The Patriots have had a lot of success in the past with trading star players, but they may be facing an issue after trading for Stephon Gilmore.
The Patriots’ precedent could be key factor in a Stephon Gilmore resolution is an article on the New England Patriots blog.
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS — Quick thoughts/notes about the New England Patriots and the National Football League:
1. Stephon Gilmore’s resolution? : When Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore told veteran NFL writer Josina Anderson that he isn’t looking for a trade but “just wants what I’m worth, whatever that plays out,” it inevitably sparked one of the team’s most pressing concerns heading into training camp.
Can they “find common ground and get it placed,” as Gilmore puts it?
The decision may come down to Gilmore’s expectations, based on how the club has handled similar situations in the past and the Patriots’ salary-cap position in 2022.
For the second year in a row, the Patriots added $4.3 million in incentives to tight end Rob Gronkowski’s contract. In 2018, they also added $5 million in incentives to Tom Brady’s deal, allowing him to come closer to the market.
Adding easily-earned incentives to Gilmore’s deal would fit most closely in line with the Patriots’ strategy of finding common ground, which is essential for clubs in talks.
However, if Gilmore is looking for anything more, he might refer to the team’s 2006 performance with Richard Seymour. Seymour had one year left on his six-year rookie contract, but after standing firm in talks, he was rewarded with a four-year, $30 million deal that was comparable to what he might have gotten on the free market.
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Although Gilmore’s agent, Jason Chayut, is acquainted with the issue since he was the agent for wide receiver Deion Branch’s contract disagreement with the club, which resulted to a trade later that year, it was more of an anomaly in the coach Bill Belichick era.
In addition to Gilmore’s age (31) and the fact that he’s coming off a torn quad, the Patriots’ current salary cap situation in 2022 would be a factor in any potential contract. According to Patriots cap guru Miguel Benzan, they now have $201.7 million in total obligations, with a cap maximum of $208 million for next year.
While that figure assumes that everyone under contract for 2022 will be on the club (which is doubtful), it’s still near enough to the cap limit that the Patriots may want to be cautious about how much additional money they commit for next season.
2. Trade request: N’Keal Harry’s agent officially sought a trade nearly two weeks ago, highlighting how unclear Harry’s future with the Patriots is. The trade request also reminded me of other “change-of-scenery” transactions during the Belichick era, in which the Patriots traded a once-highly-touted star for a comparable guy. One that came to mind was the 2006 trade that sent wide receiver/returner Bethel Johnson (2003 second-rounder) to the Saints in exchange for defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan (2003 first-rounder), and if the Patriots do trade Harry, that’s the type of deal I could see — and it’s more likely to happen later in the preseason.
3. Cam Newton and the early QBs: While the bulk of Patriots players report to training camp on July 27, Cam Newton and his teammates are scheduled to arrive on Thursday, according to Newton’s comments on ESPN Radio’s “KJZ” program. So this is their final football-free weekend, as well as the coaches’, until mid-February, they hope. Meanwhile, clubs may bring in their whole rookie class seven days before the veteran reporting deadline, meaning quarterback Mac Jones, defensive lineman Christian Barmore, defensive end Ronnie Perkins, and the rest of the team will have an advantage. This adds to the pressure to sign Barmore and Perkins, the team’s only two unsigned draft choices.
4. Joe Judge on BB: Former Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge, who is in his second season as the head coach of the New York Giants, was a guest on “The Flying Coach,” a podcast hosted by Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay and NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” host Peter Schrager, as well as Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager. Judge lifted the lid on what it was like to work under Belichick, from feeling intimidated in a full-squad meeting to discussing his first meeting with him and recounting how, when he initially became special teams coordinator, Belichick also assigned him to a key position in the rookie development program. That experience, according to Judge, helped him gain a broad understanding of team culture, allowing him to advance to his present position.
5. The Moton deal stings: The Panthers’ four-year, $72 million agreement with right tackle Taylor Moton, which was the lone franchise-tagged player extension before last Thursday’s deadline, has a noteworthy Patriots twist. Moton was chosen with the Panthers’ second-round selection (No. 64), which they acquired from the Patriots in exchange for veteran Kony Ealy and a third-round pick (No. 72). That year, Ealy never made it out of training camp, and the Patriots moved down from No. 72 after many players who could have looked fine in New England colors (e.g., Moton, Alvin Kamara, Cooper Kupp, Dan Feeney) went off the board between selections 64 and 71.
To come up with top-10 rankings for 2021, Jeremy Fowler surveyed a group of more than 50 coaches, executives, scouts, and players.
• Interior DL | LB | Edge • Interior OL | CB | Safety | OT • QB | RB | WR | TE | TE | TE | TE | TE | TE | TE | TE | TE | TE
6. Signing in: Richard Seymour, a three-time Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist, was in the region earlier this week visiting two of his aunts who reside in Boston, and he added a trip to Gillette Stadium to see team owner Robert Kraft and others to his schedule. It served as a reminder that his ties to the club are still strong, and that the days of contract disputes and being traded to the Raiders (in 2009) are long gone.
7. Montravius Adams reports early: Count defensive tackle Montravius Adams among those who arrived at training camp early. The Green Bay Packers’ third-round draft pick out of Auburn in 2017 is hopeful that a new start in New England will help him fulfill selection-slot expectations, and he’s all in on adopting the team’s ethos.
8. Kraft’s gesture: The ESPN documentary “Born To Play” followed the Boston Renegades women’s tackle football team for a season, and the Renegades have had greater success since the film was published in July 2020. They’ll compete for their third consecutive national title on July 24 in Canton, Ohio, and they’ll be flying in luxury on the Patriots’ team aircraft. It’s a wonderful gesture on Kraft’s part, as well as a good example of one championship company assisting another.
9. It was stated: “If there’s a Hall of Fame for everything he’s accomplished, he deserves to be in it. He’s a quiet hero, after all. He really is.” On the “Pats from the Past” podcast, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Patriots guard John Hannah (1973-85) discussed recently retired longtime Patriots assistant Ernie Adams. In the podcast with co-hosts Matt Smith and Bryan Morry, Hannah shared another nugget: Howie Long of the Raiders and Joe Klecko of the Jets (“had tremendous leverage, never quit”) were the two finest all-around defensive lineman he faced.
10. Did You Know? The Patriots have finished in the top 10 for fewest points allowed in each of the previous nine seasons, and if they do so again in 2021, they’ll tie the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-2005) for the most consecutive seasons. Last season, the Patriots were rated sixth.
The stephon gilmore trade is a topic that has been trending recently. The New England Patriots could be the key factor in this resolution as they have set precedent with player trades.
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