3 surprise cuts the Patriots could make this offseason

1. Stephon Gilmore

The Patriots are one year removed from watching Stephon Gilmore become the first cornerback since Charles Woodson to win Defensive Player of the Year. Gilmore was a big reason for the Patriots’ defensive resurgence that led to two more Super Bowl rings. However, we know past performance doesn’t usually lead to future payment in New England.

Gilmore was pretty good in 2020, but far from dominant. Eight cornerbacks made the PFF’s top 101 in terms of grade. Gilmore was not one of them. Yet, his cap number is hitting more than $16 million. If the Patriots cut him at any point this offseason, they would save more than $7.3 million. It’s quite the dead cap number ($8.92 million according to Over The Cap), but it’s also a huge saving during a year where the Patriots might still have less than capacity in the Gillette Stadium.

Losing Gilmore would drastically hurt this Patriots defense, but there were reports they tried to trade him last year and nobody met their price. He was fighting injuries last season, which might scare teams off from trading for the veteran corner. He’s still a star, but is he one of the best in the league? Maybe it’s one bad season, or maybe Belichick will try to get out one year early before being one year too late.

Gilmore will be a part of trade rumors for months. Maybe the Patriots want to do something for the man who helped them win two Super Bowls. The Texans were willing to let go of J.J. Watt for nothing, so nothing is impossible. If the trade market is dry, the Patriots might just elect to save the money.