Patriots-Stephon Gilmore Reunion Would Be Perfect Splash Move

The Patriots don’t necessarily need a cornerback, but we’ve put some thought into one specific case that honestly is pretty compelling.

Stephon Gilmore should return to New England.

We’d like to get ahead of the snarky comments and say, yes, we understand Gilmore’s entering his age-34 season. It’s also fairly obvious the Patriots have more pressing needs, like the whole quarterback thing. Gilmore also has been critical of New England, so who knows if he’d even be interested.

Gilmore just might be the Patriots’ best option at rounding out the cornerback group, while aiding in the development of someone New England hopes can be a future star.

Gilmore’s coming off a good season in Dallas, where he spent the majority of the season as Cowboys’ No. 2 cornerback. It wasn’t initially supposed to be that way, but after Trevon Diggs went down with an injury there was little hesitation in allowing Gilmore and Daron Bland to anchor one of the league’s best secondaries.

Gilmore’s ability to adapt to greater responsibilities than initially anticipated made him a favorite down in Dallas, but the Cowboys also might have priced him out of their range for a No. 4 cornerback.

The Patriots have money to spend, though.

Gilmore is expected to receive a one-year deal for somewhere around $7 million, per OverTheCap. That’s a drop in the bucket for New England, which likely will prioritize short-term deals for whatever depth pieces it ends up signing. Gilmore, in a perfect world, would serve as the Patriots’ top reserve cornerback while Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones receive the majority of reps.

It’s a situation where you’re paying for insurance, which after the last few seasons has become more valuable than you’d think. Gilmore also could add leadership value in a fairly young secondary, while allowing himself to end things the right way in New England. If there’s anyone the Patriots should pay a little extra for this offseason, it’s someone with proven value at a position where you can never have too many bodies.