Patriots Move T Trent Brown To IR
Trent Brown has not played since Week 1 due to a calf injury. The Patriots’ right tackle starter is now guaranteed to miss at least three more games; the team placed Brown on IR Saturday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Since his first stint with the Patriots ended, Brown has been unable to stay healthy. He did make the 2019 Pro Bowl, becoming the rare right tackle invitee that year, but played in just 11 games. Last year, a calf injury in Week 1 sidelined him before multiple stints on the Raiders’ reserve/COVID-19 list wrecked his season.
The Patriots reacquired Brown for a Day 3 pick but have not been able to deploy him much. As part of a redone contract, Brown is only signed through the end of this season. The 6-foot-8 blocker’s value has taken a major hit since the Raiders gave him a four-year, $66MM deal early in free agency two years ago.
In addition to Brown’s extended absence, the Patriots are set to be without three other offensive line starters against the Texans. Left tackle Isaiah Wynn and guards Shaq Mason and Michael Onwenu are out. Mason is injured but not on IR; Wynn and Onwenu are on the team’s coronavirus list. This will leave center David Andrews as New England’s lone first-string O-lineman available Sunday in Houston.
Patriots Attempted To Restructure Stephon Gilmore’s Deal
After four seasons with the Patriots, Stephon Gilmore is now on the Panthers’ PUP list. The Pats ended the All-Pro cornerback’s contract saga by trading him, but they did offer a restructure of sorts in an effort to retain the standout cover man.
New England offered Gilmore a restructure, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, though it sounds like this was to be an incentive-laden pay bump. Gilmore taking home more cash than his $7MM 2021 base salary would have hinged on his participation and performance level, Garafolo adds (video link).
Rather than a true extension, it appears New England continued its approach of incentive proposals. The Pats did this with Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in 2018. The Pats gave Gilmore a pay raise in 2020, but the sides could not agree on terms that would have kept him in Massachusetts for the remainder of this season.
Gilmore joining the likes of ex-Patriot stalwarts Lawyer Milloy and Richard Seymour in being dealt rather than given an extension that would have covered their early-30s seasons represents a potential impact decision for the Panthers, who acquired the 31-year-old corner for a mere sixth-round pick in 2023. They were far from the only Gilmore suitor.
The Pats made it known they were prepared to cut Gilmore. Rather than take their chances at winning a free agency battle, the Panthers sent the Pats a pick and took on the contract-year corner’s remaining $5.8MM in base salary. Gilmore’s salary dissuaded other teams from making trade proposals, but Garafolo notes recruiting pitches — some from star quarterbacks — came in. Top QBs sent Gilmore texts about potential free agency deals, but the Panthers did not let this process reach that point. The Packers were one of the teams interested, with Davante Adams being one of their lead recruiters.
The 10th-year defender is expected to come off Carolina’s PUP list in Week 6. He has not participated in practice since suffering a torn quad last season, but the Panthers will count on the former Defensive Player of the Year to lead their cornerback contingent — one that may be down Jaycee Horn for the rest of the season. Horn is not yet shut down, however. The Pats are moving forward with J.C. Jackson and free agent acquisition Jalen Mills as their top boundary corners. Mills, however, will miss Week 5 due to injury.
Latest On CB Stephon Gilmore, Potential Extension With Panthers
After acquiring former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore from the Patriots, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said the team would not immediately extend their acquisition. However, that doesn’t mean the doesn’t intend to eventually sign their acquisition. Per Jeff Howe and Joseph Person of The Athletic, “the Panthers’ intention is to sign Gilmore to a contract extension.”
[RELATED: Gilmore Extension Not Yet In Panthers’ Plans]
The organization understands that they’ll have to pay up if they hope to keep Gilmore in Carolina for the long haul. Before they make that pricey investment, the team wants to see what Gilmore looks like on the field. The star cornerback missed five games last year and is guaranteed to miss the first six this season due to a quadriceps injury he sustained late in 2020. The team sounds optimistic that Gilmore will return once his six-week stint on the PUP comes to an end, but the front office is still being fiscally responsible before handing out an extension.
