Dating back to last season, the Arizona Cardinals have been connected to New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore as a potential trade target. There have never been any concrete reports that the Cardinals were interested or that the Patriots were shopping him, but he is currently holding out of minicamp as he enters the final year of his contract.
The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro will be 31 years old this season. He is due $7 million in salary this coming season and another up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses.
He is likely seeking a deal that would be comparable to what cornerback Darius Slay received after getting traded from the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles. He got a three-year, $50.05 million contract extension.
The Cardinals have shored up a lot of areas on their defense, including at cornerback, but it is the position where they have the biggest questions.
Byron Murphy enters his third season. They signed Malcolm Butler, who is also 31 years old like Gilmore. He is on the downside of his career. Robert Alford is back but hasn’t played a single down in two seasons. They also signed Darqueze Dennard, but he is more or less a serviceable player.
They can get by with that group, especially if Murphy improves.
They had the 10th-best pass defense in the league in 2020 and that was with okay play at cornerback.
Acquiring Gilmore could put this year’s defense over the top.
Gilmore is missing piece
The Cardinals have an improved defensive line with J.J. Watt and players who are healthy, as all but one defensive lineman in 2020 landed on injured reserve.
They get Chandler Jones back and re-signed Markus Golden, so the pass rush should be better.
They have young, athletic linebackers in Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons.
Budda Baker is an All-Pro at safety and Jalen Thompson is healthy.
They don’t have a lockdown cornerback on their roster. Adding Gilmore gives them that.
Given the offense looks better than last year, adding Gilmore could be the piece to give them, not only a chance to compete for the postseason, but compete in the playoffs.
Trade, contract cost
In the NFL, with rare exception, teams will either give up high draft capital for a player or pay him in a trade. Rarely is it that a team will give up a first-round pick and give that player an extension. It is why DeAndre Hopkins and Julio Jones were traded for only second-round picks.
The Eagles gave up a third and a fifth for Slay.
Gilmore is a tier above Slay in terms of player, but the Cardinals probably wouldn’t have to give up more than a second-round selection.
Could they do that and pay him $50 million over three years? Yes, and it still falls within the timeline of Kyler Murray’s contract.
Why the Cardinals won’t do it
It is clear this offseason that the Cardinals are okay with their group of cornerbacks and do not want to spend big on them. Butler’s deal is worth a little more than $3 million.
They appeared to have no interest in top cornerbacks like William Jackson III, who signed with the Washington Football Team at about $14 million per year.
It is worth noting again that they had a top-10 pass defense with only adequate play at cornerback last season.
Gilmore will be 31 and missed games due to injury last season. They might not want to pay top dollar to a player potentially in decline.
A deal is worth it in all-in 2021
It feels like the Cardinals are gearing up to go all-in this season for the postseason. Adding Gilmore would add to that mentality in the locker room.
DeAndre Hopkins wants Gilmore as a teammate. He is one the top corners in the league.
He fits what the Cardinals do defensively. They can make it work financially.
If the Patriots have even an inkling of trading him, the Cardinals need to be in on this deal.
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