The New England Patriots are expected to make a major splash when free agency officially begins on Thursday, as they have reportedly agreed to a deal with cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
Adam Schefter of ESPN was the first to report the news.
Bills free agent CB Stephon Gilmore expects to sign with New England barring any final snags, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2017
The Patriots rarely ever spend big on cornerbacks, so they must consider Gilmore to be a special player. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media notes that the deal is expected to be worth more than $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
It’s unclear how the Gilmore signing will affect Malcolm Butler’s situation in New England. The Super Bowl XLIX hero is a restricted free agent, and the Patriots have tendered him. That means they would get an opportunity to match any offer sheet he might sign with another team, and New England would get a first-round draft pick as compensation if they chose not to match the offer.
Gilmore has been outspoken with his confidence when facing the Patriots in the past. The 2012 first-round pick spent the first five seasons of his career with the Buffalo Bills, recording 14 interceptions in 68 career games.