Per Howe and Person, Gilmore’s contract issues with the Patriots apparently won’t travel to Carolina. The cornerback “will report to the Panthers and won’t demand a new contract before suiting up.” The veteran also wants to assure that “the defensive fit is as strong as it appears on paper” before committing long-term to the organization.
The Athletic piece has plenty of other notable details regarding the Gilmore trade. Specifically, while the Packers had previously been connected to the cornerback, apparently a pair of AFC teams made offers to the Patriots, and those two squads dissuaded the Panthers from making a run at Gilmore in free agency (and persuaded them to make a trade).
Packers Explored Stephon Gilmore Trade
When it became known the Patriots were moving on from Stephon Gilmore, reports linked the All-Pro cornerback to the Packers. However, the Panthers instead made the move to land him.
The Packers did try to acquire Gilmore, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who notes the team explored ways to add his contract. Gilmore’s expiring deal has $5.8MM remaining this season; the Packers have just more than $7MM in cap space.
While the team could have afforded Gilmore, it would have been up against the cap. The Packers made contact with the Patriots once their desire to move on became known, per Demovsky, who adds the 10th-year corner wanted a monster extension to go with any trade. Considering how little the Patriots received for Gilmore without the extension requirement, this demand was quickly dropped. Gilmore, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, wanted to play for the Packers (video link via 98.5 The Sports Hub). But he ended up in Carolina, which has now acquired Gilmore and 2020 first-round corner C.J. Henderson.
Green Bay did make a move at corner Wednesday, signing Rasul Douglas off Arizona’s practice squad. The Packers have Jaire Alexander expected to miss at least Week 5, and it sounds like a longer absence is in play. Matt LaFleur said the team will try to avoid its top corner undergoing surgery “at all costs,” via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter), but it remains to be seen when Alexander will be ready to return. Alexander suffered a shoulder injury late in the Packers’ Week 4 win over the Steelers. Shoulder surgery likely would end Alexander’s season and deal a huge blow to Green Bay’s Super Bowl aspirations.
With Alexander down and Gilmore now on the Panthers’ PUP list, Green Bay does have some depth on which to lean. The Pack drafted Eric Stokes in Round 1 and re-signed Kevin King. The team traded Josh Jackson straight up for Isaac Yiadom this summer and drafted Shemar Jean-Charles in the fifth round. Fourth-year defender Chandon Sullivan, however, saw his workload boosted after Alexander’s injury.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/6/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Rashod Berry, G Parker Ehinger
- Released: WR Javon McKinley
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Damon Hazelton
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Elijah Benton
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Ryquell Armstead
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: LB Christian Elliss
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DL Willington Previlon
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/6/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Darrell Daniels
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated for return: S Ricardo Allen
Cleveland Browns
- Designated for return: LB Anthony Walker
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: K Austin Seibert
Green Bay Packers
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: CB Rasul Douglas
Houston Texans
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Zach Cunningham
- Designated to return: LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
- Signed off Browns’ practice squad: WR Davion Davis
Miami Dolphins
- Designated for return: DT Raekwon Davis
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: DL Henry Anderson (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: RB Tony Jones Jr.
New York Jets
- Designated for return: LB Blake Cashman
Patriots Sign Jamie Collins
The Patriots have officially signed Jamie Collins, according to agent David Canter (Twitter link). This marks the linebacker’s third stint in New England, where he’ll also reunite with longtime coach Matt Patricia. 
[RELATED: Patriots Trade Gilmore To Panthers]
The Lions cut Collins in late September when they couldn’t find a suitable trade for him. Clearly, his stock has cooled, but he’s just two years removed from a standout season with the Pats. He used that year as a springboard to a three-year, $30MM deal in free agency with the Lions under the Patricia-Bob Quinn power structure.
The Lions ate $11MM+ in dead money by cutting the soon-to-be 32-year-old — the Pats are going to be paying him a whole lot less. It was a similar story last time around — the Browns cut Collins after paying him big bucks; the Patriots brought him back on a cheap one-year pact.
