6 big winners from the Carolina Panthers trade for Stephon Gilmore

Stephon Gilmore – Carolina Panthers CB

This is also a big win for Stephon Gilmore in many respects. His cold war with the New England Patriots is now over and he gets the chance to go home and prove beyond all doubt he is still one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL.

Whether Gilmore was hoping to land on a legitimate Super Bowl contender or not is up for debate. The Carolina Panthers took that out of his hands and there are far worse places he could have ended up.

Gilmore is a neighbor of general manager Scott Fitterer and hails from Rock Hill, where the Panthers are building their phenomenal new headquarters. His time in college at South Carolina was sensational and he returns to the area having achieved everything possible over his nine years in the league.

This is something that’s probably excited the player. He’ll be joining a loaded young defense that’s stacked with explosive playmakers, so his presence could make all the difference between playoff football and missing out entirely.

What player doesn’t want to be a little closer to home? Gilmore now gets that chance and if he makes a lasting contribution, it could see one more megabucks deal come his way before retirement.