the league, but when they did, King was there to make sure it mattered. In 2019, he allowed 29 catches on 39 man coverage targets for 349 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, three more dropped picks, and an opposing QBR of 56.14.

At 6’3″ and 200 pounds, King is one of the better new wave of big, physical press conerbacks developing right now. Aggressive to a fault off the line of scrimmage (and occasionally too grabby), King makes quick slants and drag routes very difficult for opposing receivers, because he has the size, physicality, and short-area quickness to erase those concepts. He will occaionally get lost on the back stem of longer routes, and smaller, quicker receivers can give him fits at times, but that can be said of most bigger cornerbacks, and when King trusts his instincts and doesn’t over-concentrate through the route, he’s just fine. The third-year man from Washington is one to watch.

Kevin King | Marcus Peters | William Jackson III | Bradley Roby | Quinton Dunbar | Steven Nelson | Tre’Davious White | Tre Flowers | Stephon Gilmore | Jason McCourty | J.C. Jackson

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Instagram post about Stephon Gilmore kicks off feud between DeVante Parker, Michael Thomas

Ut oh.

Stephon Gilmore accidentally found himself in the middle of an Instagram feud between DeVante Parker and Michael Thomas.

Gilmore, a New England Patriots cornerback and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, was featured on FOX Sports’ Instagram alongside Thomas, the top receiver in the NFL for receptions and receiving yards. There was a question about what’s harder to do: catch a pass on Gilmore or stop Thomas from catching a pass. Parker had an impressive final game on Gilmore in Week 17 with eight catches for 137 yards, and yet he argued on Instagram that catching a ball on Gilmore was harder than stopping Thomas.

Apparently, that didn’t sit well with Thomas. Here’s the original post.

View this post on Instagram

Which is tougher to do?

A post shared by NFL on FOX (@nflonfox) on

And here’s a look at their exchange.

Gilmore had no part in their argument, except that his mere presence seems to have incidentally kicked off the heated exchange.

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Bills (mostly) left off PFF’s top-101 players of 2010s

Buffalo Bills not really on Pro Football Focus list.

Pro Football Focus undertook a huge task recently. There were many great players to suit up in the NFL during the 2010s, but the football analytics outlet decided to peg the 101 best players from the last decade.

In doing so, the Buffalo Bills, who spent most of the decade buried in a playoff drought, were mostly left off the list.

Mostly because the two names that were linked to the Bills were put on the list because of their successes on other NFL rosters.

At No. 29, running back Marshawn Lynch appears.

A former first-round pick of the Bills in 2007, Lynch was a promising player for Buffalo from 2007 to 2010. Then due to some off-field issues and a crowded backfield with CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson, Lynch turned out to be the castoff, jumping over the the Seahawks via trade.

Also to consider, “Beast Mode” spent most of his career with the Bills prior to the 2010s.

In addition to Lynch, another former first-round pick of the Bills in cornerback Stephon Gilmore clocks in at No. 76.

While Lynch didn’t spend much of the 2010s on Buffalo’s roster, Gilmore did, from 2012 to 2016. After leaving the team via free agency, Gilmore shined in the national spotlight with the Patriots, nabbing first-team All-Pro honors twice. Gilmore, like Lynch, also grabbed a Super Bowl ring after departing the Bills.

Peeping the rest of the list, if you’re into things in threes, former almost Bills wide receiver Antonio Brown lands at No. 13. The top-spot overall comes as little surprise, it’s Tom Brady. He edged out third-place Drew Brees and runner-up Aaron Donald.

 

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Bills’ Stefon Diggs headlines list of ‘top-matchups’ in 2020

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs headlines a top-2020 matchup by NFL.com

In landing receiver Stefon Diggs, the Bills landed one of the best wideouts the game has to offer. But in doing so, Buffalo inadvertently created one of the NFL’s top-individual matchups.

Ton of focus in New England is on quarterback Tom Brady skipping town. But the Patriots still have a stout defense and one of the league’s best cornerbacks in Stephon Gilmore.

NFL Media recently pegged Stefon vs. Stephon as one of the NFL’s best matchups to watch next season:

After watching their receivers struggle to separate versus tight man coverage, the Bills paid a steep price to Minnesota to acquire one of the premier route runners in the business. Diggs tended to wear his frustration on his sleeve when Vikings QB Kirk Cousins grew gun-shy downfield. If he manages to spring free versus the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, he can count on Josh Allen to pull the trigger. If the previous two years are any indication, he can also count on those bullets to be scattershot in nature.

Diggs vs. Gilmore will be a prime-time matchup to watch. Plus, it’ll actually happen under the prime-time lights in Week 16. The Bills at Patriots is slated for Monday Night Football.

While watching the No. 1 options go off on each other in these games, it’ll be a smart play to watch John Brown as well. Last season he preformed well against the Patriots. In two games vs. the Pats, Brown had six catches for 122 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown with Gilmore in coverage.

That’s not to take away from Gilmore’s great talents, but now the Patriots will have their No. 2 or 3 cornerback on Brown. He could be primed for some bigger games throughout the 2020 season.

 

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