The New England Patriots don't like to pay their players a lot of money. Which means that a guy like Stephon Gilmore could be traded.

Gilmore is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. In fact, there's little argument that he's the best cover corner in the game today and he proved it in 2019. The 29-year-old was the focal point of the team's lockdown defensive unit as he led New England to the best defense in the NFL. So much so that the Patriots' defense allowed just 14.1 points per game and 13 passing touchdowns — the best marks in the league.

Gilmore Is Due For Big Pay Raise

With that being said, Gilmore could be on the move. With two years left on his deal and a massive pay raise soon to follow, the Patriots could be inclined to trade their star corner. Via Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

“It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Patriots corner Stephon Gilmore,” Breer wrote in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column.

“New England needs cap space—and Gilmore has an $18.67 million cap hit for this year and a $19.67 million cap hit for next year, after a 2019 restructure. But he’s only taking home $11 million in cash this year, $12 million next year, and, after that, he’s up. Gilmore’s deal, at $13 million per year, was near the top of the corner market when he signed it.

Since then, he’s gotten better, and the market for defensive players has exploded. He’s now around $10 million per year short of fellow DPOYs Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald. And it stands to reason that if the Pats went to him looking for cap relief, he’d want something in return—and he might want a correction anyway. He’s New England’s best player. He turns 30 in September. The Patriots are retooling. If you’re a corner-needy team, you might want to give them a call just to check in.”

Why Patriots Could Trade Gilmore

At this point, it is really no surprise that the Patriots would allow a star player to walk. Bill Belichick just allowed Tom Brady — the greatest player in NFL history — to walk out the door. In other words, no single player is untouchable in the Patriots' organization. Once you reach a certain age and a certain salary benchmark, it's safe to assume Belichick will either allow you to walk or simply trade you.

While there has been no indication that the Patriots are currently shopping Gilmore on the market, he certainly can be had if teams start inquiring for him.