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New England Patriots: Stephon Gilmore Hopes to Play With Malcolm Butler

By Nick Ziegler

Oct 30, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan (15) is knocked out of bounds after making a catch for a first down with Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) defending during the first quarter at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan (15) is knocked out of bounds after making a catch for a first down with Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) defending during the first quarter at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New England Patriots recently signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore. This has caused some friction with Malcolm Butler, but Gilmore wants to play alongside him.

One of the biggest surprises of the offseason so far was when the New England Patriots signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Even with Malcolm Butler still on the team, the Patriots have made a huge investment in Gilmore.

This has obviously upset Butler, who has yet to receive the payday that he deserves and desires. As a restricted free agent, Butler has limited options this offseason. The Patriots placed a first round tender on him, so any team that might want to sign him would have to send their first-round pick back to New England in exchange.

Even though Butler’s future is uncertain in New England, Gilmore is excited to have a chance to play alongside Butler

"“I mean, I don’t know what’s going to happen there,” Gilmore said on a conference call Monday with Kevin Duffy of Masslive.com, “but I’m looking forward to it. He’s a great player who has made a lot of good plays in the league. I’d love to team up with him and play with him.“Obviously, he came in the league and grinded his way up to the top and made a lot of good plays in the league,” Gilmore said. “You’ve got to respect him as a player. Made a lot of great plays on big stages, so I definitely respect him as a player. Playing in the league, you’ve got to have a strong mentality at the corner position and I think he has that fight in him. So that’s one thing that sticks out from watching him. If you get him, he always comes back and puts it behind him and makes plays the next play.”"

The combination of Butler and Gilmore would be one of the best in the NFL. Last season, the Patriots had a great combination at cornerback with Butler and Logan Ryan. Now, the Patriots might have an even better one with Butler and Gilmore.

Next: 5 Reasons Why Pats Can Repeat as Champs

With a lot of time leading up to the NFL Draft, trading Butler is still certainly a possibility for the Patriots. If Butler does stay, the Patriots could have a dominant secondary with two very good cornerbacks.

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