Despite the Buffalo Bills pretty much announcing that one of their major offseason/preseason goals is to sign cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a long term contract, it hasn’t been working out, and this might lead to him holding out this summer, and maybe into the regular season.
Before Gilmore goes down the road of Kam Chancellor which probably didn’t win him anything, he’s hoping the Bills look at the contract Josh Norman got from the Washington Redskins ($75 million over five years, $36.5 million guaranteed), or maybe even what Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson signed ($14 million a season, $70 million total, $39 million guaranteed for Revis, $16 million guaranteed for Peterson), and do the same. But after four seasons in the NFL, Gilmore isn’t a pro bowler or all-pro. Norman, Peterson and Revis might be the three best corners in the league.
Gilmore is on the fifth year option on his rookie deal which the Bills picked up, worth just over $11 million. Not bad, but Gilmore knows his worth, and the numbers of the constantly rising salary cap. He’s young (will be 26 in September), and his missed games (four last season, two in 2014) have nothing to do with some long term injury problem. Pro Football Focus ranked Gilmore as the ninth best corner in the NFL based on their ratings and performances of last season. Norman was “only” 11th.
If Gilmore does begin missing mandatory practice and holdout, he’ll be losing $40,000 per day. It’s still a long way from coming to that, but while the Bills right now have no intention of giving Gilmore the kind of money Norman signed for this offseason, thinking about the more drastic rises in the salary cap in the next few years suggest that it might not be that big of a contract two years from now. Of course, what might be holding them back is thinking that Gilmore, with 9 career interceptions, including 3 last season, simply isn’t as good as he thinks he is.