Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore has been placed on the team’s physically unable to perform (PUP) list and will miss the first six games of the season, according to multiple reports.
The soonest he can return is Oct. 24, when the Patriots host the Jets. Gilmore spent all of training camp on the PUP list as he continued to recover from a partially torn quad suffered last December. The two-time All-Pro has also been embroiled in a contract dispute with the front office. Gilmore was scheduled to earn a $7 million base salary this season, roughly half of what other elite cornerbacks will make around the league.
The 30-year-old said this offseason he wants to be paid what he’s worth. Gilmore has made three straight Pro Bowls and won the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award.
Jalen Mills is expected to start in Gilmore’s place, with J.C. Jackson opposite him at outside corner. The Patriots also have Jonathan Jones, Joejuan Williams and rookie Shaun Wade – acquired in a trade with Baltimore – on the depth chart.
If Gilmore’s placement is tied to his contract, it appears Coach Bill Belichick is banking on a reloaded front seven to carry his defense through the early part of the season. The Patriots’ pass rush dominated for stretches this summer, between joint practices this summer. Linebackers Dont’a Hightower, Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy and Josh Uche now present the strength of their defense.
ROSTER CUTS: Second-year defensive back Myles Bryant has been released, according to Pro Football Focus. Bryant played down the stretch last year at cornerback and safety and nabbed an impressive interception at the Rams last December. He practiced in a non-contact jersey all last week, after being sidelined with an injury midway through training camp.
His release indicates newly-added corner Shaun Wade will play nickel and safety for the Patriots. This week, Pats Coach Bill Belichick said he’s confident Wade will learn the defense quickly.
• Tight end Matt LaCosse was released, according to the NFL Network. LaCosse has not been seen since getting laid out in the team’s first joint practice at Philadelphia on Aug. 9. He was battling 2020 third-round pick Devin Asiasi for the No. 3 tight end job.
• According to the Boston Herald, third-year cornerback D’Angelo Ross has been waived. Ross started the team’s preseason finale against the Giants.
• Backup offensive lineman Alex Redmond has been released, according to multiple reports.
• The Patriots released cornerback Dee Virgin, according to The Athletic, and wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson, per CLNS.
• The Pats have released sixth-round rookie offensive lineman Will Sherman, according to ESPN. Sherman was not expected to make the final roster after an inconsistent summer, but should be viewed as a candidate to make the practice squad. He gained experience at multiple positions in training camp, after playing across the O-line in college at Colorado.
• The Patriots made seventh-round rookie wideout Tre Nixon, defensive lineman Bill Murray and safety Adrian Colbert their first cuts Monday evening. None were expected to make the final 53.
TRADE WITH CHIEFS: The Patriots reportedly acquired Chiefs backup offensive lineman Yasir Durant in a trade Tuesday morning for a 2022 seventh-round pick.
Durant signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri last year. The 6-foot-6, 331-pounder took 91 offensive snaps as a rookie. His arrival portends poorly for backup offensive tackle Korey Cunningham, who fought for a roster spot this summer.
The Patriots’ tackle depth proved shallower than expected this summer, between Cunningham’s struggles and second-year O-lineman Justin Herron getting whistled for multiple penalties in the preseason during his battle for the swing tackle job with 2019 third-round pick Yodny Cajuste.
The seventh-round pick the Pats traded was originally acquired from Las Vegas in the deal struck for new starting right tackle Trent Brown last March. The Kansas City Star first reported Tuesday’s trade.
PATRIOTS RECEIVER N’Keal Harry hasn’t been spotted on a football field since Aug. 19 due to a lingering shoulder injury. But that hasn’t kept Belichick from expecting big things from him this season.
“Had a good camp, I’m glad we have him. I think he’ll make a big contribution to our team,” Belichick said Tuesday morning. “We’ll see how it all goes from a time standpoint, when he’ll be able to get back on the field.”
Harry hurt his shoulder diving for a long incompletion during the Patriots’ second preseason game against the Eagles. Previously, he flashed in training camp, often dominating 1-on-1s, but running hot and cold in team drills. Harry finished one-third of his training camp practices without recording a catch in team periods, as he battled Kristian Wilkerson and Gunner Olszewski for the No. 4 receiver job.
In early July, Harry’s agent, Jamal Tooson, went public with a trade request, saying he had been collaborating with the team for months to his client shipped elsewhere. Harry has since said he’s happy to be a Patriot. On Tuesday, Belichick said he never spoke with Tooson.
Assuming he survives Tuesday’s final cuts, it’s possible Harry could heal in time for the team’s season opener against Miami on Sept. 12, though the initially reported timelines for his recovery targeted Week 2 as a more likely return date.
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