Tom Brady has left New England, but the Patriots still might have the biggest star in the AFC East.
The “Good Morning Football” crew on Tuesday debated which player in the division owns this title. Kay Adams opted for a budding talent in Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White, while Kyle Brandt picked potentially one of the game’s next best quarterbacks in Miami Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa. Peter Schrager, meanwhile, chose a player looking to build off a career season: Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
“I don’t know if any of the quarterbacks here are going to jump off the page in this division, whether it be (Sam) Darnold or (Jarrett) Stidham or Josh Allen or the Ryan Fitzpatrick-Tua combo platter. But I do know Stephon Gilmore is going to be on the field and I do know he was the Defensive Player of the Year last year,” Schrager said on NFL Network. ” … Here’s the thing with Stephon Gilmore. I’m flipping through the NFL Network. Brian Baldinger is doing his ‘Baldy Breakdowns’ and there’s a half-hour film session with Stephon Gilmore. Stephon maybe said eight words the entire show. Baldy’s talking, but Stephon Gilmore is a man of not many words. He’s the Defensive Player of the Year and he does not run his mouth. It’s so rare to see a top corner in this league not be that boisterous guy but to be humble, quiet and a student of the game. I think he’s one of the smartest corners this league has. I also think he’s the best.”
There arguably will be more pressure on Gilmore to perform at a high level this season than any of his others in Foxboro thus far. Considering the uncertainty surrounding the Patriots’ offense, New England all but surely will need to lean on its defense, which is headlined by an elite secondary.
