Tag Archives: gilmore

Will Grier, WVU quarterback with Gilette Stadium in the background.

Patriots Latest Moves and Rumors 3/23

Let’s take a look at the latest some Patriots moves and rumors that were surfacing this week. Belichick and the Patriots have been pretty quiet this offseason. However, a few stories this week could help shape this team for next year and years beyond.

Move: The Stephon Gilmore Contract 

Stephon Gilmore and Tom Brady on the field after the 2018 AFC Championship game.

Thursday, the Patriots reworked Stephon Gilmore’s contract for 2019. 

Gilmore, who was originally scheduled to have a cap hit of $14,837,500, saw $8.5 million dollars worth of his contract get converted into a signing bonus. 

Doing this frees up $5.67 million dollars for the Patriots in cap space. The current cap for the Pats is now $8,332,763

This move should not be the only one for the Patriots as more money will need to come their way. The Patriots still have key free agents like Stephen Gostkowski and Chris Hogan, who remain unsigned. 

The Patriots also must compensate for the projected $8,970,997 dollars it will take to sign all their draft picks. 

With their cap as it is, expect the Patriots to move some money around with players like Devin McCourty, Tom Brady, and maybe even Rob Gronkowski, D’onta Hightower, and Lawerence Guy. 

Many expect Gostkowski to be back and Hogan looks more likely to return by the day. The Patriots will need at least 6 million in cap for those two signings alone. 

Expect them to restructure some contracts, resign some players, and trade a couple of draft picks. 

Rumor: Patriots Schedule Meeting With WVU Quarterback Will Grier 

Will Grier playing Texas Tech during his time at West Virginia.

The Patriots lack of attention to the quarterback position in this year’s draft might hint what they have planned for next year’s.

Although, one quarterback prospect who they have scheduled a meeting with is former West Virginia quarterback Will Grier. 

Grier, who was in the Heisman conversation for a brief time last year, seems to be moving up draft boards each day. 

After his very impressive pro day, several teams have called to meet with him. 

In fact his pro day was so impressive that he has potentially moved up into late first-round consideration. 

Grier makes sense as a potential fit in the Patriots system. In addition, some other quarterbacks that scouts think could come to New England are Daniel Jones of Duke, Brett Rypien of Boise State, and Ryan Finley of North Carolina State. 

Rumor: Stephen Gostkowski Resigning Reports

Stephen Gostkowski waiting on bench with the Patriots.

It seems inevitable that the Patriots and veteran kicker Stephen Gostkowski will reach an agreement to reunite. 

Now it appears that after the readjustment of Stephon Gilmore’s contract that the Patriots now have the money to resign their long-tenured kicker. 

Tom Curran reported on Thursday that the Patriots and Gostkowski are making progress and are actively talking about a return. 

Curran also reported that other teams are interested in Gostkowski. Almost any team would kill for a kicker like Stephen. Although, Gostkowksi’s interest in other teams seem very small and he obviously holds the Patriots as his top destination. 

Gostkowski will be entering his fourteenth year in the NFL and will not consider retirement at this time. 

Most expect Gostkowski’s contract number to be in the $3mil to $4mil range. 

Losing a kicker like Gostkowski would obviously be bad news for New England. Replacing his production would certainly not be an easy task.

Matchups To Watch For In Patriots Versus Texans

Alas, Patriots Nation rejoice! Football returns tomorrow as the great Tom Brady and the New England Patriots take on the up-and-coming Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans who they beat last year in a close game. Here are several matchups to keep an eye out for as the game progresses.

DeAndre Hopkins versus Stephon Gilmore

This is essentially the matchup of the game. DeAndre Hopkins is easily one of the league’s best receivers with the athletic ability to make any throw catchable. He still had a 1300+ receiving season with the likes of Tom Savage and T.J. Yates at quarterback for most of the year.

Deshaun Watson was having a field day with the Patriots’ secondary last year. The key to stopping Watson is to shut down his most reliable target and make him force it to others. Think of it this way: whenever Hopkins is the primary read in a play (which is a lot) and he’s covered, it will take longer for the pass to occur and thus giving more time for pressure to come in or players to reposition themselves.

Enter Stephon Gilmore, who is easily the best cornerback on the roster. He needs to play very physical and aggressive to contain Nuk as he describes in the interview below. This is a very important test for Gilmore and the New England secondary down below. Do they have what it takes?

