Stephon Gilmore homecoming is another Panthers masterstroke

A homecoming for Stephon Gilmore with the Carolina Panthers following the cornerback’s trade is another masterstroke from Scott Fitterer.

The NFL world was shaken to its core on Wednesday morning as All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore was released by the New England Patriots. This sent shockwaves through the league and instantly saw Carolina Panthers fans call for the team to bring him back home at the earliest possible opportunity.

Gilmore is reportedly working his way back from injury and is able to come off the Physically Unable to Perform list in Week 6. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, everything is going smoothly, which makes the Patriots’ decision to cut such a talented player even more bizarre.

A report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter claimed that New England has been trying to trade Gilmore since the preseason but hasn’t found any takers. Considering how many cornerback-needy teams there are across the NFL currently, the Patriots forced the issue by leaking his impending release and teams called accordingly.

Of course, Scott Fitterer was at the front of the queue.

Despite the Panthers only recently making a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to bring C.J. Henderson on board in the wake of Jaycee Horn’s broken foot, they acquired Gilmore for a sixth-round pick in 2023 to bring the player on board.

Gilmore is no stranger to the area. He was born in Rock Hill, went to South Pointe High School before going to South Carolina where the corner starred in college.

There is an obvious connection.

And now he comes back to where it all started.

Stephon Gilmore offers plenty to the Carolina Panthers.

There were some leading Super Bowl contenders with a keen interest in Gilmore. The likes of the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and even the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers – with Tom Brady a former teammate in New England.

Fitterer – who has more than lived up to the “in on every deal” statement from his introductory press conference – swooped in and offered the Patriots something in return for the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, which was enough for Bill Belichick to pull the trigger.

Carolina also had the cap space to absorb Gilmore’s current contract, which the Chiefs, Buccaneers, and others couldn’t match.

Once Gilmore comes off the PUP list, he’ll add to a Panthers secondary that also consists of Donte Jackson, A.J. Bouye, and Henderson. There is also the prospect of Horn coming back before the season concludes.

This is another sign of the ever-changing times in Carolina. The new regime isn’t sitting around on the off chance something falls into their laps – they are being aggressive and making things happen.

A refreshing change. And now Gilmore is the latest piece on Phil Snow’s impressive defense.

Considering the player still has a lot left to give and the compensation involved, this represents a shrewd bit of business. One that only enhances Carolina’s playoff hopes in 2021.