Collins made the Pro Bowl in 2015 with 5.5 sacks and an NFL-high five fumbles for the Patriots. The Southern Miss product later turned in a seven-sack 2019. He’ll now try to turn back the clock with the Patriots, who traded Stephon Gilmore to the Panthers earlier today.
Patriots Trade Stephon Gilmore To Panthers
The Patriots have traded cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the Panthers. In exchange, the Panthers will send a 2023 sixth-rounder to New England. 
Gilmore was set to be released by the Patriots, but Bill Belichick & Co. managed to find a trade instead. The 31-year-old will now help replace first-round pick Jaycee Horn, who is out with a broken foot. Gilmore, the 2019 Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year, now headlines a Panthers CB group with Donte Jackson, former top-10 pick C.J. Henderson, A.J. Bouye, and Rashaan Melvin.
Gilmore will be eligible to play after Week 6, pending the status of his quad injury. That means he could debut as soon as Week 7, when the Panthers face the Giants in New Jersey.
Gilmore spent his first five years with the Bills before moving on to the Patriots in 2017. He went on to win a ring with the Pats in 2018 and took his game to a whole new level in ’19, en route to DPOY honors. After notching a career-high six interceptions, Gilmore wanted a new contract to reflect his performance and the dramatic uptick in the CB market.
The Pats — in classic Belichick fashion — resisted. They’ll move forward with J.C. Jackson and Jalen Mills as their top two CBs with Jonathan Jones in the slot. They also have 2019 second-rounder Joejuan Williams in the mix, plus the recently-acquired Shaun Wade.
Now, Gilmore has a prime opportunity to shine with the 3-1 Panthers. Barring an extension, he’ll play out the remainder of his five-year, $65MM contract before testing free agency in the spring.
Patriots Still Shopping Stephon Gilmore?
The Patriots are set to release Stephon Gilmore, but the move has yet to hit the league’s official transactions wire. Meanwhile, sources say the Patriots have leaked the news in a last-ditch effort to trade the cornerback (Twitter link via Albert Breer of The MMQB). 
[RELATED: Patriots To Cut Stephon Gilmore]
“I am grateful to Stephon Gilmore for his significant contributions to the team,” head coach Bill Belichick said in a team-issued statement. “It was a privilege and pleasure to coach Steph, I appreciate him for the true professional and class act that he is and wish him all the best in the future. Following discussions over a long period of time, we mutually agreed to part ways today.”
Belichick’s statement indicates that it’s a done deal. However, as of this writing, Gilmore has not been formally released.
From a football-only perspective, tons of teams would love to add Gilmore. However, no one was willing to meet the Patriots’ asking price, given Gilmore’s desire for a new contract. From here, interested clubs might be inclined to wait until 4pm ET/3pm CT. Then again, they could also circumvent the bidding process by talking to Gilmore’s camp and sending some future draft compensation to New England.
Patriots To Cut Stephon Gilmore
The Patriots are releasing cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The cornerback broke the news himself on social media, thanking the team for their time together. 
“It is with mixed emotions that I announce my goodbye to this great fan base. We enjoyed so much success together and you have been an incredible inspiration for my individual achievements. Thank you for supporting this Rock Hill kid and allowing him to achieve his NFL dreams,” Gilmore wrote (Twitter link). “To Mr. Kraft, the coaches, and the organization thank you for providing me with this platform and allowing me to be part of greatness. Most of all I want to thank my teammates who lined up next to me every Sunday with one goal in mind.”
Gilmore and the Patriots weren’t able to make progress in contract talks, but he was still expected to stick with the club for the rest of the season. To date, he’s been on the physically unable to perform list with a quadriceps injury. Per the league’s PUP rules, he could have been activated as soon as Week 7.
Gilmore has been with the Patriots since 2017 after spending his first five years with the Buffalo Bills. He was part of the Patriots’ Super Bowl championship team in 2018 and won the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award in which he had a career-high six interceptions and two touchdowns that year.
At the time of signing, Gilmore was plenty happy with his five-year, $65MM contract. Since then, he’s performed as one of the league’s best cover men as the market advanced significantly. In terms of average annual value ($13MM), the deal had the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year outside of the top 10 for CBs.