 

J.J. Watt versus Marcus Cannon

J.J. Watt is an elite player when healthy. Marcus Cannon is an elite player when healthy.  Both are coming off injuries. This will be exciting to see if Watt can power and finesse his way to sack Brady or can the developed Cannon hold his ground.

The rehiring of Dante Scarnecchia, the Patriots’ legendary offensive line coach, had done wonders with Cannon. In 2015, Cannon was beaten time and time again by Von Miller in the AFC Championship. When Scarnecchia returned, his coaching skills elevated Cannon’s game (along with the rest of the line). In 2016, he had only allowed 27 pressures and played in 99.3 percent of the snaps. Cannon looks to return to this form in 2018 but has a tough challenge in the former DPOY.

Rob Gronkowski versus Tyrann Mathieu/Aaron Colvin

The task of stopping Gronk plagues the minds of every team New England faces. Houston will most likely use the free agent signings of Mathieu and Colvin to cover him along with most likely a linebacker. Whatever linebacker who covers Gronk isn’t the concern at all.  Gronk can beat out most linebackers just with his route-running skills and athleticism.

Houston, if they want to slow down the New England offense, must try to do what the Chiefs did with Eric Berry last year. Only when Gronk lines up in the slot is when Colvin will cover him (as Evan Lazar had pointed out earlier yesterday).

This matchup with New England as a whole will be hard on the Texans secondary as a whole. Brady always finds a way to work with what he has, and that will always be dangerous.

 

Revis vs. Gilmore: Who was better for the Patriots?

On July 24, 2018, Darrelle Revis officially retired as a Jet. He even posed in front of a real Revis Island at his farewell. So far, both Revis and star corner, Stephon Gilmore, played one full season for New England. So it bodes the question, with all due respect to both players, who played better for the Patriots?

Darrelle Revis stands in front of an island on his retirement day

REVIS’ 2014 STINT WITH NEW ENGLAND

On March 12, 2014, Darrelle Revis had signed one year contract worth 12 million dollars with the New England Patriots. The Pats had paired him with ex-Seahawk, Brandon Browner, in the secondary. Revis had amassed 2 interceptions, 16 passes defended, 47 tackles, and 1 forced fumble (Pro Football Reference).  He allowed 532 yards through the air against him throughout the season (NESN).

His playoff performance was outstanding. After having 2 pass interference calls defending Steve Smith, he had only allowed 1 completion in the AFC Championship and Superbowl combined. Darrelle Revis greatly contributed to New England getting their fourth ring.

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Photo Credit: Patriots Gab

GILMORE’S 2017 SEASON WITH THE PATRIOTS

 On March 9, 2017, the New England Patriots signed Stephon Gilmore to a 5-year contract worth 65 million dollars. The Gilmore/Butler duo was supposed to be one of the best in the NFL, only it didn’t turn out that way. Butler had a down year, allowing a 103.3 passer rating in coverage and earned himself an 81.0 PFF grade.

Gilmore himself had a rough start to the season, a large part due to the lack of communication. He picked his game up and really shined in the second half of the season, clearly proving himself as the best cornerback on the roster. Gilmore finished 2017 with 2 interceptions, 50 combined tackles, and 9 passes defended.

His biggest play of the season was in the AFC Championship. We all know what I’m talking about. It’s fourth down, Blake Bortles steps up in the pocket and throws it deep. Stephon Gilmore in coverage leaps up and tips it away. He sealed the deal for the Patriots and allowed them to go to their third Superbowl in four years. Unfortunately, he was basically the only bright spot on a horrendous Superbowl defense without Malcolm Butler.

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Photo Credit: Heavy.com

 

CONCLUSION

Both cornerbacks ended up being great signings for the Patriots. As of right now, Revis did play better for the Patriots. Although he had fewer tackles, he was more efficient in coverage and ended up getting a ring

Gilmore had an up-and-down year with little help from his teammates. However, he will continue his strong showings from the later part of the season, and I have a feeling this conclusion won’t remain the same next year.

