Are the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks planning to move on from two of their superstars?
Two of the NFL's biggest defensive stars could soon be on their way to new teams. With contract extensions stuck, Stephon Gilmore and Jamal Adams could be traded if they don't reach new deals with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, respectively.
Players of the caliber of Stephon Gilmore and Jamal Adams aren't available that often. Adams, of course, was traded last season, but the absence of an extension with the Seahawks shortly after the deal raises some doubt as to whether Seattle would be willing to recoup some of what they invested in the player in another trade.
In Gilmore's case, the cornerback and the Patriots are at an impasse. The veteran is on a base salary of just $7 million in 2021. Gilmore can still be traded if there's no salary increase he desires.
Stephon Gilmore has just one year left on his current contract
Gilmore, two years after he won the Defensive Player of the Year award, is still an excellent cornerback. The New England Patriots player is capable of covering any receiver in man-to-man coverage and, even at 31, he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. It just seems to be a natural regression after his incredible year in 2019.
As Gilmore is aiming for a long-term extension with New England, which seems very unlikely, it's clear that if any team trades for him, they'll also have to extend him for a lot of money. Knowing he only has one year left on his Patriots contract, it's unrealistic to imagine Bill Belichick getting a first-round pick for the veteran.
Gilmore's fair value at this point is two second-day picks, or perhaps a second-round pick and a conditional pick. In any case, neither team will offer a first-rounder for the cornerback considering his current contract situation.
What can the Seattle Seahawks expect from a trade for Jamal Adams?
Jamal Adams' case is a little different to Gilmore's. If any team trades for him, most likely that team won't make the same mistake as Seattle of sealing the trade without having a contract extension agreed upon. Also, Adams is much younger than Gilmore and hasn't reached the peak of his career yet, so his price tag is higher.
The Seahawks traded two first-round picks for the player they believed would instantly improve their defense. Seattle would certainly regain at least one first-round pick, but two seem unlikely, as Adams comes from a year below expectations on coverage, although he got 9 sacks.
Something like a 1st rounder plus a 3rd rounder sounds like fair value.