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Reports: Former Gamecock standout Stephon Gilmore will join the Super Bowl champions
By Will Ogburn
Published:
After the Buffalo Bills chose not to place the franchise tag on Stephon Gilmore this offseason, it opened up the market on the veteran cornerback.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, his final destination will be New England, where he plans to sign a five-year deal. Though the monetary figures haven’t been disclosed yet, the NFL’s Ian Rapoport reports that the number will be north of $14 million per year.
The expected price tag for free agent CB Stephon Gilmore for the #Patriots is slated to eclipse $14M per year, I’m told. Hefty but worth it
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2017
Gilmore, who played collegiately at South Carolina, is coming off a career year where he made his first Pro Bowl. Notably, his five interceptions were a career-high, despite playing in only 15 games.
During his time in Buffalo, Gilmore compiled 197 tackles, 14 interceptions, and 62 pass deflections.
After spending all five of his NFL seasons with the Bills, the 26-year-old Gilmore will seek to improve an already stacked Patriots roster that overcame a 25-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
Known for being fiscally conservative, this kind of deal suggests that the Patriots view Gilmore as a top-tier player at the position, and see him as a centerpiece of their defense moving forward.
A former resident of both Baton Rouge and the heart of Crimson Tide country, Will Ogburn handles multimedia content and news coverage for Saturday Down South.