Training Camp Breakdown: Patterson shines/Injuries Occur

Training Camp has been in full swing for just about a week now for almost every team. The HOF game was last night, and it finally feels like football’s back. So naturally, just like anybody else in the New England area who loves football, you visit training camp. It was a cloudy day filled with much overcast, but still, hundreds of fans attended. People had signs, footballs, and even shoes being ready to get signed while they watch the Pats. There were many things I noticed and had stuck out during my few hours at the Patriots’ practice.

Spotlight Players in the Starting Offense

One of the first things I wanted to look at was how this offense is looking. After losing key pieces like Solder, Amendola, and Lewis, I know the Pats would be changing personnel around. Well at first glance, it’s very apparent that they haven’t lost a beat. Trent Brown, the NFL’s own version of “The Mountain”, was holding his ground. The 6’8″ lineman was holding his blocks against a Patriots D-line that looks greatly improved.

More shining stars on this offense were wideouts Phillip Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson. Dorsett is looking like a brand new wide receiver after a disappointing first season in Foxborough last year. He caught numerous passes from Brady in coverage during 11 on 11 drills and it felt like he was rarely off the field. Patterson, however, is even more of a pleasant surprise to see him working with the 1’s in training camp. Another previous first-round pick who’s had trouble producing is trying to turn that around. When the Patriots initially traded for him, it appeared his role was special teams only. Now in August, it looks like Belichick has taken a liking to him. Patterson was lining up on the outside in numerous plays from walk-through plays to full on 11 on 11’s.  It appears that this speedster is going to be doing a lot more than just fielding punts and kicks in the near future.

Other Position Battles Heating Up

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Photo Credit: NESN

Besides the new faces on offense trying to get the coaches attention, there are plenty of other players vying for that 53 man roster and furthermore starting spots. Some of the most interesting things noticed throughout the practice. Eric Rowe and second-round pick Duke Dawson have been fighting for that second cornerback spot. As of now, Rowe is seeming to have the edge lining up in the second spot opposite of Stephon Gilmore. Dawson, however, hasn’t disappeared as he’s locking players down as the nickel cornerback currently.

Even special teams have competition on both ends. We’re seeing players like Rex Burkhead compete with the likes of Edelman and Patterson to return kicks this year. Even if we flip to the other side one of the underrated position battles has been Ryan Allen and rookie punter Corey Bojorquez. Ryan Allen has always been a consistent punter in the league; but obviously, if the Patriots have been keeping two punters so far, they wanna see who comes on top.

Quick Injury Update

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Photo Credit: MassLive

With all these practices starting again comes padded practices. With padded practices, unfortunately, comes injuries, and the Patriots have already had a few. Jordan Matthews was one of the most notable ones, and the Patriots even had to release him the other day. Rookie running back, Sony Michel, and starting tackle, Marcus Cannon, left practice early with injuries. It’s unknown exactly what injuries these are; but three days later, they’re still kept from practicing. Good injury news though is wideout, Kenny Britt, is finally practicing even if it’s scaled back for now.

Training Camp is always an exciting time for fans, reporters, and even the players. Football is just gearing up for the season, and the Patriots are in full swing. After only a week of practice, so much has happened to New England’s team. As the preseason continues to roll out Boston Sports Extra continue to provide updates and thoughts on everything Patriots!

Gilmore

Patriots Training Camp Preview: Cornerbacks

There are many new faces on this Patriots team compared to last year. The Pats acquired four guys from trade, fifteen from free agency, and nine from the NFL Draft. They also lost nine players from trade and free agency and had three players retire.

In this new series, I will be looking at every player from each position leading up to training camp. For this part of the series, I will take a look at the cornerbacks. The Patriots lost a key-piece to their secondary this past off-season with the departure of Malcolm Butler. New England then went on to add one CB via trade, two by draft, and one as an undrafted FA.

Stephon Gilmore #24 (2017-Present):

Stephon Gilmore is entering his seventh year in the NFL and second for the Pats. Gilmore was the 10th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He played five seasons in Buffalo, recording 225 tackles, 62 PBUs, and 14 interceptions. Gilmore’s final season in Buffalo was his best; he started 15 games and had 5 INT. He was voted as a Pro-Bowler for this season. Gilmore then signed a five-year, 65-million dollar contract with the Pats.

