It's not a secret that the New England Patriots are entering a new era in franchise history. Tom Brady's departure sealed the end of one of the most dominant dynasties to ever play in the NFL, and it showed this season.
Besides their quarterback situation, however, the Patriots have plenty of areas to address in their roster right now. They lack an elite receiving corps, failed to establish a running game, and their once-dominant defense isn't the same anymore.
To make things even worst, it seems like they might as well lose their best player, as former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore could be on his way out of Gillette Stadium rather sooner than later.
Patriots' Stephon Gilmore Posts Cryptic Tweet, People Speculate He'll Leave The Team
The 2019 interceptions leader posted a cryptic tweet that just read "2021 is going to be an interesting year," fueling countless rumors of his potential departure as he's set to become a free agent.
Gilmore was one of the prime trade candidates throughout the season. The Patriots needed a lot of help and Stephon wasn't likely going to be pleased with playing for a rebuilding team. In the end, however, he stayed.
Lockdown cornerbacks don't grow in trees and there are going to be plenty of teams lining up to make him quite a lucrative offer. The Patriots aren't likely to turn things around next season either, so he's got a lot of thinking to do.
Gilmore has been one of the best defenders in the world since entering the league in 2012 and helped the Patriots win Super Bowl LIII, making it to 3 straight Pro-Bowls with the team and getting back-to-back All-Pro nods as well. But, as you may know by now, all great things come to an end.
