Ultimately, Stephon Gilmore did not hit free agency, which is not a surprise given how many teams require premier cornerbacks.
The competition would have been fierce had Stephon Gilmore hit the market. The Carolina Panthers did not let that happen, swooping in by sending a 2023 sixth-round pick to the New England Patriots.
If the valuation for Stephon Gilmore seems low, it is because he was otherwise slated to hit free agency and the Patriots would have lost him for next to nothing.
It also made sense for the Carolina Panthers to take him. Here is a look at some of the reasons.
Why did the Carolina Panthers plump for Stephon Gilmore?
#1 – They are serious contenders for the Division title
The Carolina Panthers were not given a chance to win the divisional title with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South as well. But both are now tied with an identical 3-1 record and have a good chance of winning the division. But to compete with the Super Bowl champions, they needed to shore up their defense that gave up 36 points to the Dallas Cowboys in their loss this week. With Stephon Gilmore, they get a champion cornerback.
#2 – They did not want Stephon Gilmore to have free choice
The news vine was abuzz with rumors that Stephon Gilmore wanted to join the Green Bay Packers. For the reasons mentioned above, the Carolina Panthers needed someone like Stephon Gilmore on their team. Once Stephon Gilmore hit free agency, it might have been hard to convince him to join the Carolina Panthers if his heart was already set on the Green Bay Packers. Hence, it made a lot of sense to trade for him right away.
#3 – The hope that local Carolina pride will take over
With Stephon Gilmore, they now have someone who identifies with the Carolinas. In his farewell letter to the Patriots, he called himself a “Rock Hill kid”, in reference to the place where he was born and grew up.
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Perhaps that ought to have been an omen for us. The Carolina boy who became a man in the north east, playing for the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots, will finally be returning home. For a region that identifies so deeply with local pride, having someone like him on the roster will strengthen the ties of the franchise with the local community.
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