His career in New England started off rocky and he missed three games due to a concussion. Once he came back to the Pats, he played like the elite corner he was in Buffalo. In the 13 games in which Gilmore played, he notched 2 INT and 50 tackles. Gilmore started all three games in the playoffs, amassing 10 tackles and 6 PBUs. He also had the play of the game in the AFC Championship – a crucial pass deflection on fourth-down to seal the victory.

Gilmore’s contract will be debated with Pats fans for his entire tenure with the team. It is a lucrative deal, but it also gives the Patriots a legitimate number one cornerback to anchor the secondary. He showed he can cover the best wide-receivers in the game last year and will almost certainly make the roster next season.

Jason McCourty #30 (2018-Present):

Jason McCourty is in his tenth year in the NFL and first for the Patriots. He was the 203rd overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Tennesse Titans. McCourty played his first eight years in the NFL for Tennesee and played in 108 games over that span. He had 13 INT, 496 tackles, and 2 TD in his career for the Titans. McCourty was released by Tennessee after refusing to take a paycut. He was rumored to have interest in going to New England that offseason, but the Browns gave him a better offer. McCourty started in all 14 games he played and had 65 tackles, 3 INT, and 1 TD. His career in Cleveland was cut short as the Browns looked to revamp their roster with younger talent. McCourty was traded to New England in the 2018 offseason for a sixth round pick.

With McCourty coming in, the Pats have a guy that can replace Butler’s role on the team. As he gets older, McCourty continues to excel at zone defense, and read the QB better than many of his peers. He and his twin brother Devin will look to team up against opposing offenses this upcoming season. McCourty has a highly-likely chance of making the team due to his ability to read the pass.

Eric Rowe #25 (2016-Present):

Eric Rowe is entering his fourth year in the NFL and third for New England. The 2015 47th overall pick in the draft started his career in Philadelphia. After playing all 16 games for the Eagles in 2015, he was traded to the Patriots. Rowe’s career in New England began in 2016 but he only played in 9 games due to injury. He had 26 tackles, 8 PBUs, and 1 INT. Rowe also contributed with 11 tackles and 1 INT in the playoffs. His next season was riddled with injury; he only played in 8 games. In those contests, he had 14 tackles and 2 PBUs.

https://twitter.com/CaseyBake16/status/901237184585494529

Rowe’s play in Super Bowl LII against Philadelphia frustrated a lot of Pats fans. He was getting beat off the ball and let up big plays consistently. Overall, Rowe has the potential to be a good nickel corner, but I would not be shocked if Belichick released him.

Jonathan Jones #31 (2016-Present):

Jonathan Jones is an undrafted free agent out of Auburn University. He is now entering his third year in the NFL, all for New England. Jones has appeared in all 32 regular season games for the Patriots in his two-year tenure with the team. In his first year he had a small role, mostly as a special-teamer, and had 6 tackles, 1 FF, and 1 PBU. His next year was a quiet, breakout year as he started four games and saw increased snaps at corner. He had 36 tackles, 1 sack, 8 PBUs, and a game-winning INT against the Chargers.

https://twitter.com/CaseyBake16/status/924728538477056002

Jones will take a big step this upcoming year as Malcolm Butler is no longer with the team. He is going to have to show that he can continue to get better and become a consistent starter for the team. Jones has a very good chance of making the team.

Duke Dawson (Rookie):

Duke Dawson was the 56th overall pick by New England in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was also the highest picked defender taken by the Pats. Dawson hails from four years with the Florida Gators. In those four years, he played in 32 games and had 81 tackles, 6 INT, 3 TD, and 17 PBUs. His senior season was his best; he had 34 tackles, 4 INT, and 9 PBUs. Dawson was selected as first-team All-SEC.

Dawson could be pushed into a starting role as a rookie very early in the season. His talent is definitely there – it’s just of matter of how soon he can begin covering elite WRs. I can not see the Patriots cutting Dawson. After all, he was their highest defensive player selected.

Ryan Lewis #27 (2017-Present):

Ryan Lewis is entering his second year in the NFL, both for New England. Lewis was an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh before he was picked up by the Arizona Cardinals. He did not play a snap last year and was waived by Arizona. New England then snagged him. Lewis’ college career consisted 30 games, 103 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 INT, including one of off Deshaun Watson.

Lewis will have a very tough time trying to make the Patriots 53-man roster. The Pats have a lot of young-depth at the position that have a sizable advantage over Lewis. He could be riding the practice squad for the second year in a row.

