Bills FA CB Stephon Gilmore signs 5-year deal w/New England

[Brady_to_Moss]

Josina Anderson?Verified account @JosinaAnderson 22m22 minutes ago



I'm told Stephon Gilmore didn't find out about the #Pats interest until this am. Plenty of change for the CB, w/ a new baby on the way too.

Something with Butler in the works or not in the works? Weird this came out of nowhere no?

 

[Ring 6]

I think it depends on what they're going to guarantee Gilmore. I'm not in a position to answer that question right now, unfortunately.

I imagine a 14 mill a year deal signed at the outset of FA will include large guarantees.

 

[Ring 6]

Something with Butler in the works or not in the works? Weird this came out of nowhere no?

All of our signings come out of nowhere.

 

[DaBruinz]

I would not be surprised if Butler was offered a contract that the Patriots chose not to match and that is why they signed Gilmore.. It would also mean that the Pats will be seeing a 1st round pick coming their way in this year's draft.

 

[AtomicDawg]

This makes sense since this is how they operate.

 

[patsinthesnow]

So Options:

1. We are partnering Gilmore and Butler this season.
2. We're trading Butler for Cooks
3. A team is making an offer on Butler and we're getting a first rounder.

All seem like pretty good options to me.

2 and 3 are somewhat heartbreaking of course. Butler deserves a spot in the Patriots HOF if he leaves.

 

[Tony2046]

This is pretty bizarre on quite a few levels. Paying top dollar for another team's free agents is highly unusual for the Pats. I'm glad they got (another) #1 CB with great size & speed, but I'm just worried about what it means for Butler, the other #1 CB waiting to get paid, already on the team, who played a major role in delivering 2 Super Bowls.

Gilmore: $14M/year, McCourty $9.5M/year ... Butler? You have to think he'd command at least $12M if extended, since I doubt he'd play on that RFA tender of $3.9.

I'd be surprised if all that money was allocated to the secondary.

If they do spend that much on the secondary the Patriots will redefine the meaning of coverage sack.

 

[Bruins29]

overreacts to everything

AJ is a great poster here. Marqui is a whiny useless POS who spends all this time on a forum about a team he dislikes so much. Talk about needing to get a life.

 

[manxman2601]

2 and 3 are somewhat heartbreaking of course. Butler deserves a spot in the Patriots HOF if he leaves.

It is but losing Butler after next year has a feeling of inevitability to it. At least options 2&3 net us something potentially significant.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Something with Butler will happen here soon

 

[BradyMoss812]

I'm really hoping that Butler stays, because that looks like a very strong CB pairing right now, with Rowe as the 3rd CB.

 

[Jangles]

AJ is a great poster here

Overrated

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

What about hightower? Does this mean he's gone? Are we gonna have alot of brand new players on defense?

I am thinking which teams would give up a first rounder for butler? I think he's staying this year. He will get paid after next season.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Getting a 1st back if we do lose Butler....I can stomach that.

 

[Bruins29]

A Butler holdout would suck but its doubtful for a couple of reasons as mentioned.

If Butler gets a big offer from someone then its like we traded Butler for Gilmore and a 1st round pick.

 

[Gronkowski123]

i like gilmore, but i feel like this is the end of butler????

i hope we keep butler around for this season at least. we'd have 2 number 1 corners!!

 

[Rob0729]

I really like this move. The Pats will have two solid #1 CBs and a solid #1 safety. The Pats may have the best secondary in the League in 2017.

 

[resdubwhite]

I would not be surprised if Butler was offered a contract that the Patriots chose not to match and that is why they signed Gilmore.. It would also mean that the Pats will be seeing a 1st round pick coming their way in this year's draft.

thats plausible. I juat don't know who it will be.

 

[AtomicDawg]

feel like this is the end of butler????

Is he on his death bed???

 

[Ring 6]

I would not be surprised if Butler was offered a contract that the Patriots chose not to match and that is why they signed Gilmore.. It would also mean that the Pats will be seeing a 1st round pick coming their way in this year's draft.

Butler couldn't sign an offer sheet yet so the patriots couldn't know what the offer was and whether they would match it.

It's highly possible though that the patriots know they won't pay butler what he wants or is likely to be offered this year or next, feel Gilmore is better, and won't match any offer high enough for him to accept and will take the #1 pick, or just let him walk next year.