Jacksonville Jaguars: Does trading for CB Stephon Gilmore make sense?

The cost of acquiring Gilmore may be too high for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Nobody will deny the kind of impact Stephon Gilmore has on the football field. In fact, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick raised some eyebrows when he signed him to a five-year $65 million contract over Super Bowl 49 hero Malcolm Butler. In retrospect, the ‘Hoodie’ made the right decision and Gilmore has established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

However, he’s going to turn 31 in 2021 and has only one year left on his contract, meaning that besides parting ways with a first-round pick, they would have to give him a contract extension. Otherwise, they would be paying a first-round pick and his $17.2 million salary next season for a one-year rental.

Also, investing in a top-notch cornerback may not be in the best interest of the Jaguars as they have more pressing needs on defense. Their defensive line is devoided of talent and they could use the first-round pick would give the Patriots on a prospect such as Michigan’s Kwity Pawe or Carlos Basham Jr.

Trading for Gilmore certainly comes with many perks, but it also requires a heavy investment of draft picks and cap space. If the Jaguars are interested in the All-Pro cornerback, they need to consider the resources they would need to allocate to acquiring him.