Cyrus Jones #41 (2016-Present):

Cyrus Jones is now in his third-year in the NFL and for the Pats. The former 60th overall pick has not lived up to expectations so far. His first year in the league he played 10 games, both at returner and cornerback. As a corner, Jones only had 7 tackles and 0 INT or PBUs. It only got worse for the college-standout when he muffed 5 balls as a returner. He looked to improve in his next season, but a torn ACL sidelined him before he could even get started.

Jones had so much potential coming out of college, but it has yet to pan out in the NFL. Sometimes, teams need to realize that a pick can be a waste and ties have to be cut. I believe Jones will not make the roster due to his inability to keep up with WRs off the ball and his poor returning skills.

Keion Crossen (Rookie):

Keion Crossen was the 243rd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent his time in college as a two-sport athlete for the FCS School, Western Carolina. Crossen was a two-year starter for the Catamounts and played in 46 games. He amassed 165 tackles, 3 INT, and 19 PBUs in his career. Crossen also holds the school-record for fastest 100-meter dash, timing in at 10.33 seconds.

Crossen is a dynamic player in the secondary for the Pats. His ability to play man defense on elite, shifty receivers will be something to look for in training camp. Overall, he will still have a tough time making the roster, but he could impress the right people with his return skills.

J.C. Jackson (Rookie):

J.C Jackson is an undrafted rookie out of the University of Maryland. Jackson started his college career in Florida, but a shoulder injury saw him transfer to JUCO. After his time in JUCO, he went to Maryland and played two seasons for the Terps. In those two seasons, Jackson played 24 games and had 80 tackles, 4 INT, and 13 PBUs. Jackson decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2018 NFL Draft.

https://twitter.com/ezlazar/status/991452262529753088

Even though undrafted players usually start at a disadvantage, Jackson is off to a strong start for New England. He got a lot of reps across Gilmore during OTAs, which is a good sign for the youngster. If Jackson continues to bring his intensity to training camp like he did in OTAs, I think he has a fair argument for a spot on the roster.

Jomal Wiltz #22 (2017-Present):

Jomal Wiltz is now in his second year in the NFL, both for the Patriots. After spending his first two years in college at JUCO, Wiltz signed with Iowa State. In his two seasons for the Cyclones, Wiltz had 90 tackles, 2 INT, and 17 PBUs. His senior season afforded him an honorable mention for the All-Big Ten team.

Wiltz is going to have a very hard time making the roster for the Patriots. The only way Wiltz has a chance is by wowing the coaches with his special teams ability. However, he’s to be considered a long-shot at best.

Final Takeaway

Overall, the Patriots have a lot of depth at cornerback this year. Watch closely to this group of guys as there seems to be some interesting battles brewing.

New England’s Unsung Defensive Heroes

It is ridiculous to think that the New England Patriots are headed to another Super Bowl. Tom Brady has been an NFL starter for sixteen seasons and will be under center for his eighth Super Bowl. At this point only the mentally challenged debate the GOAT argument.

But Brady will be the first one to tell you he didn’t get here alone. In the ultimate team sport, he is the ultimate team guy. In that light, we should take some time to recognize the guys not getting the attention they deserve for what they’ve done this post-season.

Stephon Gilmore

It was a hard adjustment for Gilmore in New England. No question at all, he struggled in the first half of the season. Unlike his Bills teammate Mike Gillislee, Gilmore made the necessary adjustments, learned the system, and blossomed into everything for which we could have hoped.

If the Patriots go on to win their sixth Lombardi, Gilmore’s pass defense on fourth and fourteen will go down as one of the greatest defensive plays in Patriots history. It was game saving. Westbrook would have walked into the end zone if Gilmore missed.

Photo Credit: SI

But Gilmore has contributed much more than that single play. He was literally perfect in the divisional round game against Tennessee. He didn’t allow a single catch in four targets.

Malcolm Brown

Whatever happened to Leonard Fournette and the Jaguars ground game that led the league in rushing? Malcolm Brown happened. The third year tackle out of Texas has become the run-stuffer we’ve needed since Big Vince left for Houston.

