Steelers should attempt to trade for Patriots star CB Stephon Gilmore

New England Patriots star CB Stephon Gilmore was absent Monday at the team’s mandatory minicamp. Should the Pittsburgh Steelers trade for him?

For most of this offseason, there have been many rumors that the Steelers should attempt to trade for Patriots star CB Stephon Gilmoreatriots were willing to trade away their former DPOY in Stephon Gilmore. If you look at history in New England, Bill Belichick has been known for getting rid of reliable starters as they got older. To make matters worse for Patriots fans, their star corner decided not to show up to mandatory minicamp.

Gilmore is in the last year of his contract with the Patriots, so it’s looking very clear that a trade is in the air for Gilmore.

Stephon Gilmore is now one of the biggest names on the market. A team with unpredictable roster spots at cornerback this season should come up with a trade for Gilmore fast before he’s gone.

Stephon Gilmore is a perfect fit for the Steelers defense

When we are talking about teams with unpredictable roster spots at cornerback, I think the Steelers are in that category. The team took a hit at the position over the offseason by releasing Steven Nelson and losing Mike Hilton in free agency to the Bengals. The Steelers also didn’t draft a corner either.

The team is working with returning starter Joe Haden who is basically at the end of his career. Cam Sutton doesn’t have much experience as a starter besides playing as a slot defender. James Pierre only has had a few defensive snaps in his career and Justin Layne has dealt with legal incidents this offseason.

So bringing a guy in like Gilmore can bring experience, leadership, and reliability to this secondary. Imagine having Gilmore and Minkah Fitzpatrick in the same secondary and having one of the game’s best pass rushers in TJ Watt all on the same defense!

But there are some risks in bringing in Gilmore. Yes, he is a former DPOY, but a corner at the age of 30 to trade for can be a risky move for an organization that lives by the draft.

Overall, I still believe the Steelers defense can be just as good as it was last season. But it’s going to be difficult when your secondary is uncertain. So if I were the Steelers, I would do anything I could to trade for Gilmore as long as it wouldn’t cost them some of their important talent upfront.