Stephon Gilmore holding out of New England Patriots summer workouts obviously doesn't inspire a ton of confidence he'll be around this season, but it also doesn't make an air-tight case that he has one foot out the door.
The storyline surrounding the recent Defensive Player of the Year is perhaps the biggest around the Patriots with training camp right around a month away. Gilmore is a pending free agent and is not making near what he is worth, so it seems like he either will get a new deal or be traded.
NFL Media's Mike Giardi thinks it's more likely than not Gilmore will be a Patriot Week 1.
"So, I'm thinking he's not showing up for the beginning of training camp," Giardi said Saturday morning on WEEI. "They're going to be fine with it because they're going to let it play out, if J.C. (Jackson) can handle it, they're going to find out J.C. can't handle it. I'm going to go, let's say 73 percent he is starting Week 1."
Now, it's clear Giardi is speculating and not sourcing anything, but that should serve as some sign of optimism for Patriots fans hoping Gilmore stays put.