Credit: NBC Sports

Brown has led a front four that has shut down Fournette, Derrick Henry, and contained two run-threat QBs in these playoffs. He’s done it without the help of Alan Branch or Dont’a Hightower. For New England to beat Philadelphia, we will need another huge game from the big man in the trenches.

James Harrison

After missing three weeks with an injury down the stretch, Kyle Van Noy returned to form against the Jags (nine tackles, one sack, one forced fumble). But his impressive stat line shouldn’t take away from the contributions of Harrison. Too old and slow to get on the field in Pittsburgh (good call Tomlin), Harrison has been a key contributor since arriving in New England. His Week 17 introduction (five tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble) against the Jets gave us a glimpse of what he might have left in the tank. The way he set the edge against Tennessee kept Mariota in the pocket and forced the run right into the big guys in the middle.

Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images via USAToday

Harrison was equally effective Sunday against Jags – containing the edge, swarming to the ball, and applying pressure on Bortles. It was Harrison who busted around the left edge to get to Bortles first as Van Noy hit him from the center for the key nine yard sack on second down taking us to the two-minute warning. Two plays later Gilmore sealed the game.

Great Defensive Schemes Wins Championships

There is a symbiotic relationship between offense and defense in football. Rarely can you win with only one championship caliber squad. Even in the years that the Pats won with marginal defenses, they were always great situationally, stellar in the red zone, and usually among the league leaders in turn-overs.

This year’s defense is not the ’85 Bears. But, they don’t have to be. All they have to do is continue to make key stops and keep the game close. The defensive adjustments the Pats made at halftime Sunday were every bit as important as Tom Brady to the win. Taking away the run and preventing Jacksonville from running out the clock. Applying pressure on Bortles late in the game. Great play after great play by an unheralded but truly elite secondary. These are the reasons New England even had a chance to win at the end.

These are also the reasons why Matt Patricia should be the runaway choice for the Associated Press’ NFL Assistant Coach of the Year. When Matty P moves on to coach the Lions, the next Patriots defensive coordinator will have big shoes to fill.

 

Patriots’ Player Profile : Stephon Gilmore

Hello everyone, I am embarking on a new feature for BostonSportsExtra and PatriotsExtra.  We will have a weekly profile of a Patriots’ player so you can get to know more about the individuals on the team.  This week features one of the newest Patriots, cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

 

INTRODUCTION

Stephon Stiles Gilmore was born on September 19, 1990 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  Gilmore went on to play high school and college football in his home state.  Gilmore was voted third team all-American in 2011 and first team SEC 2010-2011.  The Buffalo Bills drafted him in the first round (tenth overall) in 2012.

Gilmore went signed one of the richer free-agent contracts in Patriots’ history this past off season.  Gilmore signed a five-year, $65M dea,l making him one of the highest paid defensive players on the team.  This is coming off his last season with the Bills where Gilmore was voted to his first Pro Bowl.  Gilmore also gained notoriety this season in mini camp for his feisty play. Both he and Julian Edelman were thrown out of practice for fighting on August 1st.

Gilmore has teamed up this season with Malcolm Butler to form one of the more formidable CB tandems in the league.  Before you crucify me or them, it is only the first month of the season.  Time should show that this signing was a very good one for both the short and long term of the defense.  Gilmore, a great tackler, has averaged three interceptions a season, which I expect to go up this year.

PERSONAL DETAILS

Stephon Gilmore married his college sweetheart, Gabrielle Glenn, who he met at the University of South Carolina.  She was a member of the track team as a sprinter.  They currently plan to spend their off season time in South Carolina as well.

OFF THE FIELD

Gilmore has a reputation for his feisty behavior on the field, but it turns out Gilmore can be feisty off as well.  Gilmore quickly dissed his former team (the Bills–who doesn’t) after signing this off season.  “My friends and family will actually see me play on TV” highlighted one of his first quotes to the media.  Gilmore can trash talk with the best of them,  and has quick wit on and off of the field.

Otherwise, Gilmore tries to maintain a low profile and hangs out with his new defensive-back mates at least once a week.  They get together as a group and have dinner or do something at one of their houses.  They all say that this brings them closer together and helps with team bonding.

Hope you guys enjoyed my first ever Patriots’ player profile. Check out BostonSportsExtra.com and PatriotsExtra.com for a new profile each week.  Thanks again and Go Patriots.