Patriots’ asking price in potential Stephon Gilmore trade revealed

Stephon Gilmore is a player to watch heading into Tuesday afternoon’s NFL trade deadline, but it is going to take a lot to pry the reigning Defensive Player of the Year away from the New England Patriots.

The Patriots are willing to trade Gilmore but want a first-round pick and a player in return, ESPN’s Dianna Russini reports.

After speaking with a few GMs around the NFL, I've learned multiple teams who have called the Patriots about CB Stephon Gilmore were told by New England they want a first round pick and a player in exchange for the 2019 AP Defensive Player of the Year.

— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) November 3, 2020

That sounds like a steep price, but Gilmore is arguably the best cornerback in football. While teams are typically hesitant to trade first-round picks, Gilmore is the type of player who could make a huge difference for a contending team down the stretch and into the postseason. We also don’t know what caliber of player the Patriots want in return.

Gilmore is owed just over $8 million for the remainder of the season, so any team that acquired him would either need to have salary cap space or clear some. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe noted that Gilmore is only scheduled to count $7.9 million against the cap in 2021, though the 30-year-old will likely want a contract extension.

Though trades involving star players are rare at the NFL trade deadline, there have been hints that Gilmore could be preparing to leave Foxboro.