The Buffalo Bills and Stephon Gilmore haven’t discussed the possibility of a new contract since training camp, the cornerback told the media at locker clean out. The former first round pick will become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the league year.
Last offseason, Gilmore was offered $10.5 million per season according to Sal Capaccio of WGR sports radio in Buffalo. To get to that, the Bills would have to considerably up their offer to $14 million per season. That will likely not happen in Buffalo, especially given the departure of Rex Ryan whose defense is structured on having elite-level cornerbacks playing one-on-one.
Gilmore had one of his best seasons on the stat sheet in 2016, notching five interceptions and 12 passes defended in addition to making 42 tackles. He was burned repeatedly near the beginning of the season including a disastrous performance against the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led New York Jets in Week 2. He missed the season finale against the Jets with a concussion.
The Bills are already thin at cornerback and in the rest of the secondary so a Gilmore departure would create another front-line hole for general manager Doug Whaley to fill this offseason.